Sicily - 1166-1189 - 1/2 Follaro (VF) - William II was born in December 1153 to William I of Sicily and Margaret of Navarre. He became king at the age of 12 following his father’s death in 1166, initially under the regency of his mother, and began ruling personally in 1171  . His early years were shaped by the turbulence of his father’s reign and the rivalries among powerful barons, which influenced his preference for conciliation over military assertiveness