Unit 2: Norman England
Saxon, Norman or Viking? In 1042, the English throne was restored to an Anglo-Saxon king named Edward the Confessor. King Edward’s rule depended upon the support of Godwin, the Earl of Wessex. Godwin was the wealthiest and most powerful nobleman in England, and his daughter Edith was married to the king. King Edward became known as ‘the Confessor’ because he was very religious. He focused much of his attention on building a large abbey in Westminster, ignoring his other duties as king. On Christmas Day 1065, Edward ate an enormous feast. He took to his bed the following day feeling ill, and two weeks later on 5 January 1066 he died. Edward and Edith did not have any children so England was thrown into confusion. Three different men claimed the English throne and each was willing to fight to the death for their claim to be king.
Harold Godwinson Harold was the son of Godwin, the Earl of Wessex. After the death of his father, he was England’s most powerful earl, and his family controlled much of the country. He was tall, good looking, an excellent fighter and popular among the Anglo-Saxon nobles. Harold’s sister Edith was married to the king, making him Edward the Confessor’s brother-in-law. He did not, however, have a blood-claim to the throne. Harold claimed that on his deathbed Edward had chosen him as his successor. The day after Edward died, Harold was crowned Extract from the Bayeux Tapestry depicting Harold Godwinson King Harold II at Westminster Abbey. Most of the Witan were pleased to have an Anglo-Saxon as king, but some worried that Harold was simply an ambitious nobleman with no right to be king. In April 1066, a burning comet was seen in the night sky. Was it a bad omen, showing God’s anger that England was now ruled by a king with no royal blood?
William, Duke of Normandy A distant cousin of Edward the Confessor, William was one of the most feared warriors in Europe. He was born the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy and a tanner’s daughter, earning him the nickname ‘William the Bastard’. Despite this, he became the Duke of Normandy after his father’s death in 1035. As duke, William conquered much of northern France and gained a reputation for both bravery and ruthlessness. William claimed that in 1051 King Edward the Confessor (who at the time had fallen out with the Godwin family) had promised him the English throne. In the spring of 1066, William was sent a banner blessed by the
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Extract from the Bayeux Tapestry depicting William, Duke of Normandy
Unit 2: Norman England
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