he was with Conan II, Duke of Brittany when he besieged Rivallon I of Dol, Lord of Dol, in the castle of Combourg. He fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and was known for his bravery and strength of character. Later he is found in February or March 1068 at William the Conqueror's court. Then in 1069, he routed a force of Norsemen which had invaded Norfolk and occupied Norwich, and he would later be created Earl of Norfolk and Suffolk, or of the East Angles, the Earldom being also styled, from its capital, "of Norwich". It was likely this Ralph who on 13 April 1069 was with the King at Winchester and he witnessed, as Earl Ralph, a diploma in favour of St Denis of Paris and a grant in favour of the Bishop of Essex. He also attested a charter between 1068-70 as "Comes", a hereditary count. Ralph built a church, St Peter Mancroft in Norwich, in the new town, and gave it to his chaplains. Marriage He married, in 1075 at the manor of Exning, Cambridgeshire, Emma, only daughter of William FitzOsbern, 1st Earl of Hereford and his first wife Alice (or Adelise/Adelissa), daughter of Roger I of Tosny. Their marriage united two extremely large estates, as well as noble lines, including to the English Saxon Kings and Queens of old. Some writers have indicated that King William I may have seen the alliance as a threat to his reign. Revolt of the Earls The king's refusal to sanction the marriage between Ralph and Emma, from two powerful families, caused a revolt in his absence. Ralph and Emma married in spite of the King's disapproval. At the Wedding Feast 'Bride Ale', Ralph, his new brother-in-law Roger de Breteuil, 2nd Earl of Hereford, and Anglo-Saxon Earl Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northumberland planned a revolt against the King. Orderic Vitalis stated some of the grievances that led to the revolt. These included William I's tendency to knock off any real or perceived threats to his crown. Work began to prepare the revolt, however, the plan was discovered by William after Waltheof lost heart and confessed the conspiracy to Lanfranc, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who urged Earl Roger to return to his allegiance, and finally excommunicated him and his adherents. Waltheof was imprisoned for a year, and later executed by William. Many believed that this action cursed William