England during the Crusades
William II (1087-1100)
In 1095, England was ruled by William Rufus, son of the Conqueror, who had died in 1087. William I had not been well-liked, but he had been greatly feared. William II was openly despised and was not feared much at all. He had quarreled with the Church and was under the ban of excommunication in 1095 (as were Henry IV and Philip I). He had few friends among the barons.
William was killed in 1100, shot by an errant arrow while hunting. Within three days, Henry of Anjou
was being crowned the new king in London. Henry had been in the hunting party with William and had moved with remarkable speed, arriving in the city to stake his claim the same day William had died. Some modern historians have liked to see conspiracy in this, but the records make no such speculation, even those unfriendly to Henry.