1.1.1 Edward the Confessor’s Death Flashcards
When did Edward the Confessor die and when was his funeral?
- Edward died on 5th January 1066
- King Edward’s funeral was held the day after his death on 6th January 1066
King Edward had not produced a son and therefore there was no clear heir to the English throne. What crisis did this form?
Without an heir, there was a succession crisis
When did Edward the Confessor rule England?
1042-1066
What 4 ways could a claim to the throne be made?
- The king’s son (generally the eldest) would have the strongest claim
- Another male relative, for example the king’s brother, might have a reasonable claim
- A male relative of a previous king could make a claim
- The king could name a successor to take over when he died (post obitum). If this was on his deathbed, it was known as novissima verba
Who were the five claimants to the throne?
- William of Normandy
- Harald Hardrada
- Harold Godwinson
- Edgar Aethling
- Tostig Godwinson
Why did William of Normandy claim he was the rightful next King of England? (5)
- William claimed that on Harold Godwinson’s embassy trip to Normandy he had sworn to support William’s claim to the throne in 1064. William claimed the oath had been made over a holy relic and therefore binding in the eyes of God.
- The Catholic Pope, Pope Alexander II supported William of Normandy. He believed William’s claims about Harold’s oath and liked William;s commitments to improve the English Church after taking control
- He was a distant cousin of King Edward, through the king’s mother, Emma of Normandy. There is also some suggestion of a friendship between them, although they only met on a few occasions
- William claimed that Edward had promised him the throne when William had visited England several years before
- Edward had grown up in Normandy and his court and rule were clearly influenced by this. Some historians have argued that Edward’s actions as king suggest that he wanted a Norman to succeed him
Why were William of Normandy’s claims weakened? (2)
- William had a strong army, based in Normandy, but his claims were weakened by the fact that he was French, and that logistically, invading Britain, over the Channel would be difficult
- Unlike the House of Godwin, William had almost no pre-existing influence in England
Why was Tostig Godwinson a weak candidate?
He had little military support in the UK; before the rebellion in 1065, he could well have been a likely candidate, but the revolt destroyed his power base
What is thought about Tostig supporting Harald Hardrada?
It is thought that Tostig joined and supported Harald’s efforts, believing that the best way for him to gain back power & influence was as someone’s No.2
Why did Harald Hardrada believe he was the rightful next King of England? (5)
- As the Viking king of Norway, Harald had a reputation as a strong powerful warrior (Hardrada means ‘hard ruler’)
- As Edward had no sons, Hardrada believed that a relative of a previous king should take over. Hardrada was related to King Cnut, who had ruled England from 1016 to 1035. As a result, Hardrada thought he should be the next to rule England
- Harald claimed that his father, Magnus, had been promised the throne by Cnut’s son Harthacnut. However, when Harthacnut died in 1042, it was Edward who took the throne. Magnus had since died, but his son was determined to claim what he thought was rightfully his
- He had tens of thousands of warriors and a strong navy available to him
- He had good trading relationships with England’s trading partners in Scandinavia
Why did Harold Godwinson believe he was the next rightful king of England? (5)
- Following the death of his father, Earl Godwin, Harold had become an extremely important figure in Edward’s government. He became ‘sub-regulus’, acting as a ‘deputy king’, from 1060 onwards.
- He was Edward’s brother-in-law
- He had shown loyalty to Edward, even over his own brother Tostig
- He had the support of the English nobles and the Witan
- Eyewitnesses had seen King Edward ask Harold Godwinson to become the next king. King Edward asked Harold to become the next King as he lay dying
Why did Edgar Aethling believe he was the rightful next king of England? (4)
- Edgar Aethling had royal blood. he was descended from King Alfred the Great, who had been the King of England between 886 and 899
- Edgar was the great-nephew of Edward the Confessor, and therefore a blood relation
- Edgar had lived with King Edward since childhood and was treated by many as his adopted son
- As an Anglo-Saxon, Edgar had the support of many English earls
Why were Edgar Aethling’s claims to the throne weakened?
Edgar was 15 years old in 1066. This made it unlikely that he would have been made king. He was viewed as inexperienced and also lacked a large supporter base (which is generally built up with age and credibility)
Who had the support of the Witan?
Harold Godwinson
