Harold Godwinson
Harold Godwinson (c. 1022 – 14 October 1066) ruled England as King Harold II of England after King Edward the Confessor died. Harold ruled from 5 January 1066 until he was killed at the Battle of Hastings. His death marked the Norman conquest of England and the end of Anglo-Saxon England.
| Harold Godwinson | |||||||||
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| King of England (more...) | |||||||||
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| King of England | |||||||||
| Reign | 5 January — 14 October 1066 | ||||||||
| Coronation | 6 January 1066 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Edward the Confessor | ||||||||
| Successor | Edgar the Ætheling or William the Conqueror | ||||||||
| Born | Circa 1022 Wessex, England | ||||||||
| Died | 14 October 1066 (aged about 44) Battle of Hastings, Sussex | ||||||||
| Burial | Waltham Abbey, Essex, or Bosham (disputed) | ||||||||
| Spouse | Edith Swanneck Edith of Mercia | ||||||||
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| House | House of Godwin | ||||||||
| Father | Godwin, Earl of Wessex | ||||||||
| Mother | Gytha Thorkelsdóttir | ||||||||
Career
changeHarold was the son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and Gytha, a Danish noblewoman.[1] His sister, Edith, was married to the king he succeeded, Edward the Confessor.[2] About that same time, Harold became the Earl of East Anglia.[3] When his father died in 1053, Harold inherited his earldom of Wessex.[3]
Elfgar, the son of Leofric of Mercia, was appointed to replace Harold in East Anglia. Berkshire and Somerset were joined to Wessex again.[3] Wessex itself was then an enormous amount of land that covered about a third of England. Harold ruled over a large portion of England, making him the most powerful man in the whole kingdom after the king.
Harold had three brothers: Tostig,[4] Swegen[5] and Gryth.[6] He claimed to have been made King by Edward the Confessor. Before Harold became king, he swore to help William, Duke of Normandy to become king.[7]
In September 1066, Harold defeated an invasion from the north by Harald Hardrada of Norway.[6] Harold returned south to fight William's invasion[7] but was killed, it is generally assumed, by an arrow shot by one of William's archers. However, some reports stated that he was cut down by many soldiers.[8]
References
change- ↑ Orderic Vitalis, The Ecclesiastical History of Orderic Vitalis, Volume II, Books III And IV, ed. Marjorie Chibnall (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1993), p. 216
- ↑ The Chronicle of Florence of Worcester; With the Two Continuations, trans. Thomas Forester (London: Henry G. Bohn; New York: AMS Press, 1854), pp. 150-52
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford University Press, 1971), p. 561–569
- ↑ "Tostig Godwinson, brother of King Harold II". www.englishmonarchs.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ↑ Medievalists.net (2021-08-01). "The man who should have lost the Battle of Hastings: The Saga of Swegen Godwinson". Medievalists.net. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "HAROLD". geoffboxell.tripod.com. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Harold Godwinson's succession as King of England - Edward's death and claimants to the throne - Edexcel - GCSE History Revision - Edexcel". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 2022-01-06.
- ↑ "Shot through the eye and who's to blame? | History Today". www.historytoday.com. Retrieved 2022-01-06.