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Key points

  • 1066 is one of the most famous years in English history. It included the death of two kings, two invasions, and consequences that would last for hundreds of years.
  • The death of Edward the Confessor in January 1066 started a year of turmoil.
  • Four key contenders all had strong claims to become the next king of England.

Video about the claimants to the throne

Watch this video to learn about the four claimants to the throne: Edgar the Atheling, Harold Godwinson, Harald Hardrada, and William of Normandy

Question

Who were the main contenders for the throne in 1066?

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Edward the Confessor

was king of England from 1042 until his death on 5 January 1066. Normally, there is a clear , and it is obvious who the next monarch will be. This was not the case when Edward died. He had no children, and his closest living was his great-nephew Edgar the Atheling, who was just 14 years old. Edgar had not been supported or prepared for the role of king. It was decided that he was too young and inexperienced to rule and win the wars that would undoubtedly break out from rival claimants to the throne.

The three main rival contenders for the throne were , and , who each claimed that they were the rightful heir to the English throne.

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Claimants to the throne

Harold Godwinson, William of Normandy, and Harald Hardrada
Figure caption,
The claimants to the throne in 1066: Harold Godwinson, William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada

Harold Godwinson

Harold Godwinson was from Wessex, in England. He was a wealthy nobleman, and it is claimed that Edward the Confessor named Godwinson as his successor on his deathbed. Harold Godwinson鈥檚 sister, Edith, was married to Edward, making Harold the king鈥檚 brother-in-law. Wessex was the largest kingdom in England and his claim would have been well supported by a large proportion of the English population.

William of Normandy

William was a Duke who controlled Normandy, a large region in northern France. William was a distant relative of Edward the Confessor and claimed Edward had promised him the throne in 1051.

William also said that Harold Godwinson had sworn an oath that he would help William take the throne after Edward, in return for helping Godwinson when he had been stranded in Normandy in 1064.

Harald Hardrada

Harald Hardrada was a Viking and king of Norway. He was also a distant relative of King Cnut, who had previously been a king of England when the Vikings had invaded. Harald Hardrada also had the support of Tostig, who was Harold Godwinson鈥檚 brother.

The two brothers had fallen out. Tostig had been the ruler of Northumbria since 1055, but people rebelled against his rule. The rebels said Tostig had been a selfish and strict leader. Harold Godwinson had advised Edward the Confessor that he should support the rebels, rather than his own brother! Edward agreed, and Tostig was replaced as Earl of Northumbria.

There were a number of ancestors of previous Viking invaders still living in the north of England, and they were supportive of Harald Hardrada鈥檚 claim to the throne.

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Claimants to the throne activity

Learn more about the claimants to the throne with this activity.

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Whose team are you on?

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Who was crowned king?

On 6 January 1066, the day after Edward the Confessor died, the met to decide who should be crowned king. The Witan were a group of powerful rulers whose job was to advise the king. They decided that Harold Godwinson should be crowned, and his coronation took place on the same day.

This decision angered both William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada. They each decided that, since they had not been given the English throne by the Witan, they would have to invade and take over by force. This led to two important battles: the Battle of Stamford Bridge, and later the Battle of Hastings.

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The Battle of Stamford Bridge

In September 1066, Harald Hardrada and a force of 8000 Viking warriors invaded the north of England. They advanced to York and their numbers were boosted by supporters from Scotland and northern England.

The new king, Harold Godwinson, had been waiting in the south of England, anticipating an invasion from William from France. He quickly marched his army 185 miles north and reached Harald Hardrada鈥檚 men in just four days, taking them by surprise.

The two sides went to battle at Stamford Bridge, just outside of York. The recorded that a Viking warrior blocked the bridge, stopping Harold Godwinson鈥檚 army from crossing. One of Godwinson鈥檚 soldiers floated under the bridge in a barrel and stabbed the Viking through the slats in the bridge, allowing the rest of the English army to cross the river.

After a violent battle, Harold Godwinson was victorious. Both Hardrada and Tostig were killed and the remainder of Hardrada鈥檚 army were allowed to return to Norway.

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Test your knowledge

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Teaching resources

Searching for more content to add to your history lesson plans? This 5-minute animated video tells the story of Edgar Aethling, Harald Hardrada, Harold Godwinson and William of Normandy, all claimaints to throne in 1066.

大象传媒 Teach has thousands of free, curriculum-linked resources to help deliver lessons - all arranged by subject and age group.

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Play the History Detectives game! game

Analyse and evaluate evidence to uncover some of history鈥檚 burning questions in this game.

Play the History Detectives game!
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