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Harold Godwinson (c. 1022 – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon English king. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 [1] until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman Conquest. Harold's death marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule over England.
- Mark Cartwright
- Earl of Wessex. Harold was born around 1023 CE into the powerful Godwinson family, with his father, Godwin, being the Earl of Wessex and one of the richest men in England.
- Harold in Normandy. Harold Godwinson's star rose even higher when he was crowned king on 6 January 1066 CE following the death the day before of his brother-in-law King Edward the Confessor, who died childless.
- Battle of Stamford Bridge. The most immediate threat to Harold's kingdom was not from William, though, but from the north and another rival claimant to the throne, Harald Hardrada, king of Norway (aka Harold III, r. 1046-1066 CE).
- Battle of Hastings. Throughout the summer of 1066 CE William had been busy amassing a fleet on the northern coast of France near Saint-Valéry-sur-Somme.
Ealdgyth (fl. c. 1057–1066), also Aldgyth or Edith in modern English, was a daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, the wife of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn (d. 1063), ruler of all Wales, and later the wife and queen consort of Harold Godwinson, king of England in 1066. [1]
Oct 18, 2023 · At the time of the Battle of Hastings, 14 th October 1066, Ealdgyth was in London, but her brothers took her north to Chester soon after. Although sources are confused it seems possible that Ealdgyth was heavily pregnant and gave birth to a son, Harold Haroldson, within months of the battle.
Oct 14, 2018 · Harold’s subsequent marriage to Ealdgyth, which probably took place at the end of 1065 or beginning of 1066, not only secured the support of the earls of Northumbria and Mercia, but also weakened the political ties of the same earls with the new rulers of north Wales.
Edith was originally named Gytha, but renamed Ealdgyth (or Edith) when she married King Edward the Confessor. [4] Her brothers were Sweyn (c. 1020 – 1052), Harold (later King Harold II) (c. 1022 – 1066), Tostig (c. 1026 – 1066), Gyrth (c. 1030 – 1066), Leofwine (c. 1035 – 1066), and Wulfnoth (c. 1040 – 1094). Edith was the firstborn ...
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There are suggestions that Harold moved to heal the rifts he had created within southern Britain, notably by marrying Edwin’s sister – and Gruffudd’s widow – Ealdgyth. But his weak claims to the English crown encouraged other pretenders like Harold Hardrada and William of Normandy in 1066, while his undermining of the Mercian-Welsh ...