<P> The day after the battle, Harold's body was identified, either by his armour or marks on his body . His personal standard was presented to William, and later sent to the papacy . The bodies of the English dead, including some of Harold's brothers and housecarls, were left on the battlefield, although some were removed by relatives later . The Norman dead were buried in a large communal grave, which has not been found . Exact casualty figures are unknown . Of the Englishmen known to be at the battle, the number of dead implies that the death rate was about 50 per cent of those engaged, although this may be too high . Of the named Normans who fought at Hastings, one in seven is stated to have died, but these were all noblemen, and it is probable that the death rate among the common soldiers was higher . Although Orderic Vitalis's figures are highly exaggerated, his ratio of one in four casualties may be accurate . Marren speculates that perhaps 2,000 Normans and 4,000 Englishmen were killed at Hastings . Reports stated that some of the English dead were still being found on the hillside years later . Although scholars thought for a long time that remains would not be recoverable, due to the acidic soil, recent finds have changed this view . One skeleton that was found in a medieval cemetery, and originally was thought to be associated with the 13th century Battle of Lewes now is thought to be associated with Hastings instead . </P> <P> One story relates that Gytha, Harold's mother, offered the victorious duke the weight of her son's body in gold for its custody, but was refused . William ordered that Harold's body be thrown into the sea, but whether that took place is unclear . Another story relates that Harold was buried at the top of a cliff . Waltham Abbey, which had been founded by Harold, later claimed that his body had been secretly buried there . Other legends claimed that Harold did not die at Hastings, but escaped and became a hermit at Chester . </P> <P> William expected to receive the submission of the surviving English leaders after his victory, but instead Edgar the Ætheling was proclaimed king by the Witenagemot, with the support of Earls Edwin and Morcar, Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Ealdred, the Archbishop of York . William therefore advanced on London, marching around the coast of Kent . He defeated an English force that attacked him at Southwark but was unable to storm London Bridge, forcing him to reach the capital by a more circuitous route . </P> <P> William moved up the Thames valley to cross the river at Wallingford, where he received the submission of Stigand . He then travelled north - east along the Chilterns, before advancing towards London from the north - west, fighting further engagements against forces from the city . The English leaders surrendered to William at Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire . William was acclaimed King of England and crowned by Ealdred on 25 December 1066, in Westminster Abbey . </P>

When did the normans begin to form a battle line