Roger II was the first king of Sicily crowned on Christmas Day 1130 in the cathedral at Palermo. By the time of his death at the age of 58, Roger had succeeded in uniting all the Norman conquests in Italy into one kingdom with a strong centralized government.

Roger II was the son of count Roger I of Sicily and his third wife, Adelaide of Savona. He succeeded his elder brother Simon in 1105. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, became Duke of Apulia and Calabria in 1127, and then King of Sicily in 1130.

On 24th July 1132, the Battle of Nocera broke between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. It was the first major battle of Roger II and one of two of his major defeats (the other being the Battle of Rignano).

During the reign, Roger declared a new standard coinage, named after the duchy of Apulia: the ducat. The first issue bears the figure of Christ and the Latin inscription Sit tibi, Christe, datus, quem tu regis iste ducatus (meaning "O Christ, let this duchy, which you rule, be dedicated to you") on the obverse. On the reverse, Roger II is depicted in the style of a Byzantine emperor and his eldest son, Duke Roger III of Apulia, is depicted in battle dress. The coin took its common name from the Duchy of Apulia, which the younger Roger had been given by his father.

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