Harold II, was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066
until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October, fighting the Norman invaders
led by William the Conqueror during the Norman conquest of England. His death marked the
end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England. Harold was a powerful earl and member of a
prominent Anglo-Saxon family with ties to King Cnut. Upon the death of Edward the Confessor
in January 1066, the Witenagemot convened and chose Harold to succeed; he was crowned
in Westminster Abbey. In late September he successfully repulsed an invasion by rival
claimant Harold Hardrada of Norway, before marching his army back south to meet William
the Conqueror at Hastings some two weeks later.
Family background Harold was a son of Godwin, the powerful Earl
of Wessex, and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, sister-in-law of King Cnut the Great of England and Denmark.
Gytha's brother was Ulf Jarl, who was married to Cnut's sister Estrith. This made Ulf the
son-in-law of King Sweyn Forkbeard, and the father of King Sweyn II of Denmark. Godwin
was the son of Wulfnoth, probably a thegn and a native of Sussex. Godwin remained an
earl throughout Cnut's reign, one of only two earls to survive to the end of Cnut's
reign. On Cnut's death, Godwin originally supported Harthacnut instead of Cnut's initial
successor Harold Harefoot, but managed to switch sides in 1037, although not without
becoming involved in the murder of Alfred Aetheling, half brother of Harthacnut and
younger brother of the later King Edward the Confessor. When Harold Harefoot died, Harthacnut
became king and Godwin's power was imperiled by his earlier involvement in Alfred's murder,
but an oath and large gift secured the new king's favour for Godwin. Harthacnut's death
in 1042 likely involved Godwin in a role as kingmaker, helping to secure the English throne
for Edward the Confessor. In 1045, Godwin was at the height of his power, when his daughter
Edith was married to the king. Godwin and Gytha had several children. The
sons were Sweyn, Harold, Tostig, Gyrth, Leofwine, and Wulfnoth. There were also three daughters:
Edith of Wessex, originally named Gytha but renamed Ealdgyth when she married King Edward
the Confessor; Gunhild; and Ælfgifu. The birthdates of the children are unknown, but
Sweyn was the eldest and Harold was the second son. Harold was aged about 25 in 1045, which
makes his birth date around 1020. Powerful nobleman
Edith married Edward on 23 January 1045, and around that time Harold became Earl of East
Anglia. Harold is called "earl" when he appears as a witness in a will, that may date to 1044,
but by 1045 Harold regularly appears as an earl in documents. One reason for his appointment
to East Anglia may have been a need to defend against the threat from King Magnus the Good
of Norway. It is possible that Harold led some of the ships from his earldom that were
sent to Sandwich in 1045 against Magnus. Sweyn, Harold's elder brother, had been named an
earl in 1043. It was also around the time that Harold was named an earl that he began
a relationship with Edith, who appears to have been the heiress to lands in Cambridgeshire,
Suffolk and Essex, lands in Harold's new earldom. The relationship was a form of marriage that
was not blessed or sanctioned by the Church, known as more Danico, or "in the Danish manner",
and was accepted by most laypeople in England at the time. Any children of such a union
were considered legitimate. Harold likely entered the relationship in part to secure
support in his new earldom. In 1047 Harold's elder brother Sweyn was exiled
after abducting the abbess of Leominster. Sweyn's lands were divided between Harold
and a cousin, Beorn. In 1049, Harold was in command of a ship or ships that were sent
with a fleet to aid the German Emperor Henry III against Count Baldwin V of Flanders, who
was in revolt against Henry. During this campaign, Sweyn returned to England and attempted to
secure a pardon from the king, but Harold and Beorn refused to return any of their lands,
and Sweyn, after leaving the royal court, took Beorn hostage and later killed him.
When in 1051 Earl Godwin was sent into exile, Harold accompanied his father and helped him
to regain his position a year later. Then Godwin died in 1053, and Harold succeeded
him as Earl of Wessex. This arguably made him the most powerful figure in England after
the king. In 1058, Harold also became Earl of Hereford
and replaced his late father as the focus of opposition to growing Norman influence
in England under the restored monarchy of Edward the Confessor, who had spent more than
25 years in exile in Normandy. He led a series of successful campaigns against Gruffydd ap
Llywelyn of Gwynedd, the ruler of Wales. This conflict ended with Gruffydd's defeat and
death in 1063. Harold in northern France
In 1064, Harold apparently was shipwrecked at Ponthieu. There is much speculation about
this voyage. The earliest post-conquest Norman chroniclers report that King Edward had previously
sent Robert, Archbishop of Canterbury, to appoint as his heir Edward's maternal kinsman,
William of Normandy, and that at this later date Harold was sent to swear fealty. Scholars
disagree as to the reliability of this story. William, at least, seems to have believed
he had been offered the succession, but there must have been some confusion either on William's
part or perhaps by both men, since the English succession was neither inherited nor determined
by the reigning monarch. Instead the Witenagemot, the assembly of the kingdom's leading notables,
would convene after a king's death to select a successor. Other acts of Edward are inconsistent
with his having made such a promise, such as his efforts to return his nephew Edward
the Exile, son of king Edmund Ironside, from Hungary in 1057. Later Norman chroniclers
suggest alternative explanations for Harold's journey: that he was seeking the release of
members of his family who had been held hostage since Godwin's exile in 1051, or even that
he had simply been travelling along the English coast on a hunting and fishing expedition
and had been driven across the Channel by an unexpected storm. There is general agreement
that he left from Bosham, and was blown off course, landing at Ponthieu. He was captured
by Count Guy I of Ponthieu, and was then taken as a hostage to the count's castle at Beaurain,
24.5 km up the River Canche from its mouth at what is now Le Touquet. Duke William arrived
soon afterward and ordered Guy to turn Harold over to him. Harold then apparently accompanied
William to battle against William's enemy, Conan II, Duke of Brittany. While crossing
into Brittany past the fortified abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, Harold is recorded as rescuing
two of William's soldiers from quicksand. They pursued Conan from Dol de Bretagne to
Rennes, and finally to Dinan, where he surrendered the fortress's keys at the point of a lance.
William presented Harold with weapons and arms, knighting him. The Bayeux Tapestry,
and other Norman sources, then record that Harold swore an oath on sacred relics to William
to support his claim to the English throne. After Edward's death, the Normans were quick
to point out that in accepting the crown of England, Harold had broken this alleged oath.
The chronicler Orderic Vitalis wrote of Harold that he "was very tall and handsome, remarkable
for his physical strength, his courage and eloquence, his ready jests and acts of valour.
But what were these gifts to him without honour, which is the root of all good?"
Due to a doubling of taxation by Tostig in 1065 that threatened to plunge England into
civil war, Harold supported Northumbrian rebels against his brother, Tostig, and replaced
him with Morcar. This strengthened his acceptability as Edward's successor, but fatally split his
own family, driving Tostig into alliance with King Harald Hardrada of Norway.
Marriages and children
For some twenty years Harold was married More danico to Edith Swannesha and had at least
six children with her. The marriage was widely accepted by the laity, although Edith was
considered Harold's mistress by the clergy. According to Orderic Vitalis, Harold was at
some time betrothed to Adeliza, a daughter of William, Duke of Normandy, later William
the Conqueror; if so, the betrothal never led to marriage.
About January 1066, Harold married Edith, daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, and widow
of the Welsh prince Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Edith had two sons—possibly twins—named
Harold and Ulf, both of whom survived into adulthood and probably lived out their lives
in exile. After her husband's death, Edith is said to
have fled for refuge to her brothers, Edwin, Earl of Mercia and Morcar of Northumbria,
but both men made their peace with King William initially before rebelling and losing their
lands and lives. Edith may have fled abroad. Harold's sons, Godwine and Edmund, fled to
Ireland and then invaded Devon, but were defeated by Brian of Brittany.
Family tree Reign as king
At the end of 1065, King Edward the Confessor fell into a coma without clarifying his preference
for the succession. He died on 5 January 1066, according to the Vita Ædwardi Regis, but
not before briefly regaining consciousness and commending his widow and the kingdom to
Harold's "protection". The intent of this charge is ambiguous, as is the Bayeux Tapestry,
which simply depicts Edward pointing at a man thought to represent Harold. When the
Witenagemot convened the next day, they selected Harold to succeed, and his coronation followed
on 6 January, most likely held in Westminster Abbey; however there is no surviving evidence
from the time to confirm this. Although later Norman sources point to the suddenness of
this coronation, the reason may have been that all the nobles of the land were present
at Westminster for the feast of Epiphany, and not because of any usurpation of the throne
on Harold's part. In early January 1066, hearing that Harold
had been crowned, Duke William II of Normandy began plans to invade by building 700 warships
and transports at Dives-sur-Mer on the Normandy coast. Initially, William could not get support
for the invasion but, claiming that Harold had sworn on sacred relics to support his
claim to the throne after having been shipwrecked at Ponthieu, William was given the Church's
blessing and nobles flocked to his cause. In anticipation of the invasion, Harold assembled
his troops on the Isle of Wight, but the invasion fleet remained in port for almost seven months,
perhaps due to unfavourable winds. On 8 September, with provisions running out, Harold disbanded
the army and returned to London. On the same day Harald Hardrada of Norway, who also claimed
the English crown joined Tostig and invaded, landing his fleet at the mouth of the Tyne.
The invading forces of Hardrada and Tostig defeated the English earls, Edwin of Mercia
and Morcar of Northumbria, at the Battle of Fulford near York on 20 September. They in
turn were defeated and slain by Harold's army five days later at the Battle of Stamford
Bridge, Harold having led his army north on a forced march from London in four days and
catching them by surprise. According to Snorri Sturluson, before the battle a man bravely
rode up to Harald Hardrada and Tostig and offered Tostig his earldom if he would but
turn on Harald Hardrada. When Tostig asked what his brother Harold would be willing to
give Harald Hardrada for his trouble, the rider replied that he would be given seven
feet of ground as he was taller than other men. Harald Hardrada was impressed with the
rider and asked Tostig his name. Tostig replied that the rider was none other than Harold
Godwinson. According to Henry of Huntingdon, "Six feet of ground or as much more as he
needs, as he is taller than most men", was Harold's response. It is, however, unknown
whether this conversation ever took place. Battle of Hastings
On 12 September William's fleet sailed. Several ships sank in storms, and the fleet was forced
to take shelter at Saint-Valery-sur-Somme and wait for the wind to change. On 27 September
the Norman fleet finally set sail for England, arriving, it is believed, the following day
at Pevensey on the coast of East Sussex. Harold's army marched 241 miles to intercept William,
who had landed perhaps 7000 men in Sussex, southern England. Harold established his army
in hastily built earthworks near Hastings. The two armies clashed at the Battle of Hastings,
at Senlac Hill close by Hastings on 14 October, where after nine hours of hard fighting and
probably less than 30 minutes from victory, Harold was killed and his forces routed. His
brothers Gyrth and Leofwine were also killed in the battle.
Death The account of the battle, Carmen de Hastingae
Proelio, said to have been written shortly after the battle by Guy, Bishop of Amiens,
says that Harold was killed by four knights, probably including Duke William, and his body
brutally dismembered. Amatus of Montecassino's L'Ystoire de li Normant, written thirty years
after the battle of Hastings, is the first report of Harold being shot in the eye with
an arrow. Later accounts reflect one or both of these two versions. A figure in the panel
of the Bayeux Tapestry with the inscription "Harold Rex Interfectus Est" is depicted gripping
an arrow that has struck his eye, but some historians have questioned whether this man
is intended to be Harold, or if Harold is intended as the next figure lying to the right
almost prone, being mutilated beneath a horse's hooves. Etchings made of the Tapestry in the
1730s show the standing figure with differing objects. Benoît's 1729 sketch shows only
a dotted line indicating stitch marks without any indication of fletching. Bernard de Montfaucon's
1730 engraving has a solid line resembling a spear being held overhand matching the manner
of the figure to the left. Stothard's 1819 water-colour drawing has, for the first time,
a fletched arrow in the figure's eye. Although not apparent in the earlier depictions, the
Tapestry today has stitch marks indicating the fallen figure once had an arrow in its
eye. It has been proposed that the second figure once had an arrow added by over-enthusiastic
nineteenth-century restorers that was later unstitched. A further suggestion is that both
accounts are accurate, and that Harold suffered first the eye wound, then the mutilation,
and the Tapestry is depicting both in sequence. Burial and legacy
The account of the contemporary chronicler William of Poitiers, states that the body
of Harold was given to William Malet for burial:
"The two brothers of the King were found near him and Harold himself, stripped of all badges
of honour, could not be identified by his face but only by certain marks on his body.
His corpse was brought into the Duke's camp, and William gave it for burial to William,
surnamed Malet, and not to Harold's mother, who offered for the body of her beloved son
its weight in gold. For the Duke thought it unseemly to receive money for such merchandise,
and equally he considered it wrong that Harold should be buried as his mother wished, since
so many men lay unburied because of his avarice. They said in jest that he who had guarded
the coast with such insensate zeal should be buried by the seashore".
Another source states that Harold's widow, Edith Swannesha, was called to identify the
body, which she did by some private mark known only to her. Harold's strong association with
Bosham, his birthplace, and the discovery in 1954 of an Anglo-Saxon coffin in the church
there, has led some to suggest it as the place of King Harold's burial. A request to exhume
a grave in Bosham church was refused by the Diocese of Chichester in December 2003, the
Chancellor having ruled that the chances of establishing the identity of the body as Harold's
were too slim to justify disturbing a burial place. A prior exhumation had revealed the
remains of a man, estimated at up to 60 years of age from photographs of the remains, lacking
a head, one leg and the lower part of his other leg, a description consistent with the
fate of the king as recorded in the Carmen. The poem also claims Harold was buried by
the sea, which is consistent with William of Poitiers' account and with the identification
of the grave at Bosham Church that is only yards from Chichester Harbour and in sight
of the English Channel. There were legends of Harold's body being
given a proper funeral years later in his church of Waltham Holy Cross in Essex, which
he had refounded in 1060. Legends grew up that Harold had not died at Hastings but instead
fled England or that he later ended his life as a hermit at Chester or Canterbury.
Harold's son Ulf, along with Morcar and two others, were released from prison by King
William as he lay dying in 1087. Ulf threw his lot in with Robert Curthose, who knighted
him, and then disappeared from history. Two of Harold's other sons, Godwine and Edmund,
invaded England in 1068 and 1069 with the aid of Diarmait mac Mail na mBo. They raided
Cornwall as late as 1082, but died in obscurity in Ireland.
Ancestry References
Notes
Footnotes
Citations
External links In the footsteps of King Harold A timeline
of Harold Godwinson's life, includes information about places significant to Harold II's story.
BBC Historic Figures: Harold II Portraits of King Harold II at the National
Portrait Gallery, London