Birthdate: 1146 AD
Birthplace: Caversham, United Kingdom
Died: May 14, 1219
William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke, was a distinguished Anglo-Norman soldier and statesman who served five English kings. Knighted in 1166, he excelled in chivalry and tournaments, eventually becoming the de facto earl of Pembroke through marriage. In 1216, he was appointed protector and regent of the kingdom for young Henry III. Marshal fulfilled a promise made during a crusade by joining the Knights Templar before his passing and was laid to rest in the Temple Church in London. His leadership as the chief Marshal led to the creation of the hereditary title “earl marshal” in the English peerage.
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