The 1066 invasion of England by William the Conqueror to claim the English throne is one of the most significant historical events in Western civilization. What makes William’s accomplishment even more substantial is not just the feat itself, but the opponent he faced to claim the throne— Harold II, known as Harold Godwinson, the last of the Anglo-Saxon Kings of England.
Harold’s Claim to the Throne
Harold did not inherit the English throne by direct lineage. His predecessor, Edward the Confessor, was his brother-in-law. Harold had married Edith of Wessex, sister to Edward, in 1045 and was a close confidant of Edward. When Edward died, he supposedly selected Harold as his successor, a choice that was confirmed by the council of nobles called the Witan. Harold had much favor with the nobility as a capable leader, and may have been the first king of England to be crowned in Westminster Abbey on January 6, 1066 (the Normans disputed the legitimacy of Harold’s coronation).
The Conflict with William the Conqueror
William claimed that Edward, his distant cousin, had promised him the throne in 1051. William also claimed that Harold, who had fought with him in Brittany sometime in 1064-1065, swore an oath to support William’s claim to the throne. Harold may have even been knighted by William, but William’s claim as to Harold’s oath and what specifically Harold swore is lost to history. Whatever the oath was, Harold and William disagreed as to what it meant, and William raised an army to invade England, defeating Harold at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066.
Was William Harold’s Only Rival?
Before Harold’s forces met William’s in southern England, Harold had another rival to contend with. King Harald Hardrada of Norway believed he had a right to the English throne from Edward the Confessor (and the support of Harold’s brother, Tostig), and invaded northern England in September of 1066. Harold Godwinson raised an army quickly, marching them from London to Yorkshire, traveling a distance of about 185 miles in 4 days. Harold’s advance was so swift that it surprised the forces of Hardrada, and Harold soundly defeated Hardrada at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
King Harold, Harald Hardrada, and the Battle of Stamford Bridge
An apocryphal story recorded in Sturluson’s King Harald’s Saga, written around 1200 AD, recounts a lone rider approaching Hardrada and Tostig the morning before the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The rider approaches Tostig, offering him clemency and his Earldom if Tostig defects, and offering Hardrada “six feet of ground, or as much more as he needs, as he is taller than most men.” Tostig would supposedly identify the messenger as Harold Godwinson himself.
What Happened to Harold Godwinson?
Following the Battle of Stamford Bridge, Harold turned part of his army and marched back to London, possibly unaware of William’s landing. Harold arrived in London, rested his forces for about a week, then arrived in Hastings on October 13 and engaged William with a tired army on October 14, 1066.
While it is generally accepted that Harold was killed in the battle, his precise fate is unknown. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts Harold as being shot in the eye by an arrow, and several accounts of the battle also describe his death similarly, but the initial story of Harold’s death is by lance, not arrow. Harold’s final burial place is unknown, with several stories regarding his burial having arisen over the ensuing years. Harold’s relatives would attempt to oust William at various times, to no avail.
