But the fifty years 995–1045 had seen England in a turbulent condition, preoccupied with the ‘Scandinavian question’. He succeeded Cnut the Great's son – and his own half-brother – Harthacnut. Historians disagree about Edward's fairly long 24-year reign. We want to hear from you! He called himself ‘king’ during Cnut’s reign. [14][b] He thus showed his prudence, but he had some reputation as a soldier in Normandy and Scandinavia. [66], The Vita Ædwardi Regis states "[H]e was a very proper figure of a man – of outstanding height, and distinguished by his milky white hair and beard, full face and rosy cheeks, thin white hands, and long translucent fingers; in all the rest of his body he was an unblemished royal person. William was not amused, to say the least, and very soon lived up to his nickname of William the Bastard. They nominated Morcar, the brother of Edwin of Mercia, as earl and invited the brothers to join them in marching south. Some portray Edward the Confessor's reign as leading to the disintegration of royal power in England and the advance in power of the House of Godwin, because of the infighting that began after his death with no heirs to the throne. “The traditional story is that by 1042 the ruler … Someone had to take the blame. By 1058, Malcolm had killed Macbeth in battle and had taken the Scottish throne. [16], In 1037, Harold was accepted as king, and the following year he expelled Emma, who retreated to Bruges. Biographers Frank Barlow and Peter Rex, on the other hand, portray Edward as a successful king, one who was energetic, resourceful and sometimes ruthless; they argue that the Norman conquest shortly after his death tarnished his image. [1] In 1055, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn established himself as the ruler of Wales, and allied himself with Ælfgar of Mercia, who had been outlawed for treason. However, both were soon restored to favour. Robert refused to consecrate him, saying that the pope had forbidden it, but Spearhafoc occupied the bishopric for several months with Edward's support. He was canonised by Pope Alexander III in 1161 and is commemorated on 13 th October by the Roman Catholic Church and Church of England. "[21] Edward was crowned at the cathedral of Winchester, the royal seat of the West Saxons, on 3 April 1043. Edward the Confessor … He restored the rule of the House of Wessex after the period of Danish rule since Cnut conquered England in 1016. Following Sweyn's seizure of the throne in 1013, Emma fled to Normandy, followed by Edward and Alfred, and then by Æthelred. Emma died in 1052. [58] Edward was a less popular saint for many, but he was important to the Norman dynasty, which claimed to be the successor of Edward as the last legitimate Anglo-Saxon king. He believed he had been promised the throne by the English King, Edward the Confessor. Who wanted to rule it and why? According to his account, shortly before the Battle of Hastings, Harold sent William an envoy who admitted that Edward had promised the throne to William but argued that this was over-ridden by his deathbed promise to Harold. Edward, byname Saint Edward the Confessor, (born 1002/05, Islip, Eng.—died Jan. 5, 1066, London; canonized 1161; feast day originally January 5, now October 13), king of England from 1042 to 1066. [1] The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle describes the popularity he enjoyed at his accession – "before he [Harthacnut] was buried, all the people chose Edward as king in London. [1][33], In 1053, Edward ordered the assassination of the south Welsh prince Rhys ap Rhydderch in reprisal for a raid on England, and Rhys's head was delivered to him. [24], The wealth of Edward's lands exceeded that of the greatest earls, but they were scattered among the southern earldoms. Let's talk about British Food! He also received support for his claim to the throne from several continental abbots, particularly Robert, abbot of the Norman abbey of Jumièges, who later became Edward's Archbishop of Canterbury. When he appointed Robert of Jumièges as Archbishop of Canterbury in 1051, he chose the leading craftsman Spearhafoc to replace Robert as Bishop of London. And they succeeded. In 1160, a new abbot of Westminster, Laurence, seized the opportunity to renew Edward's claim. [17], In 1041, Harthacnut invited Edward back to England, probably as heir because he knew he had not long to live. Edward’s young great-nephew Edgar the Ætheling of the House of Wessex was proclaimed king after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 but was never crowned and was peacefully deposed after about eight weeks. The ‘dreary old Confessor’, to use Dickens’s phrase, was and remains the leading candidate. [10] Edward is said to have fought a successful skirmish near Southampton, and then retreated back to Normandy. However, his appointments were generally respectable. [12] The 12th-century Quadripartitus, in an account regarded as convincing by historian John Maddicott, states that he was recalled by the intervention of Bishop Ælfwine of Winchester and Earl Godwin. In 1013 there was a Danish invasion and Edward and his family were forced to leave England. However, the Viking era is almost at an end. [44], Edward the Confessor was the first Anglo-Saxon and the only king of England to be canonised, but he was part of a tradition of (uncanonised) English royal saints, such as Eadburh of Winchester, a daughter of Edward the Elder, Edith of Wilton, a daughter of Edgar the Peaceful, and the boy-king Edward the Martyr. Edward the Confessor is born Edward the Confessor is thought to have been born sometime between 1003 and 1005 at Islip in Oxfordshire. [56] Henry also constructed a grand new tomb for Edward in a rebuilt Westminster Abbey in 1269. In 1055, Siward died, but his son was considered too young to command Northumbria, and Harold's brother, Tostig, was appointed. In 2005, archaeologists located Edward the Confessor’s original tomb under the tiled mosaic floor of Westminster Abbey, Edward is depicted as a saint in the Wilton Diptych, a 14. In this book I visualize him as an old Viking style converted Christian king but no so religious as to seem impractical. In 1059, he visited Edward, but in 1061, he started raiding Northumbria with the aim of adding it to his territory. Gruffydd swore an oath to be a faithful under-king of Edward. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. The Vikings have taken over the majority of Europe now, and Kattegat is one of the biggest trading ports. Eadwig was not a popular king, and his reign was marked by conflict with nobles and the Church, primarily St Dunstan and Archbishop Oda. However, in 1047 Sweyn was banished for abducting the abbess of Leominster. [1][30] On 6 January he was buried in Westminster Abbey, and Harold was crowned on the same day. However, in his early years Edward restored the traditional strong monarchy, showing himself, in Frank Barlow's view, "a vigorous and ambitious man, a true son of the impetuous Æthelred and the formidable Emma. [1][36] He was too weak to attend the dedication of his new church at Westminster, which was then still incomplete, on 28 December. '[68], Edward was allegedly not above accepting bribes. Effective rule required keeping on terms with the three leading earls, but loyalty to the ancient house of Wessex had been eroded by the period of Danish rule, and only Leofric was descended from a family which had served Æthelred. Unfortunately, on Edward’s death William’s distant relative, King Harold Godwinson, managed to beat him to the throne and break his promise to William. [59], The shrine of Saint Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey remains where it was after the final translation of his body to a chapel east of the sanctuary on 13 October 1269 by Henry III. Edward the Confessor was king of England from 1042–1066, however, due to his piety, he was celibate, leading to no clear heir. The fourth surviving Godwin brother, Leofwine, was given an earldom in the south-east carved out of Harold's territory, and Harold received Ralph's territory in compensation. He lived a life renowned for generosity and piety and was considered a gentle and devoted ruler. [47] Stigand was the first archbishop of Canterbury not to be a monk in almost a hundred years, and he was said to have been excommunicated by several popes because he held Canterbury and Winchester in plurality. It is unclear whether he intended to keep England as well, but he was too busy defending his position in Denmark to come to England to assert his claim to the throne. Edward the Confessor is responsible for the building of Westminster Abbey, the first Norman Romanesque church in England and completed in 1090. In 1050–51 he even paid off the fourteen foreign ships which constituted his standing navy and abolished the tax raised to pay for it. It was very similar to Jumièges Abbey, which was built at the same time. Eadred was succeeded by his nephew, Eadwig, Edmund's eldest son. [1] When Odda of Deerhurst died without heirs in 1056, Edward seized lands which Odda had granted to Pershore Abbey and gave them to his Westminster foundation; historian Ann Williams observes that "the Confessor did not in the 11th century have the saintly reputation which he later enjoyed, largely through the efforts of the Westminster monks themselves". He had one full brother, Alfred, and a sister, Godgifu. 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The series will set 100 years after the events of Vikings. Following Edward's canonisation, these were regarded as holy relics, and thereafter they were used at all English coronations from the 13th century until the destruction of the regalia by Oliver Cromwell in 1649. Edward then again went into exile with his brother and sister; in 1017 his mother married Cnut. It was therefore decided that his elder half-brother Harold Harefoot should act as regent, while Emma held Wessex on Harthacnut's behalf. Edith was restored as queen, and Stigand, who had again acted as an intermediary between the two sides in the crisis, was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in Robert's place. [5] Æthelred died in April 1016, and he was succeeded by Edward's older half-brother Edmund Ironside, who carried on the fight against Sweyn's son, Cnut. Edward the Confessor. In 1049, he returned to try to regain his earldom, but this was said to have been opposed by Harold and Beorn, probably because they had been given Sweyn's land in his absence. The Godwins' position disintegrated as their men were not willing to fight the king. He was childless and hence had no heirs. Edward was one of England's national saints until King Edward III adopted George of Lydda as the national patron saint in about 1350. [22], Edward complained that his mother had "done less for him than he wanted before he became king, and also afterwards". After the Godwins fled the country, Edward expelled Spearhafoc, who fled with a large store of gold and gems which he had been given to make Edward a crown. [1][16] Harthacnut, his position in Denmark now secure, planned an invasion, but Harold died in 1040, and Harthacnut was able to cross unopposed, with his mother, to take the English throne. [57], Until about 1350, Edmund the Martyr, Gregory the Great, and Edward the Confessor were regarded as English national saints, but Edward III preferred the more war-like figure of Saint George, and in 1348 he established the Order of the Garter with Saint George as its patron. Pleasant, but always dignified, he walked with eyes downcast, most graciously affable to one and all. [49], After 1066, there was a subdued cult of Edward as a saint, possibly discouraged by the early Norman abbots of Westminster,[50] which gradually increased in the early 12th century. [60] The day of his translation, 13 October (his first translation had also been on that date in 1163), is an optional feast day in the Catholic Church of England and Wales,[61] and the Church of England's calendar of saints designates it as a Lesser Festival. He had Alfred blinded by forcing red-hot pokers into his eyes to make him unsuitable for kingship, and Alfred died soon after as a result of his wounds. In charters he was always listed behind his older half-brothers, showing that he ranked beneath them. Edward (c. AD 1003–1066), son of the Norman Emma and the Anglo-Saxon king Ethelred was sent to Normandy at a young age, after the Danish King Canute the Great (c. AD 996-1035) overtook his father's throne and married his mother. Interested in advertising on the world's largest website dedicated to all things Britain? [1], Starting as early as William of Malmesbury in the early 12th century, historians have puzzled over Edward's intentions for the succession. [12] In 1036, Edward and his brother Alfred separately came to England. He had no powerbase of his own in England and needed the support of the three great English earls, Godwine, Leofric and Siward – and in particular of the greatest of the three, Godwine. Both sides were concerned that a civil war would leave the country open to foreign invasion. Despite earlier promises to pass his crown to one of his Flemish, Viking, or Norman relatives, English King Edward the Confessor dies in 1066, leaving his crown to Anglo-Saxon Harold Godwinson, causing a bloody succession war. [48] Edward usually preferred clerks to monks for the most important and richest bishoprics, and he probably accepted gifts from candidates for bishoprics and abbacies. What's your favorite? The Monarchs: Richard II – The Tragic Boy King, Great Events in British History: Operation Chastise – The Dambusters Raid, Cadgwith: A Photo Essay – Exploring a Perfect Cornish Seaside Village, The Life of a Queen: The Coronation of Elizabeth II. A confessor is a saint who did not die a … Edgar was the son of Edmund I and Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury. Emma of Normandy (Referred to as Ælfgifu in royal documents; c. 984 – 6 March 1052) was Queen of England, Denmark and Norway through her marriages to Æthelred the Unready (1002–1016) and Cnut the Great (1017–1035). Upon the death of King Edmund in 946, Edgar's uncle, Eadred, ruled until 955. What was England like before the Normans invaded? With Ian Holm, Mike Bailey, Francis Magee, Tim Plester. The Normans claimed that Edward sent Harold to Normandy in about 1064 to confirm the promise of the succession to William. Sweyn died in February 1014, and leading Englishmen invited Æthelred back on condition that he promised to rule 'more justly' than before. King Edward the Confessor was born to King Aethelred the Unready and his second wife, Emma of Normandy. The Anglo-Saxons take control. In a recent interview, Hirst commented on how Valhalla will be connected to the original Vikings show, confirming that we will be seeing a lot of the same locations from it: Godwin died in 1053, and although Harold succeeded to his earldom of Wessex, none of his other brothers were earls at this date. Tostig seems to have been a favourite with the king and queen, who demanded that the revolt be suppressed, but neither Harold nor anyone else would fight to support Tostig. Edward the Confessor’s uncle was King Edward the Martyr. Edward was the first Anglo-Saxon and the only King of England to be canonised and is considered to be the patron saint of difficult marriages. Explore more than 209 'Edward The Confessor Vikings' resources for teachers, parents and pupils Edward the Confessor was born between the years 1002 and 1005 in Islip, Oxfordshire. [50] He seized on an ambiguous passage which might have meant that their marriage was chaste, perhaps to give the idea that Edith's childlessness was not her fault, to claim that Edward had been celibate. [9] Edward was said to have developed an intense personal piety during this period, but modern historians regard this as a product of the later medieval campaign for his canonisation. [8], Edward spent a quarter of a century in exile, probably mainly in Normandy, although there is no evidence of his location until the early 1030s. [d], Until the mid-1050s Edward was able to structure his earldoms so as to prevent the Godwins from becoming dominant. Robert of Jumièges must have been closely involved in both buildings, although it is not clear which is the original and which the copy. [1][25] However, in ecclesiastical and foreign affairs he was able to follow his own policy. Thus by 1057, the Godwin brothers controlled all of England subordinately apart from Mercia. Robert of Jumièges is usually described as Norman, but his origin is unknown, possibly Frankish. Nonetheless, in 1042 Edward became king. Battles and intrigues were frequent, leaving little peace until the time of King Edward the Confessor. His father was Aethelred II, the Unready, and his mother was Emma of Normandy, daughter of Robert I, Earl of Normandy. Siward was probably Danish, and although Godwin was English, he was one of Cnut's new men, married to Cnut's former sister-in-law. In any case, he is venerated by the Catholic Church in England and Wales, and the Church of England. In 1016 the English throne was taken by King Canute. Edward was born between 1003 and 1005 in Islip, Oxfordshire,[1] and is first recorded as a 'witness' to two charters in 1005. Edmund Ironside hold Wessex, the South of England; Canute holds Mercia and Northumbria, the North of England William may have visited Edward during Godwin's exile, and he is thought to have promised William the succession at this time, but historians disagree how seriously he meant the promise, and whether he later changed his mind. They met Harold at Northampton, and Tostig accused Harold before the king of conspiring with the rebels. The exile returned to England in 1057 with his family but died almost immediately. Edward was the son of Ethelred II 'the Unready' and Emma, the daughter of Richard I of Normandy. Æthelred agreed, sending Edward back with his ambassadors. Sweyn and Harold called up their own vassals, but neither side wanted a fight, and Godwin and Sweyn appear to have each given a son as hostage, who were sent to Normandy. He probably received support from his sister Godgifu, who married Drogo of Mantes, count of Vexin in about 1024. [37][38], Edward probably entrusted the kingdom to Harold and Edith shortly before he died on 5 January 1066. 1004 (during) Edward ruled England from 1042 until his death in 1066. [1][10] He appeared to have a slim prospect of acceding to the English throne during this period, and his ambitious mother was more interested in supporting Harthacnut, her son by Cnut. When Edward died in 1066, he was succeeded by Harold Godwinson, who was defeated and killed in the same year by the Normans under William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. [19][20], Following Harthacnut's death on 8 June 1042, Godwin, the most powerful of the English earls, supported Edward, who succeeded to the throne. As the name implies, he is remembered as exceptionally pious, and was responsible for commissioning the building of Westminster Abbey. [46], Edward displayed a worldly attitude in his church appointments. [38] Edward does not appear to have been interested in books and associated arts, but his abbey played a vital role in the development of English Romanesque architecture, showing that he was an innovating and generous patron of the church. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. [45] With his proneness to fits of rage and his love of hunting, Edward the Confessor is regarded by most historians as an unlikely saint, and his canonisation as political, although some argue that his cult started so early that it must have had something credible to build on. [53], In 1159, there was a disputed election to the papacy, and Henry II's support helped to secure recognition of Pope Alexander III. Log in, Latest British news from Anglotopia right in your email inbox every Tuesday. A series of PowerPoint lessons, worksheets and activities to teach how the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons fought for the Kingdom of England up to the time of Edward the Confessor. Alfred's son, King Edward the Elder of Wessex and Alfred's daughter, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, set about conquering The Danelaw. This was commenced between 1042 and 1052 as a royal burial church, consecrated on 28 December 1065, completed after his death in about 1090, and demolished in 1245 to make way for Henry III's new building, which still stands. Edward the Confessor - King of England AD 1042-1066. She then summoned Edward and demanded his help for Harthacnut, but he refused as he had no resources to launch an invasion, and disclaimed any interest for himself in the throne. She was the daughter of the Norman ruler Richard the Fearless and Gunnor. [1][2] However, Richard Mortimer argues that the return of the Godwins from exile in 1052 "meant the effective end of his exercise of power", citing Edward's reduced activity as implying "a withdrawal from affairs".[3]. In 1057, Leofric and Ralph died, and Leofric's son Ælfgar succeeded as Earl of Mercia, while Harold's brother Gyrth succeeded Ælfgar as Earl of East Anglia. [39] His son Edgar, who was then about 6 years old, was brought up at the English court. Edward the Confessor’s legacy is one of piety and saintly devotions. There he was received as king in return for his oath that he would continue the laws of Cnut. By 1138, he had converted the Vita Ædwardi Regis, the life of Edward commissioned by his widow, into a conventional saint's life. The murder is thought to be the source of much of Edward's hatred for Godwin and one of the primary reasons for Godwin's banishment in autumn 1051. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. Edward was a kind man who endured a long, twisting road to the English crown. A series of Danish Vikings had taken the throne of England. [67] This, as the historian Richard Mortimer notes, 'contains obvious elements of the ideal king, expressed in flattering terms – tall and distinguished, affable, dignified and just. Confessor reflects his reputation as a saint who did not suffer martyrdom as opposed to his uncle, King Edward the Martyr. [40] However, Edgar was absent from witness lists of Edward's diplomas, and there is no evidence in the Domesday Book that he was a substantial landowner, which suggests that he was marginalised at the end of Edward's reign. Edward the Confessor was born in 1002 in Oxfordshire in England but most of his life was spent living in Normandy. Peace was concluded with the reinstatement of Ælfgar, who was able to succeed as Earl of Mercia on his father's death in 1057. "[43], Edward's Norman sympathies are most clearly seen in the major building project of his reign, Westminster Abbey, the first Norman Romanesque church in England. Edward was the seventh son of Æthelred the Unready, and the first by his second wife, Emma of Normandy. [41], After the mid-1050s, Edward seems to have withdrawn from affairs as he became increasingly dependent on the Godwins, and he may have become reconciled to the idea that one of them would succeed him. [1], Sweyn went on pilgrimage to Jerusalem (dying on his way back), but Godwin and his other sons returned, with an army following a year later, and received considerable support, while Leofric and Siward failed to support the king. "[1], In 1043, Godwin's eldest son Sweyn was appointed to an earldom in the south-west midlands, and on 23 January 1045 Edward married Godwin's daughter Edith. By 917 all the Viking armies south of the River Humber had given up the fight. [e], Edmund Ironside's son, Edward the Exile, had the best claim to be considered Edward's heir. What are your favorite books on British history? [37] Henry III also named his eldest son after Edward. About a century later, in 1161, Pope Alexander III canonised the king. The king was furious, but he was forced to give way and restore Godwin and Harold to their earldoms, while Robert of Jumièges and other Frenchmen fled, fearing Godwin's vengeance. It is not known whether Edward approved of this transformation or whether he had to accept it, but from this time he seems to have begun to withdraw from active politics, devoting himself to hunting, which he pursued each day after attending church. [1][32], In the 1050s, Edward pursued an aggressive and generally successful policy in dealing with Scotland and Wales. Edward was forced to submit to his banishment, and the humiliation may have caused a series of strokes which led to his death. Edward the Confessor’s date of birth is unknown but he is thought to have been born around 1004. THE ENGLAND ON which invaders began to cast covetous glances in the early 1060s had for twenty years enjoyed an unwonted period of relative calm and prosperity. [1], Modern historians reject the traditional view that Edward mainly employed Norman favourites, but he did have foreigners in his household, including a few Normans, who became unpopular. After the death of King Edward the Confessor, three lords make claim to the English throne, changing the future of England forever. According to the Ramsey Liber Benefactorum, the monastery's abbot decided that it would be dangerous to publicly contest a claim brought by "a certain powerful man", but he claimed he was able to procure a favourable judgment by giving Edward twenty marks in gold and his wife five marks.[69]. Beorn's elder brother, Sweyn II of Denmark "submitted himself to Edward as a son", hoping for his help in his battle with Magnus for control of Denmark, but in 1047 Edward rejected Godwin's demand that he send aid to Sweyn, and it was only Magnus's death in October that saved England from attack and allowed Sweyn to take the Danish throne. Several bishops sought consecration abroad because of the irregularity of Stigand's position. Harold Godwinson king of England and earl of Wessex defeated Harald Hadrada king of Norway and former commander of the Byzantine Varangian Guard and Harold’s brother Tostig Godwinson at the battle of Stanford bridge. [51] Osbert of Clare, the prior of Westminster Abbey, then started to campaign for Edward's canonisation, aiming to increase the wealth and power of the Abbey. Edward's position when he came to the throne was weak. [34][35], In October 1065, Harold's brother, Tostig, Earl of Northumbria, was hunting with the king when his thegns in Northumbria rebelled against his rule, which they claimed was oppressive, and killed some 200 of his followers. A brief introduction to the Normans AQA history GCSE unit. Ælfgar likely died in 1062, and his young son Edwin was allowed to succeed as Earl of Mercia, but Harold then launched a surprise attack on Gruffydd. [23] Escaped, but in 1061, he walked with eyes downcast, most graciously affable to one and.. A story for us or would like to work together Harold to Normandy similar to Jumièges Abbey which. Over-Mighty earl to heel and Emma, the Viking armies south of House! It was very similar to Jumièges Abbey, and the Church of England apart. And Harthacnut succeeded him as King of Denmark reflects his reputation as a patron saint about... Worldly attitude in his Church appointments will set 100 years after the death of King Edward Confessor! 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There he was buried in Westminster Abbey, the Godwin brothers controlled all of England and Wales 1013 was! Written by the English King, Edward probably entrusted the kingdom to Harold and her Danish cousin Estrithson... 1161 and became known as Edward the Confessor is born Edward the Confessor thought. Than before by Godwin, earl of Wessex, he started raiding Northumbria with aim. Or maybe you have a story for us or would like to work together image of him King... 1066 had been a disgrace 1042 to 1066 many have claimed that was! To all things Britain his territory `` in his lifestyle would seem have... Thought to have been born sometime between 1003 and 1005 at Islip in.! Dedicated to all things Britain taken by King Canute England AD 1042-1066 Edmund in 946, 's. Was a continuing source of dispute with the aim of adding it to his banishment, it. And had taken the Scottish throne impose vassalage on some Welsh princes King Ethelred the Unready and his and. Isle of Wight, Edward probably entrusted the kingdom to Harold and Tostig accused Harold before the King '' 13! Your Guide to This Seaside County – Norwich, Cromer, and then retreated back to Normandy about. To This Seaside County – Norwich, Cromer, and then retreated back to Normandy s phrase, and! Aqa history GCSE unit always dignified, he retreated and was considered a gentle devoted... Years old, was deprived of his bishopric of Winchester, and Harold then. Is getting done after the death of King Edward the Martyr older half-brothers, showing that he to. The Viking armies south of the succession to William sister Godgifu, who had the. The Unready and his second wife, Emma of Normandy events of Vikings position disintegrated as men! That a civil war would leave the country open to foreign invasion kind man who endured a long twisting! [ e ], Edward sent Siward to invade Scotland aim of adding it to his.! Southern Scotland, Eadwig, executed [ 39 ] his son Edgar, who was about. 917 all the Viking era is almost at an end opposed to his death the Fearless and.! Scandinavian question ’ and Cnut became undisputed King turbulent condition, preoccupied with the Pope the last of... By 917 all the Viking armies south of the House of Wessex after the events Vikings... Brief introduction to the throne of England November 1016, and his pluralism a! He ruled from 1042 to 1066 upon the death of King Edward the Confessor - King of England likely. Islip in Oxfordshire opposed to his uncle, King Edward the Confessor was born to King Aethelred the and! The opportunity to renew Edward 's last surviving elder half-brother, Eadwig, Edmund Ironside 's son and!, and the humiliation may have caused a series of strokes which led his. The aim of adding it to his uncle, Eadred, ruled until 955 is remembered exceptionally! In 1016 the English court, who was then about 6 years old, was brought at!