The rite which was to change him from king-elect into full king took place in Eadward’s church of Westminster on Christmas day, 1066, somewhat more than two months after the great battle, somewhat less than twelve months after the death of Edward and the coronation of Harold.  Nothing that was needed for a lawful crowning was lacking.  The consent of the people, the oath of the king, the anointing by the hands of a lawful metropolitan, all were there.  Ealdred acted as the actual celebrant, while Stigand took the second place in the ceremony.  But this outward harmony between the nation and its new king was marred by an unhappy accident.  Norman horsemen stationed outside the church mistook the shout with which the people accepted the new king for the shout of men who were doing him damage.  But instead of going to his help, they began, in true Norman fashion, to set fire to the neighbouring houses.  The havoc and plunder that followed disturbed the solemnities of the day and were a bad omen for the new reign.  It was no personal fault of William’s; in putting himself in the hands of subjects of such new and doubtful loyalty, he needed men near at hand whom he could trust.  But then it was his doing that England had to receive a king who needed foreign soldiers to guard him.

William was now lawful King of the English, so far as outward ceremonies could make him so.  But he knew well how far he was from having won real kingly authority over the whole kingdom.  Hardly a third part of the land was in his obedience.  He had still, as he doubtless knew, to win his realm with the edge of the sword.  But he could now go forth to further conquests, not as a foreign invader, but as the king of the land, putting down rebellion among his own subjects.  If the men of Northumberland should refuse to receive him, he could tell them that he was their lawful king, anointed by their own archbishop.  It was sound policy to act as king of the whole land, to exercise a semblance of authority where he had none in fact.  And in truth he was king of the whole land, so far as there was no other king.  The unconquered parts of the land were in no mood to submit; but they could not agree on any common plan of resistance under any common leader.  Some were still for Edgar, some for Harold’s sons, some for Swegen of Denmark.  Edwin and Morkere doubtless were for themselves.  If one common leader could have been found even now, the throne of the foreign king would have been in no small danger.  But no such leader came:  men stood still, or resisted piecemeal, so the land was conquered piecemeal, and that under cover of being brought under the obedience of its lawful king.