1066: Claimants of the English Throne

Harold Godwinson

Born sometime during 1022 also known as Harold the second was the last anglo-saxon king of England. He reigned from January 6, 1066 until the Battle of Hastings where he died.

He was coroneted the day after the death of Edward the Confessor at Westminster Abbey.

Harold Godwinson was arguably the most powerful man in England after the death of Edward the Confessor, who, on his death bed promised Harold the throne. Harold’s sister, Edith, married Edward in 1045 which made Harold the brother-in-law of the king.

A famous tapestry called the Bayeux Tapestry depicts Harold Godwinson being shot in the eye with an arrow but historians are unsure whether he is the man in the picture with an arrow in his head or if he is the man being trampled by a horse. Personally, I believe he was shot in the eye because I do not think that a man such as Harold Godwinson could have been killed by a horse, I think he would have died with a bit more dignity.

William the Conqueror

William, born 1027, was the “bastard” son of Robert, Duke of Normandy and Herleva of Falaise. When William’s father died in 1035, he went on to inherit his title as Duke of Normandy.

Some Norman barons would not accept the bastard child of Robert to be their leader and in 1040 an assassination attempt was made in 1040. Obviously the attempt failed to kill William but his three guardians, Gilbert of Brionne, Osbern of Seneschal and Alan of Britanny perished and William was forced to accept the man held responsible for the murder of Gilbert of Brionne, Ralph of Wacy, to becom his guardian.

In 1051, William visited King Edward and was promised the throne.

In 1053, William married Matilda of Flanders and over the next sixteen years they had nine children.

In 1064, Harold of Wessex was shipwrecked on the coast of Ponthieu and fell into the “care” of William. For his role in the successful capture of Dinan, Harold was knighted by William and swore on sacred relics to support William’s claim of the throne.

During the battle of Hastings in October, 1066, Horold was supposedly killed by an arrow to the eye and William became king of England.

William became quite fat in his autumn years and in 1087 after burning down the town of Mantes as a retaliation of a derogatory comment made by King Philip of France, he fell off his horse and suffered internal injuries. He died later that year and his son William Rufus Succeeded him as king.