Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays William of Normandy, with James Norton as Harold, Earl of Wessex in the eight-part historical epic.
Updated 24/07/25: First trailer drops
It’s been a long time coming, but the BBC have finally revealed some moving footage from their forthcoming 1066 drama.
King & Conqueror chronicles the rival claims to the English throne of William of Normandy and Harold, Earl of Wessex which lead to the Battle of Hastings. The show, coming to BBC One and the iPlayer, stars James Norton (Happy Valley) and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones).
Here’s the official synopsis for King & Conqueror…
King & Conqueror is the story of a clash that defined the future of a country – and a continent – for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea. Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no design on the English throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown.
We’re still short on a start date for the eight-part series, and in the land of ‘coming soon’.
In the meantime, check out below for cast details and first-look images from the series – and we’ll keep you posted.
Original article (of 09/12/24) continues…
King & Conqueror – first look at BBC’s starry 1066 drama
It’s a story we all grew up on, Vikings, Normans, and an almighty battle to decide who would sit on the throne of England.
While the ultimate victor won’t be a surprise, the forthcoming historical drama King & Conqueror promises to tell the stories of the two men who were fated to meet each other at Hastings in 1066.
With the eight-part drama landing on our screens in 2025, the BBC have shared a batch of first-look images:
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) stars as William, Duke of Normandy
Opposite James Norton (Playing Nice) who is Harold, Earl of Essex.
The cast also includes Emily Beecham (The Pursuit of Love) as Edith Swan-neck…
and Clémence Poésy (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon) as Matilda of Flanders.
Wider cast
The series also stars Eddie Marsan as King Edward, Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma, Jean-Marc Barr as King Henry, Luther Ford as Tostig, Geoff Bell as Godwin, Elliott Cowan as Sweyn, Bo Bragason as Queen Gunhild, Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward, Oliver Masucci as Baldwin, Clare Holman as Gytha, Elander Moore as Morcar, Indy Lewis as Margaret, Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas, Ingvar Sigurdsson as Fitzosbern, Ines Asserson as Judith, Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson as Hardrada and Léo Legrand as Odo.
From writer Michael Robert Johnson (Sherlock Holmes, The Frankenstein Chronicles), the show is produced by The Development Partnership, Rabbit Track Pictures, Shepherd Content, RVK Studios and CBS Studios, in association with the BBC.
We’ll keep you posted on King & Conqueror.