The Normans Conquest And Control Flashcards
When did Edward the confessor die??
5th January 1066
When was Edward the confessors funeral
6th jan 1066
One day after his death
Why was there a succession crisis
Edward had not produced a son
He had promised the throne to multiple people
Who were the four candidates for the throne
Edgar ætheling
Harald hardrada
Harold godwinson
William of Normandy
What was the reason Edgar was a candidate
He had royal blood, he was edwards nephew
Why was Edgar unfit for the throne
He was 15 at the time of the crisis
This meant he had little reputation or credibility for the throne
He was inexperienced
Why was harald hardrada a candidate for the throne
He claimed to be a descendant of king Canute, who ruled England in 1035
He was the king of Norway so a strong ruler already
He had a good trading relationship with some of Britain’s trading partners
Had thousands of warriors and a strong navy with him
Why was harald not a good candidate for the throne
He was of Viking heritage
Had not been promised the throne
His claims seemed more opportunistic- as if he saw it as a chance to gain land and power in England
Why was Harold godwinson a candidate for the throne
He was one of Edward’s most trusted advisors
He was married to Edward’s wife
Allegedly Edward had asked him to be king on his deathbed
Highly support3d by the witan
Why was Harold godwinson a bad candidate for the throne
He didn’t technically have royal blood
That’s about it
Why was William of Normandy a strong candidate for the throne
He had a strong backing from the pope and Rome
When Harold visited Normandy in 1066 he was aid to have sworn allegiance to William as the next king of England
He had a very strong army in Normandy
He was an established ruler
Why was William not a great candidate for the throne
He was French
The channel would be difficult to cross and there would be language barriers
He had little to no influence or support in England
What was Tostig role in the crisis
Practically none lol
Some say he supported harald hardrada but other than that he was in exile after the 1065 rebellion and had little to no military or any kind of support
What day was Harold coronation
6th jan 1066
Same as Edward’s funeral
What was Harold military defence against other claimants
None against Edgar
An army up south in York for harald
An army down south for William as well as the navy being positioned on the channel
By when had Harold’s north army (fyrds) disbanded to go look after their property
In September 1066, leaving him vulnerable