ABSTRACT
William II was in his late twenties when he became king – he was born perhaps as early as 1058, and certainly by 1060. He probably acquired his nickname of Rufus (‘the Red’ in Latin) because of his florid complexion. Equally he might have had a red beard, although twelfth-century commentators tended to describe him as having blonde or fair hair. William of Malmesbury portrayed the King as short, stocky and strong, with a large belly. He had ‘eyes of no colour but spangled with bright specks’ and a habit of stammering when he got angry. 1 His courtiers were criticised for their effeminate ways, immoderate dress and sexual immorality, thus suggesting to subsequent generations of historians that Rufus himself was a homosexual. That he never married and is not known to have had any children may lend support to this view, but such considerations are far from conclusive.