William II, known as Rufus, inherited England from William the Conqueror in 1087 while his elder brother Robert received Normandy. The division placed cross-Channel landowners in a difficult position and encouraged rebellion in 1088. William defeated the rebels and secured his throne with support that included English forces. Thereafter, rivalry and negotiation with Robert remained central to his policy.

William campaigned in Normandy and obtained control of the duchy when Robert mortgaged it to finance participation in the First Crusade in 1096. He also pressed English authority northward, taking Carlisle in 1092 and strengthening the frontier. Relations with Scotland combined agreements, military pressure, and intervention in succession disputes. In Wales, royal expeditions encountered difficult terrain and determined resistance, limiting the expansion achieved by marcher lords.

His government depended heavily on extracting revenue from royal lands, feudal obligations, and vacant ecclesiastical offices. The minister Ranulf Flambard became associated with forceful financial administration. After Archbishop Lanfranc's death in 1089, William kept Canterbury vacant and used its revenues. A serious illness in 1093 prompted him to appoint Anselm, but the two soon clashed over church property, obedience, and recognition of papal authority.

Anselm eventually left England, and William again controlled the archbishopric's income. Much of the surviving narrative was written by churchmen hostile to the king, requiring caution about personal accusations. His rule strengthened royal resources and pursued military advantage across frontiers. On August 2, 1100, he was killed by an arrow while hunting in the New Forest. The circumstances remain uncertain, and later suspicions of murder are not conclusive evidence of a plot. His brother Henry quickly secured the crown, while Robert was still absent. His reign left unresolved disputes over succession, taxation, and the church.