Today in History: Edward the Confessor Died

On this day (January 5) in 1066 King Edward the Confessor died, initiating a three way struggle for the kingship of England. Edward was the son of Aethelred II and Emma of Normandy. Aethelred II was succeeded by the Danish conqueror Cnut who married Emma and had a son with her, Harthacnut. During Cnut and Harthacnut’s reigns, Edward lived in exile. (In fact, his brother was murdered when he returned to England and was handed by the Godwin family over to Harthacnut.)

When Harthacnut died, England needed a king and Edward made his comeback but his reign was always overshadowed by the powerful Godwin family. Edward bungled his effort to get rid of the family and was forced to accept Godwin’s daughter as his wife. His reputation for holiness that developed out of his monk-like celibacy was probably motivated by a refusal to produce an heir to the throne with the daughter of the man he held responsible for his brother’s murder. This resolution to prevent the family of Godwin from taking the throne of England probably also explains Edward’s promise to make his cousin, Duke William of Normandy, his heir.

When the king died on January 5, 1066 his fears that his brother-in-law, Harold, would seize the throne proved well-founded. Harold was crowned King of England but would face two other contenders for the throne—Harald Hadrada who tenuously traced his right to the throne back to Cnut’s son, Harold, and William of Normandy, Edward’s kinsman through his mother, and chosen heir.