by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Harold Godwinson was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Born around 1022, he was the second son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir. Godwin, Earl of Wessex was one of the most powerful earls in England under Cnut the Great, Harold I Harefoot, Harthacnut, and his son-in-law Edward the Confessor. Harold’s mother was the daughter of the Danish chieftain Thorkel Sprakling whose claim to fame was being the grandfather of two kings, Gytha’s son Harold who became King of England and King Sweyn II of Denmark, the son of Thorkel’s son Ulf.  After the death of his elder brother Sweyn in 1052, Harold became his father’s heir.

Harold had nine siblings:

• Sweyn Godwinson, Earl of Herefordshire (circa 1021 – 1052, killed while returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem)
• Edith of Wessex (circa 1025 – 1075), married Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England, no children
• Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria (circa 1026 – 1066, killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge), married Judith of Flanders, had children
• Gyrth Godwinson, Earl of East Anglia (circa 1032 – 1066, killed at the Battle of Hastings)
• Leofwine Godwinson, Earl of Kent (circa 1035 – 1066, killed at the Battle of Hastings)
• Wulfnoth Godwinson (circa 1040 – 1094), imprisoned in Normandy from 1051 – 1087, released upon King William I of England‘s death in 1087, then imprisoned in England by King William II Rufus of England until his death in 1094
• Alfgar, a monk
• Elgiva (died circa 1066)
• Gunhilda (died 1087), a nun

In 1042, Harold’s father Godwin, Earl of Wessex was instrumental in securing the English throne for Edward the Confessor, the son of Æthelred II (the Unready), King of the English and his second wife Emma of Normandy. When Godwin’s daughter Edith married Edward the Confessor, King of England, on January 23, 1045, he and his sons gained even more power. Shortly after his sister’s marriage to Edward the Confessor, Harold became Earl of East Anglia.

In 1051, Godwin and his sons fell out of favor with Edward and fled England. Edith was sent to a nunnery, possibly because she was childless and Edward hoped to divorce her. Godwin and his family returned to England in 1052 with armed forces, gaining the support of the townspeople, and peasants, thereby forcing Edward to restore his earldom. Harold succeeded his father as Earl of Wessex in 1053 and was then the second most powerful man in England after the king. Soon Harold was handling most of the matters of government for his brother-in-law Edward the Confessor. Like his father, Harold led the resistance against the Norman influence in England.

Bayeux Tapestry – Scene 1: King Edward the Confessor and Harold Godwinson at Winchester; Credit – Wikipedia

Edith the Fair, also known as Edith Swansneck, was Harold’s companion for more than twenty years. Their relationship was more danico, Latin for “in the Danish manner”, similar to handfasting. Although the relationship was not recognized by the Catholic Church, Harold and Edith’s children were not considered illegitimate.

Edith the Fair and Harold had six children:

• Godwin of Wessex (born circa 1049), exiled after his father’s death in 1066, disappears from history in the early 1070s
• Edmund of Wessex (born circa 1049), exiled after his father’s death in 1066, disappears from history in the early 1070s
• Magnus of Wessex (born circa 1051), exiled after his father’s death in 1066
• Gytha of Wessex (died 1107) (circa 1053 – died 1098 or 1107), married Vladimir II Monomakh, Grand Prince of Kievan Rus, had at least five children
• Gunhild of Wessex (circa 1055 – 1097), abandoned her life as a nun at Wilton Abbey and lived with Alan the Red, intending to marry him, after his death, she lived with his brother Alan the Black
• Ulf, imprisoned in Normandy after his father’s death in 1066, on his deathbed in 1087, King William I of England was persuaded to release all of his political prisoners including Ulf

The marriage of Edward the Confessor and Harold’s sister Edith was childless and there was concern over the succession. At that time, succession to the throne was not entirely based upon primogeniture. The Anglo-Saxons had a king’s council called the Witan and one of the Witan’s jobs was to elect the king. There were several potential candidates to succeed Edward the Confessor.

1) Edward the Exile (1016 – 1057) also called Edward Ætheling was the son of King Edmund II Ironside. Edmund Ironside was the half-brother of Edward the Confessor from Æthelred II the Unready’s first marriage, so Edward the Exile was Edward the Confessor’s nephew. Edmund Ironside succeeded his father Æthelred II (the Unready) as King of England in 1016. Edmund’s reign was short-lived. During his seven-month reign, Edmund battled against the Danish Cnut the Great for control of England. After a victory for the Danes at the Battle of Assandun on October 18, 1016, Edmund was forced to sign a treaty with Cnut which stated that all of England except Wessex would be controlled by Cnut. When one of the kings died, the other would take all of England, that king’s son being the heir to the throne. Edmund Ironside died on November 30, 1016, and Cnut became king of all England. King Cnut sent Edward the Exile to King Olaf Skötkonung of Sweden to be murdered, but instead, the king sent him to Kyiv where his daughter was the queen. There he grew up in exile. Edward the Exile had the best hereditary claim to the English throne.

2) Edgar the Ætheling (circa 1051 – circa 1126) was the son of Edward the Exile. After his father’s death, Edgar had the best hereditary claim to the English throne.

3) Harald III Hardrada, King of Norway (circa 1015 – 1066) was named the heir to his childless nephew King Magnus I of Norway. Magnus and King Harthacnut of England and Denmark, Edward the Confessor’s half-brother and his predecessor, made a political agreement that the first of them to die would be succeeded by the other. As Magnus’ heir, Harald Hardrada, thought he had a claim to the English throne.

4) Harold Godwinson (circa 1022 – 1066) was the son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, the most powerful earl in England and the brother of Edward the Confessor’s wife. Harold succeeded his father as Earl of Wessex in 1053 and he then became the most powerful person in England after Edward the Confessor, King of England.

5) William II, Duke of Normandy (circa 1027-1028 – 1087) was the first cousin once removed of Edward the Confessor. Edward the Confessor’s mother Emma of Normandy was the sister of William’s grandfather Richard II the Good, Duke of Normandy. William’s marriage to Matilda of Flanders may have been motivated by his growing desire to become King of England. Matilda was a direct descendant of Alfred the Great, King of Wessex. In 1051, William visited his first cousin once removed, Edward the Confessor, King of England, and apparently Edward named William as his successor.

In 1057, Edward the Confessor discovered that his nephew Edward the Exile was still alive and summoned him to England as a potential successor. However, Edward the Exile died within two days of his arrival in England and the cause of his death has never been determined. Murder is a possibility, as he had many powerful enemies, one of them being Godwin, Earl of Wessex. Edward the Exile’s three children Edgar the Ætheling, Margaret, and Cristina were then raised in the court of Edward the Confessor. Margaret, known as Saint Margaret of Scotland, married King Malcolm III of Scotland and their daughter Edith, also known as Matilda, married King Henry I of England, son of William I.

Guy of Ponthieu capturing Harold, scene 7 of the Bayeux Tapestry; Credit – Wikipedia

From 1062 – 1063, Harold led a series of successful campaigns against Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Gwynedd, King of Wales. This conflict ended with Gruffydd’s defeat and death in 1063. On his way home to England, Harold was shipwrecked on the shores of Ponthieu in northern France and was captured by Guy I, Count of Ponthieu. William II, Duke of Normandy demanded the release of Harold, and after being paid a ransom for him, Guy delivered Harold Godwinson to William. Harold was not released from Normandy until he had sworn on holy relics to be William’s vassal and to support his claim to the throne of England.

Harold swearing the oath to William, Duke of Normandy, scene 23 of the Bayeux Tapestry; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1065, it is probable that Edward the Confessor had a series of strokes. He was too ill to attend the dedication of his greatest achievement, the church at Westminster, now called Westminster Abbey, on December 28, 1065. Edward the Confessor died several days later, on January 5, 1066. According to the Vita Ædwardi Regis, before Edward died he briefly regained consciousness and named Harold Godwinson as his heir. The Witan met the next day and selected Harold Godwinson to succeed Edward as King Harold II. It is probable that Harold was immediately crowned in Westminster Abbey.

Bayeux Tapestry – Scenes 29-30-31: the coronation of Harold II of England. He receives orb and scepter. On his left stands Archbishop Stigand; Credit – Wikipedia

Harold made a marriage recognized by the Catholic Church. Although the date is unknown, it occurred sometime before the Norman Conquest in October 1066 but whether it occurred before or after Harold’s coronation as King of England is unknown. Despite the fact that Edith the Fair was still living, (she lived until around 1086), Harold married the widow of a defeated enemy, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Gwynedd, King of Wales, Ealdgyth of Mercia, daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia. Apparently, Harold married her to secure the support of the Mercians and also to weaken the links between the Mercians and the Welsh rulers.

Harold and Ealdgyth had one son who was born after Harold’s death:

• Harold (1067 – after 1098), exiled during the reign of King William I of England and found refuge at the court of the King of Norway.

When William II, Duke of Normandy heard that Harold Godwinson had been crowned King of England, he began careful preparations for an invasion of England. During the summer of 1066, he assembled an army and an invasion fleet. Meanwhile, in England, King Harold II was forced to march to Northumbria in September 1066 to deal with an invasion by his brother Tostig Godwinson and Harald III Hardrada, King of Norway. Harold defeated the invaders on September 25, 1066, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and his brother Tostig Godwinson and Harold Hardrada were killed in the battle. The Norman invasion fleet sailed two days later and landed in England on September 28, 1066.

The army of William II, Duke of Normandy army met the army of King Harold of England about six miles northwest of Hastings, England on October 14, 1066. Harold appears to have tried to surprise William but Norman scouts found his army and reported its arrival to William, who marched from Hastings to the battlefield to confront Harold. Early efforts of the Normans to break the English battle lines had little effect. In response, the Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee in panic and then turning on their pursuers. Harold’s death, probably near the end of the battle, led to the retreat and defeat of most of his army. Two of Harold’s brothers, Gyrth and Leofwine, were also killed at the Battle of Hastings.

The Battle of Hastings, Bayeux Tapestry Scene 52a; Credit – Wikipedia

Harold is slain, Bayeux Tapestry Scene 57; Credit – Wikipedia

Following Harold’s death in battle, the Witan elected the teenaged Edgar the Ætheling, the last of the Anglo-Saxon House of Wessex, King of England. As William’s position grew stronger, it became evident to those in power that King Edgar should be abandoned and that they should submit to William. On Christmas Day 1066, William was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.

Edith the Fair finds Harold’s body on the battlefield at Hastings by Horace Vernet (1828); Credit – Wikipedia

Exactly what happened to Harold’s body is unknown. An account by the Norman chronicler William of Jumieges says that Harold’s mother Gytha offered to buy her son’s body for its weight in gold but the offer was rejected by William II, Duke of Normandy. Another source says that Harold’s rejected first companion Edith the Fair was called to identify the body, which she did by some private mark known only to her. Harold’s strong association with Bosham in West Sussex, England, and the discovery in 1954 of an Anglo-Saxon coffin in the church there, has suggested it might be his burial place.  An exhumation had revealed the remains of a man, estimated to be around 60 years old, lacking a head, one leg, and the lower part of his other leg. In 2003, a request to exhume remains in Bosham Church for DNA analysis was refused by the Diocese of Chichester on the grounds that the chances of establishing the identity of the body as Harold’s were too slim to justify disturbing a burial place.

The strongest claim for Harold’s burial place is the Abbey Church of Waltham Holy Cross in the town of Waltham Abbey, Essex, England. Harold had rebuilt, refounded, and richly endowed the church, which was rededicated in 1060. The church was left in ruins during the Dissolution of the Monasteries which occurred in the reign of King Henry VIII and was restored in subsequent centuries. The reputed site of King Harold II’s grave now lies in the churchyard.

Reputed tomb of King Harold II under the site of the High Altar; Credit – By No machine-readable author provided. Shakti assumed (based on copyright claims). – No machine-readable source provided. Own work assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=727530

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

England: House of Wessex Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Unofficial Royalty: House of Wessex Index
• Unofficial Royalty: British Royal Burial Sites: House of Wessex
• Unofficial Royalty: Coronations before the Norman Conquest (871 – 1066)

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
• Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
• En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Harold Godwinson. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Godwinson [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2019). Edith of Wessex, Queen of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at:  https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/edith-of-wessex-queen-of-england/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2016). King William I of England (the Conqueror). [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/king-william-i-of-england-the-conqueror/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2019). Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/saint-edward-the-confessor-king-of-england/ [Accessed 25 Mar. 2019].
• Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

The eldest of the three daughters of Godwin, Earl of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, Edith of Wessex was born around 1025. Her father was one of the most powerful earls in England under Cnut the Great, Harold I Harefoot, Harthacnut, and his son-in-law Edward the Confessor. Her mother was the daughter of the Danish chieftain Thorkel Sprakling whose claim to fame is being the grandfather of two kings, Gytha’s son King Harold II of England and King Sweyn II of Denmark, the son of Thorkel’s son Ulf.

Edith had nine siblings:

• Sweyn Godwinson, Earl of Herefordshire (circa 1021 – 1052, killed while returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem)
• King Harold II Godwinson of England (circa 1022 – 1066, killed at the Battle of Hastings), married (1) Edith the Fair (also known as Edith Swan Neck), had at least six children (2) Ealdgyth of Mercia, Queen of England, had two sons
• Tostig Godwinson, Earl of Northumbria (circa 1026 – 1066, killed at the Battle of Stamford Bridge), married Judith of Flanders, had children
• Gyrth Godwinson, Earl of East Anglia (circa 1032 – 1066, killed at the Battle of Hastings)
• Leofwine Godwinson, Earl of Kent (circa 1035 – 1066, killed at the Battle of Hastings)
• Wulfnoth Godwinson (circa 1040 – 1094)
• Alfgar, a monk
• Elgiva (died circa 1066)
• Gunhilda (died 1087), a nun

Edith grew up at Wilton Abbey in Wiltshire, England, three miles from Salisbury. At Wilton Abbey, she learned several languages and had excellent needlework skills. On January 23, 1045, Edith of Wessex married Edward the Confessor, King of England, the son of Æthelred II (the Unready), King of the English and his second wife Emma of Normandy, and was then crowned Queen of England at the Old Minster in Winchester, England. The marriage was childless and Edward, who was about twenty years older than Edith, treated her with great respect and endowed her with valuable property all over England. With Edith becoming Queen of England, her father and brothers gained even more power.

Edith is crowned Queen of England; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1051, Godwin and his sons fell out of favor with Edward and fled England. Edith was sent to a nunnery, possibly because she was childless and Edward hoped to divorce her. Godwin and his family returned to England in 1052 with armed forces, gaining the support of the navy, townspeople, and peasants, forcing Edward to restore his earldom. Edith was reinstated as queen and in later years, she became one of Edward’s inner group of advisers. Edward’s brother-in-law Harold Godwinson soon handled most of the matters of government as his father Godwin died in 1053.

In 1042, Edward had begun rebuilding St. Peter’s Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church, the first Westminster Abbey. It is possible that Edward had a series of strokes in 1065. He was too ill to attend the dedication of his greatest achievement, Westminster Abbey, on December 28, 1065, and so Edith represented him. Edward the Confessor died several days later, on January 5, 1066.

During the exile of Godwin’s family from 1051-1052, William II, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) visited Edward, his first cousin once removed, and apparently, Edward named William as his successor. However, according to the Vita Ædwardi Regis, before Edward died he briefly regained consciousness and named Edith’s brother Harold Godwinson as his heir. The Witan met the next day and selected Harold Godwinson to succeed Edward as King Harold II.

When William II, Duke of Normandy heard that Harold Godwinson had been crowned King of England, he began careful preparations for an invasion of England. During the summer of 1066, he assembled an army and an invasion fleet. Meanwhile, in England, King Harold II was forced to march to Northumbria in September 1066 to deal with an invasion by his brother Tostig Godwinson and Harald III Hardrada, King of Norway. Harold defeated the invaders on September 25, 1066, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and his brother Tostig Godwinson and Harold Hardrada were killed in the battle. The Norman invasion fleet sailed two days later and landed in England on September 28, 1066.

Edith’s brother King Harold II is slain, Bayeux Tapestry Scene 57; Credit – Wikipedia

The army of William II, Duke of Normandy army met the army of King Harold of England about six miles northwest of Hastings, England on October 14, 1066. Harold appears to have tried to surprise William but Norman scouts found his army and reported its arrival to William, who marched from Hastings to the battlefield to confront Harold. Early efforts of the Normans to break the English battle lines had little effect. In response, the Normans adopted the tactic of pretending to flee in panic and then turning on their pursuers. Harold’s death, probably near the end of the battle, led to the retreat and defeat of most of his army. Besides losing her brother Harold at the Battle of Hastings, Edith also lost her brothers Gyrth and Leofwine.

Death of Edith’s brothers Gyrth and Leofwine at the Battle of Hastings, scene 52 of the Bayeux Tapestry

Following Harold’s death in battle, the Witan elected the teenaged Edgar the Ætheling, the last of the House of Wessex, King of England. As William’s position grew stronger, it became evident to those in power that King Edgar should be abandoned and that they should submit to William. On Christmas Day 1066, William was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.

The new King William I of England treated Edith with great respect and although she lost some of her dower lands, she remained an important landowner after the Norman conquest. She commissioned a biography of her husband, the Vita Ædwardi Regis (Life of King Edward). Edith died at St. Mary’s Abbey in Winchester, England on December 18, 1075, apparently caused by a disease that she had suffered from for some time, at around the age of 50. Her funeral was arranged by King William I. Originally buried with her husband Edward the Confessor at the original Westminster Abbey he had built, Edith was reburied on the left side of the Chapel of St. Edward the Confessor in present Westminster Abbey built during the reign of King Henry III.

Shrine of Edward the Confessor, Edith is buried nearby

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

England: House of Wessex Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Unofficial Royalty: House of Wessex Index
• Unofficial Royalty: British Royal Burial Sites: House of Wessex
• Unofficial Royalty: Coronations before the Norman Conquest (871 – 1066)

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
• Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
• En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Edith of Wessex. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_of_Wessex [Accessed 25 Mar. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2019). Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/saint-edward-the-confessor-king-of-england/ [Accessed 25 Mar. 2019].
• Fr.wikipedia.org. (2019). Édith de Wessex. [online] Available at: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89dith_de_Wessex [Accessed 25 Mar. 2019].
• Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Born between 1003 and 1005 in Islip, Oxfordshire, England, Edward the Confessor was the eldest of the three children and the elder of the two sons of Æthelred II (the Unready), King of the English, son of King Edgar I the Peaceful, and his second wife Emma of Normandy, daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy.

Emma with her sons Edward and Alfred; Credit – Wikipedia

Edward had two full siblings:

• Godgifu of England (1004 – circa 1047), married (1) Drogo of Mantes, Count of the Véxin, had three children (2) Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, no children
• Alfred Ætheling (circa 1005 – 1036), unmarried

Edward had ten half-siblings from his father’s first marriage to Ælfgifu of York. All of Æthelred’s sons were named after Æthelred’s predecessors. Ætheling was used in Anglo-Saxon England to designate princes of the royal dynasty who were eligible for the kingship.

• Æthelstan Ætheling (died 1014)
• Ecgberht Ætheling (died circa 1005)
• Edmund Ironside, King of the English (died 1016), married Ealdgyth, had two sons
• Eadred Ætheling (died before 1013)
• Eadwig Ætheling (died 1017)
• Edgar Ætheling (died circa 1008)
• Eadgyth, married Eadric Streona
• Ælfgifu, married Uhtred the Bold, Ealdorman of Northumbria
• Wulfhilda, married Ulfcytel Snillingr
• Name unknown, Abbess of Wherwell Abbey

Edward had two half-siblings from his mother’s second marriage to Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway:

• Harthacnut, King of Denmark and England (circa 1018 – 1042), unmarried
• Gunhilda of Denmark (circa 1020 – 1038), married Heinrich III, Holy Roman Emperor, had one daughter

Edward had two stepbrothers from the first marriage of his stepfather Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway to Ælfgifu of Northampton:

• Sweyn Cnutsson (circa 1016–1035), unmarried
• Harold Harefoot, King of England (circa 1016 – 1040), married (?) Ælfgifu, possibly had a son Ælfwine who became a monk

Emma and her sons Edward and Alfred being received by her brother Richard II, Duke of Normandy; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1013, when Edward was around ten-years-old, Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark and Norway launched an invasion with the goal of also becoming King of England. As Sweyn’s forces approached southern England, Emma and her children were sent to the Isle of Wight for safety. Æthelred soon followed them to the Isle of Wight and in August 1013, he sent Emma and their children to safety in Normandy. By the end of 1013, English resistance had collapsed and Sweyn had conquered the country, became King of England, and forced Æthelred into exile in Normandy. When Sweyn Forkbeard died in 1014 and Æthelred regained power, Edward stayed on in Normandy, being raised in the court of Richard II, Duke of Normandy, his paternal uncle. He grew up favoring Norman customs, never expecting to become King of England.

Edward’s father, Æthelred II (the Unready, King of the English, died on April 23, 1016, and was succeeded by his eldest surviving son from his first marriage Edmund II (Ironside). After Æthelred’s death, Cnut the Great, son of Sweyn Forkbeard, attacked London and demanded a large sum of money for Emma’s ransom. London held out and Cnut was forced to retreat from London but he did not leave England. Edward’s half-brother Edmund fought five battles against the Danes, ending in his defeat on October 18, 1016, at the Battle of Assandun. Edmund and Cnut agreed to divide the Kingdom of England with Edmund taking Wessex and Cnut the rest. However, Edmund died on November 30, 1016, leaving two young sons. Cnut became the king of all of England and exiled the remaining members of Edmund’s family.

In 1017, Cnut thought it would be expedient to marry Æthelred’s widow and sent for Emma. It is unclear whether Emma married Cnut by force or if she chose to accept Cnut’s proposal but she returned to England and married Cnut. Her children by Æthelred remained in exile in Normandy. Cnut became King of Denmark in 1019 and King of Norway in 1028 and his territories were called the North Sea Empire.

Cnut died in 1035 and was succeeded in England by Harold Harefoot, his son from his first marriage, and in Denmark by Harthacnut, his son from his second marriage to Emma and therefore, Edward’s half-brother. In 1036, Edward and his brother Alfred returned to England from their exile in Normandy to visit their mother. As they made their way to London, they were betrayed. Alfred was blinded with a hot iron to his eyes and died soon afterward. Edward escaped the attack and returned to Normandy. It is unclear exactly who was behind the attack on Alfred. Some historians claim Harold Harefoot was behind the attack so he could rid himself of two more potential claimants to the English throne by killing Edward and Alfred. Other historians argue that Godwin, Earl of Wessex, who was traveling with Alfred and Edward as their protector, could have been the instigator of the attack.

Bayeux Tapestry – Scene 1: King Edward the Confessor, enthroned, and Harold Godwinson at Winchester; Credit – Wikipedia

When Harold Harefoot died in 1040, Edward’s half-brother Harthacnut, King of Denmark also became King of England. Harthacnut lived only two more years and upon his death in 1042, Edward became King of England. Harthacnut’s throne in Denmark was inherited by Magnus I, King of Norway. Edward’s coronation was held on Easter, April 3, 1043, at the Old Minster in Winchester, England. Upon his accession, Edward realized that his kingdom was divided between Saxons, Danes, and Norse with powerful earls from all three factions. To Edward’s credit, he succeeded in governing his kingdom despite those issues.

On January 23, 1045, Edward married Edith of Wessex, daughter of the powerful Godwin, Earl of Wessex, the father of the last Anglo-Saxon king, Harold II Godwinson, King of England, who was defeated by William II, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The marriage was childless and Edward treated Edith with great respect and endowed her with valuable property all over England.

In 1051, Godwin and his sons fell out of favor with Edward and fled England. Edith was sent to a nunnery, possibly because she was childless and Edward hoped to divorce her. During the exile of Godwin’s family, William II, Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) visited Edward, his first cousin once removed, and apparently, Edward named William as his successor. Godwin and his family returned to England the following year with armed forces, gaining the support of the navy, townspeople, and peasants, forcing Edward to restore his earldom. Edith was reinstated as queen and in later years, she became one of Edward’s inner group of advisers. Edward’s brother-in-law Harold Godwinson handled most of the matters of government.

In 1057, Edward discovered that his nephew Edward the Exile, the son of his half-brother King Edmund II was still alive and summoned him to England as a potential successor. However, Edward the Exile died within two days of his arrival in England and the cause of his death has never been determined. Murder is a possibility, as he had many powerful enemies. His three children Edgar, Margaret, and Cristina were then raised in Edward’s court. Margaret, known as Saint Margaret of Scotland, married King Malcolm III of Scotland and their daughter Edith (later known as Matilda) married King Henry I of England, son of William the Conqueror.

Harold meeting Edward shortly before his death, depicted in scene 25 of the Bayeux Tapestry; Credit – Wikipedia

By far, Edward’s greatest achievement was the foundation of Westminster Abbey which he built to atone for the breaking of a vow to make a pilgrimage to Rome. In 1042, he began rebuilding St. Peter’s Abbey to provide himself with a royal burial church, the first Westminster Abbey. It is possible that Edward had a series of strokes in 1065. He was too ill to attend the dedication of his greatest achievement, Westminster Abbey, on December 28, 1065. Edward the Confessor died several days later, on January 5, 1066. According to the Vita Ædwardi Regis, before Edward died he briefly regained consciousness and named Harold Godwinson as his heir. The Witan met the next day and selected Harold Godwinson to succeed Edward as King Harold II.

Edward’s funeral depicted in scene 26 of the Bayeux Tapestry; Credit – Wikipedia

Edward was buried before the high altar in his new Westminster Abbey. In 1245, the construction of the second and present church was begun by King Henry III who selected the site for his burial. King Henry III oversaw a grand ceremony on October 13, 1269, to rebury Edward the Confessor in a magnificent new shrine, personally helping to carry the body to its new resting place.

Shrine of Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England

In 1161, Pope Alexander III canonized Edward as a saint. The title “Confessor,” short for Confessor of the Faith, was given to male saints who lived a holy life and died in peace. Saint Edward the Confessor was one of England’s national saints until King Edward III adopted Saint George as the national patron saint in 1358 when the Order of the Garter was founded. Saint Edward the Confessor’s feast day is October 13 and is observed by both the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church.

Steps leading up to Edward the Confessor’s Chapel, located on the left side of the high altar

Each October 13 – 20, Westminster Abbey observes Edwardtide which celebrates the life of Saint Edward the Confessor. On October 13, National Pilgrimage Day, everyone is welcome, without a ticket, “to visit the Abbey with other pilgrims and experience its beauty and space in an atmosphere characterised by prayer. Everyone will be able to pray at the Shrine of St Edward – the only shrine in this country that still contains the body of the saint.” On October 13, 2018, this writer had the experience of attending the National Pilgrimage Day. The Chapel of Edward the Confessor is usually not open to tourists and it was awe-inspiring to see the shrine surrounded by the tombs of kings and queens. In the photo above of the shrine, notice the three openings at the bottom of the shrine. These are openings where pilgrims enter to kneel to pray. Imagine all the people over the centuries who have knelt there.

Queen Elizabeth II placing a tribute of roses on the altar in the Chapel of St Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey before the service inaugurating the 12-month long commemoration of the 900th anniversary of the consecration of the Abbey on December 28, 1965

England: House of Wessex Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Unofficial Royalty: House of Wessex Index
• Unofficial Royalty: British Royal Burial Sites: House of Wessex
• Unofficial Royalty: Coronations before the Norman Conquest (871 – 1066)

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
• Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
• En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Edward the Confessor. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_the_Confessor [Accessed 24 Mar. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2019). Emma of Normandy, Queen of England, Denmark, and Norway. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/emma-of-normandy-queen-of-england-denmark-and-norway/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2019].
• Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Born about 1016 in Denmark, Harold Harefoot (also known as Harold I) was the son of Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, Norway and his first wife Ælfgifu of Northampton. He was nicknamed Harefoot for his speed and skill as a hunter.

Harold Harefoot had one full brother:

• Sweyn Cnutsson (circa 1016–1035), unmarried

After Cnut’s conquest of England in 1016, he married Emma of Normandy, the widow of Æthelred II, King of the English. At that time, it was acceptable to put aside one wife and take another. Cnut succeeded his brother Harald II as King of Denmark in 1019. In 1029, Cnut invaded Norway and when King Olaf II of Norway was killed in 1030 at the Battle of Stiklestad, Cnut became King of Norway. He eventually also ruled parts of Sweden, Pomerania, and Schleswig. Cnut’s dominions were known as the North Sea Empire.

From his father’s second marriage to Emma of Normandy, Harold Harefoot had two half-siblings:

• Harthacnut, King of Denmark and England (circa 1018 – 1042), unmarried
• Gunhilda of Denmark (circa 1020 – 1038), married Heinrich III, Holy Roman Emperor, had one daughter

Queen Emma and her sons Edward and Alfred being received by their uncle Richard II, Duke of Normandy; Credit – Wikipedia

Harold Harefoot had three step-siblings from the first marriage of his stepmother Emma of Normandy to Æthelred II, King of the English:

• Saint Edward the Confessor, King of England (circa 1003 – 1066), married Edith of Wessex, no children
• Goda of England (1004 – circa 1047), married (1) Drogo of Mantes, Count of the Véxin, had three children (2) Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, no children
• Alfred Ætheling (circa 1005 – 1036), unmarried

The North Sea Empire of Cnut the Great; Credit – By Hel-hama – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19863973

In 1030, after the defeat and death of King Olaf II of Norway, Cnut sent his first wife Ælfgifu with their elder son Sweyn to govern Norway. Their rule was considered oppressive by the Norwegians and they were expelled in 1035. Magnus I the Good, a son of Olaf II, then became King of Norway. Sweyn died shortly after the death of his father.

Cnut, King of England, Denmark, and Norway, and his sons Harold Harefoot and Harthacnut; Credit – Wikipedia

Cnut the Great died on November 12, 1035, when he was about 40-years-old. Regarding the succession, Cnut had decreed that any sons of his second marriage should take precedence over the sons of his first marriage. This meant that Cnut and Emma’s only son Harthacnut was the legitimate heir to England and Denmark. At the time of his father’s death, Harthacnut was in Denmark where he easily succeeded his father as King of Denmark. However, he was unable to come to England because Denmark was under threat of invasion by Norway and Sweden. Because of this, the council elected Harold Harefoot Regent of England as a temporary measure. Harold Harefoot, almost immediately, requested that he be proclaimed King of England but Æthelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to do so.

In 1036, Edward the Confessor and Alfred Ætheling, Emma’s sons from her marriage to Æthelred II, returned to England from their exile in Normandy to visit their mother. Some historians suspect the visit could have actually been an attempt to claim the throne.  As they made their way to London, they were betrayed. Alfred Ætheling was blinded with a hot iron to his eyes and died soon afterward. Edward escaped the attack and returned to Normandy. It is unclear exactly who was behind the attack. Some historians claim Harold Harefoot was behind the attack so he could rid himself of two more potential claimants to the English throne. Other historians argue that Godwin, Earl of Wessex, who was traveling with Alfred and Edward as their protector, could have been the instigator of the attack.

In 1037, with the support of Leofric, Earl of Mercia and other nobles, Harold Harefoot was proclaimed King of England and crowned in Oxford. One of his first acts was to banish his stepmother Emma, who went into exile in Bruges, then in Flanders, now in Belgium. Not much is known about Harold Harefoot’s reign as there are few surviving documents. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mostly covers church matters, such as the deaths and appointments of bishops and archbishops. Harold Harefoot died in Oxford, England on March 17, 1040, aged about 24-years-old. He was buried at St. Peter’s Abbey, the precursor to Westminster Abbey which would start to be built on the site two years later.

On June 14, 1040, Harthacnut arrived at Sandwich, England with sixty-two warships and ascended the English throne unchallenged. He had Harald Harefoot’s body exhumed, decapitated, and thrown into a swamp but then it was retrieved and thrown in the River Thames. Shortly afterward, Harold Harefoot’s body was pulled from the River Thames by a fisherman and was buried at St. Clement Danes Church in London which was originally founded by Danes in the ninth century. Being a seafaring people, the Danes had named the church after St. Clement, the patron saint of mariners.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

England: House of Denmark Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Denmark Index
• Coronations before the Norman Conquest (871 – 1066)

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
• Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
• En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Harold Harefoot. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Harefoot [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2019). Cnut the Great, King of England, Denmark, and Norway. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/cnut-the-great-king-of-england-denmark-and-norway/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2019). Emma of Normandy, Queen of England, Denmark, and Norway. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/emma-of-normandy-queen-of-england-denmark-and-norway/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2019].
• No.wikipedia.org. (2019). Harald Harefot. [online] Available at: https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Harefot [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019].
• Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.

by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2019

Credit – Wikipedia

Born around 990, Edmund was the third of the six sons of Æthelred II (the Unready), King of the English and his first wife Ælfgifu of York. Edmund was not expected to become king as he had two elder brothers but they both predeceased their father.

(Note: Ætheling was used in Anglo-Saxon England to designate princes of the royal dynasty who were eligible for the kingship.)

Edmund’s known full siblings were:

• Æthelstan Ætheling (died 1014)
• Ecgberht Ætheling (died c. 1005)
• Eadred Ætheling (died before 1013)
• Eadwig Ætheling (died 1017)
• Edgar Ætheling (died c. 1008)
• Eadgyth, married Eadric Streona
• Ælfgifu, married Uhtred the Bold, Ealdorman of Northumbria
• Wulfhilda, married Ulfcytel Snillingr
• Name unknown, Abbess of Wherwell Abbey

In 1002, Edmund’s mother Ælfgifu died, possibly in childbirth, and his father made a second marriage to Emma of Normandy, the daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy. Edmund had three half-siblings from this marriage:

• Edward the Confessor, King of the English (between 1003 and 1005 – January 5, 1066), married Edith of Wessex, no children
• Goda of England (1004 – c. 1047), married (1) Drogo of Mantes, Count of the Véxin, had children and (2) Eustace II, Count of Boulogne, no children
• Alfred Ætheling (circa 1005 – 1036), unmarried

When Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark seized the English throne in 1013, Æthelred fled to Normandy but his two eldest surviving sons Æthelstan and Edmund remained in England. The two brothers had a close relationship and when Æthelstan died in 1014, he left Edmund his most prized possession, a sword that had once belonged to King Offa of Mercia.

The reign of Sweyn Forkbeard was short-lived as he suddenly died on February 3, 1014. Sweyn’s elder son succeeded him as Harald II, King of Denmark, and his younger son Cnut (the Great), was proclaimed King of England by the Danes in England. However, leading English noblemen sent a deputation to Æthelred II to negotiate his restoration to the throne. Æthelred returned from exile in Normandy in the spring of 1014, managed to drive Cnut out of England, and then reigned until his death on April 23, 1016.

Medieval illumination depicting Kings Edmund Ironside (left) and Cnut (right), from the Chronica Majora written and illustrated by Matthew Paris; Credit – Wikipedia

Edmund was now King of the English but had to fight Cnut to keep the Kingdom of England. He earned the added name “Ironside” because of his bravery in resisting the Danish invasion led by Cnut the Great. The war between Edmund and Cnut ended in a decisive victory for Cnut at the Battle of Assandun on October 18, 1016. Because Edmund’s reputation as a warrior was great, Cnut agreed to divide England, with Edmund taking Wessex and Cnut the rest of the country beyond the River Thames. However, Edmund died on November 30, 1016, and Cnut the Great became King of England. Edmund was buried near his grandfather Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English at Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset which was destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Ruins of Glastonbury Abbey; Credit – By Pam Brophy, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9115142

Cnut later became King of Denmark and King of Norway and married Æthelred’s widow Emma of Normandy. Cnut and his sons Harold Harefoot and Harthacnut ruled England from 1016 – 1042. After Harthacnut’s death, the English throne reverted to the House of Wessex under Æthelred II’s younger son by Emma of Normandy Edward the Confessor.

Edward the Exile. Edmund Ironside’s elder son; Credit – Wikipedia

Edmund’s two sons via his marriage with Ealdgyth have an interesting history.

• Edward the Exile (1016 – 1057), married Agatha, had three children
• Edmund Ætheling (circa 1017 – circa 1054), married Hedwig of Hungary, no children

According to the English monk and chronicler John of Worcester, after Edmund’s death, King Cnut sent his two very young children to King Olof Skötkonung of Sweden to be murdered, but instead, King Olof sent them to Kyiv where his daughter was the queen. Sometime in the 1040s, Edward and Edmund, now adults, both traveled to Hungary and helped the exiled Andrew of Hungary become King of Hungary. Edmund died in Hungary before 1054. Edward the Exile married Agatha, whose background is uncertain. Edward and Agatha had three children who were all born in Hungary:

• Saint Margaret of Scotland (circa 1045 – 1093), married Malcolm III, King of Scots, had eight children including three Kings of Scots (Edgar, Alexander I, and David I) and Edith, also called Maud or Matilda, who married King Henry I of England
• Edgar the Ætheling (circa 1051 – circa 1126), unmarried
• Cristina (circa 1057 – circa 1093), Abbess at Romsey Abbey

Edgar the Ætheling, grandson of Edmund Ironside; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1057, Edward the Confessor, the childless King of England, discovered that his nephew Edward the Exile was still alive and summoned him to England in 1057 as a potential successor. However, Edward died within two days of his arrival in England and the cause of his death has never been determined. Murder is a possibility, as he had many powerful enemies. After his father’s death, his son Edgar the Ætheling had the best hereditary claim to the English throne. Edmund Ironside’s three children were then raised in the court of Edward the Confessor, who died in January 1066. Edgar was considered too young to be king and the Witenagemot elected Harold Godwinson king mainly because it was thought he could defend England against foreign claimants to the English throne.

In October 1066, William of Normandy (the Conqueror) invaded England and defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings. Following Harold’s death in battle, the Witenagemot elected Edmund’s son Edgar the Ætheling, who was the last of the House of Wessex, King of England. As William of Normandy’s position grew stronger, it became evident to those in power that King Edgar should be abandoned and that they should submit to William.

Edmund Ironside’s granddaughter Saint Margaret of Scotland, stained glass window at St. Margaret’s Chapel at Edinburgh Castle; Credit – Wikipedia

In 1068, Edgar, along with his mother Agatha and sisters Margaret and Cristina, fled to Northumbria. Supposedly, Agatha wanted to return to Hungary, but their ship was blown off course by a storm and they sought refuge from Malcolm III, King of Scots, who is the Malcolm in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Malcolm’s first wife Ingebjorg Finnsdotter died around 1069, and shortly thereafter he married Margaret who was canonized a saint in 1250. Margaret and Malcolm had eight children, six sons and two daughters. Bearing in mind that William the Conqueror’s new dynasty in England was not secure and their sons would have a claim on the English throne, Margaret and Malcolm gave four of their sons Anglo-Saxon royal names and named the other two sons after Alexander the Great and the biblical King David. Their elder daughter Edith (also known as Matilda) married King Henry I of England and brought the bloodline of the Anglo-Saxon kings into the English/British royal family. Their other daughter Mary was the mother of  Matilda of Boulogne who married King Stephen of England.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

England: House of Wessex Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• Unofficial Royalty: House of Wessex Index
• Unofficial Royalty: British Royal Burial Sites: House of Wessex
• Unofficial Royalty: Coronations before the Norman Conquest (871 – 1066)

Works Cited

• Ashley, M. (1998). The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens. New York: Carroll & Graf Pub.
• Cannon, J. and Griffiths, R. (1988). The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Dodson, A. (2004). The Royal Tombs of Great Britain. London: Duckworth.
• En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Edmund Ironside. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmund_Ironside [Accessed 28 Feb. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2015). Æthelred II (the Unready), King of the English. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/aethelred-ii-the-unready-king-of-the-english/ [Accessed 25 Feb. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2013). Saint Margaret of Scotland, Queen of Scotland. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/november-16-1093-death-of-saint-margaret-of-scotland-wife-of-king-malcolm-iii-of-scotland/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2019].
• Williamson, D. (1998). Brewer’s British Royalty. London: Cassell.