, January 15, 1043, was William's 16th birthday and the day he officially came of age.

Despite the effects of the Black Death and war, the atmosphere in the Norman kingdom was oppressive and gloomy, and the shadow of death always hung over the Normans, but William's coming-of-age ceremony added a touch of color to the black and white scene.

William didn't make a big deal about his coming-of-age ceremony, but he didn't keep a low profile, he needed to use the opportunity of this coming-of-age ceremony to boost the morale of the people who had been devastated by the Black Death, so he invited nobles above the rank of barons and bishops and religious personnel in the Duchy of Normandy to attend.

On the throne, William accepted the curtsy of the nobles and announced the official start of the ball.

The coming-of-age ceremony is called debutante in English, and the word first came from France. Before the Industrial Revolution, girls from high society and aristocratic families in Europe basically had no opportunity to contact the opposite sex until they reached adulthood, and they did not go to public schools, and their parents hired private teachers for them. When girls reach a certain age, they have to put on a formal dress, dress up, and participate in a coming-of-age ball, which also marks their official entry into the social circle of high society.

William's recognition ceremony was more of a social ball, a noble ball for young boys and girls of the Norman nobles, who he hoped would find their other half.

The ball, which was held only within the Norman court, was strictly selected from a few aristocratic families, and was aimed at girls who had just passed the age of 16 and were of outstanding appearance and learning, through which they were formally introduced to the royal family and officials. The costumes of the girls who attended the ball also reflected the solemnity and elegance of the Norman royal family - they had to wear white robes, gloves, and a crown of hair before they could enter the ball.

Despite the fact that William has been with the fiancée of the princess of Castile, Uraka. Jimena made a bettal, but the Norman nobles tirelessly recommended their beautiful daughter to William, as if they did not care that William already had a fiancée.

William was slightly moved, but looking at Uraka with a gloomy face beside him, he immediately shirked these invitations with a sense of humor.

For William and the boys and girls who had just come of age, William made an exception and extended it until 10 o'clock in the evening.

......

The rite of passage did not have much effect on William, unlike the nobles who took over power from his father, his power did not need to be transferred to his own hands through regency, he was shot with his own hands, and his title was tested by blood and fire.

As early as the age of twelve, William was already in charge of his own affairs, governing the realm and implementing reforms according to his own will, rather than hiding under the wings of guardians and regents, so the symbolism of this rite of passage was far greater than practical.

......

By the year 1043, the war between the Norman kingdom and the French kingdom had long since ceased, and the Normans who had invaded Paris were gradually withdrawn. This was not because William was afraid of Henry I, but because the Black Death epidemic in Paris was too serious, even more serious than the epidemic in the Duchy of Normandy, and William was afraid that his army would not be defeated by the enemy, but by the plague.

Therefore, William took the opportunity to give up his advantageous advantage despite the opposition of the warlike Norman nobles, and withdrew his army to the Norman kingdom.

Although William's decision puzzled many, the Black Death in the Kingdom of France and Paris proved that his decision was not wrong, and if his army remained in Paris to attack Henry I's castle, I am afraid that the Normans would have been forced to withdraw due to the ravages of the Black Death.

William's wise actions saved at least tens of thousands of Norman lives, and he was rewarded by the army and nobles.

In contrast, Henry I, who remained in Paris, was not so lucky, the Black Death not only claimed the lives of countless civilians, but also extended its claws to the nobility and army of Henry I, and more than 3,000 soldiers were killed by the plague in just one week, with an average daily death toll of more than 400.

Later, even if Henry I followed William's example and decisively adopted strict and effective quarantine measures, no matter how hard he tried, he could not save the lives of his generals.

I'm afraid that after this Black Death, half of the army under the command of Henry I will be able to remain, and it will be thankful.

Relatively speaking, William's situation here was much better, due to the early retreat, combined with timely and effective isolation, and adequate medical and drug supplies, the death toll among the Normans in the army was much lower, and the death toll was just over a thousand years old, about one-sixth of the number of deaths in the French Kingdom.

Under the advantages of the other, William believed that in a few years, with the power in his hands, he would be able to sweep through the Kingdom of France and take the throne of France and wear it on his head.

The Norman Kingdom and the Kingdom of France were not much better, England and Spain were not much better, and the Black Death broke out in England and the West in the middle of the night, where Normandy was in frequent communication.

The Kingdom of Castile had more contact with the Moors, he was not averse to bathing, his hygiene habits were relatively good, and the hot and dry climate was not suitable for the survival of rats, so the Black Death epidemic of the Castile people was much milder than in other regions.

Even so, the epidemic in the kingdoms of Castile, Leon and Galicia was quite serious, and Ferdinand I was exhausted from dealing with the Black Death, so where was there enough strength to send troops to help William?

This is especially true in the Kingdom of England, where the plague epidemic is more severe, especially in Wickes, Kent, Devon, East Anglia and other places in the south of England, which are more severely affected by the plague.

Who said that these areas had close exchanges with the Norman kingdom and the French kingdom, and were only separated by a narrow English Channel, and the narrowest distance of thirty or forty kilometers could not stop the plague from invading England at all.

William estimates that the population of the southern territories of England has fallen by at least a third these days, and large swathes of cities and villages have become desolate.

In the midst of this disaster of the Black Death, Earl Brown, Duke of Vices. Godwin and Godwin's family suffered the most, who called the Godwin family occupied many southern English territories such as Wicksex, Oxford, Devon, Kent, East Anglia, etc., and had a large number of estates, naturally their strength was greatly weakened by the Black Death.