Saint William of Breteuil | |
|---|---|
 William of Breteuil defending the Winchester treasury against Prince Henry at the death of William Rufus | |
| Died | 12 January 1103 Bec Abbey, Normandy, France |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Feast | 14 July |
St William of Breteuil or William de Breteuil (French: Guillaume de Breteuil; d. 12 January 1103) was a Norman abbot and magnate who held extensive lands in central Normandy as the lord of Breteuil at the end of the reign of King William I and during the chaotic period afterwards when William's eldest son Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy, contested with his younger brother William Rufus, king of England. Upon the death of William Rufus while hunting in the New Forest, Lord William attempted—but failed—to block Prince Henry seizing the crown jewels from the Winchester treasury and declaring himself king in preference to the crusading Robert. Lord William was later abducted and tortured by a French noble who wanted to marry his illegitimate daughter Isabel. He is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.