In the 11th century, Harold Godwinson, also known as Harold II or Harold the Saxon, was an Anglo-Saxon king of England. He was the last regent to occupy the position before the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where he died fighting William the Conqueror’s Norman invaders. After his death in the conflict, the Anglo-Saxons in England fell under the control of the Normans, who had migrated from France. During his reign, he was reputed to have been a powerful monarch and a competent general. Prior to becoming king, he was a powerful earl who had established himself as a prominent figure in England by the mid-1060s. He was anticipated to ascend the throne upon the death of the childless and heirless monarch Edward the Confessor. Harold possessed extensive tracts of land in Somerset and Wessex prior to his coronation. After the king, he was the most powerful individual in the entire kingdom. After the demise of Edward in January 1066, he ascended to the throne. His reign was short-lived, however, as he was slain at the Battle of Hastings in October of the same year.
Youth and Early Life
Harold was born around 1022 in Sussex, England, to Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and Gytha, a Danish noblewoman, near Senlac Hill. He had a number of siblings. His ancestry was noble, and his sister was married to Edward the Confessor, the monarch he would succeed. His father, Godwin, was one of the most influential figures in the English government. Godwin was a staunch ally and supporter of Cnut the Great, the monarch of Denmark, England, and Norway, also known as the North Sea Empire at the time.
Godwin aided Edward the Confessor become king of England after Cnut’s death. His daughter Gytha, who was Harold’s sibling, was eventually wed to Edward. By kidnapping the abbess of Leominster, Harold’s older brother Sweyn brought shame and disgrace to his family and the royal court. Sweyn was subsequently exiled for this act, which rendered him unsuitable for the throne and made Harold the most likely successor.
The political influence of Harold’s family in England grew with the passage of time. Numerous barons and nobles who wished to seize the throne were alarmed by their growing power. During this time, Harold married Edyth Swannesha and had six children with her, but the clergy did not recognize her as his wife.
Ascension and Reign
Edward the Confessor promised the throne to William of Normandy when he was still alive, according to the Ascension and Reign Records. This action infuriated a number of English families, who viewed it as a betrayal of the monarch. Several families, as expected, rushed to support Godwin and his family’s claim to the monarchy. Edward’s demise was precipitated by a gradual increase in tensions between the Normans and the Anglo-Saxons. The death of Edward occurred on January 5, 1066.
On January 6, 1066, the Witan, which was the council or assembly of Anglo-Saxon rulers, proclaimed Harold Godwinson to be the sovereign of England. After this, Harold wed Edith, daughter of Earl Elgar and widow of Welsh ruler Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, against whom he had conducted numerous successful campaigns. In 1058, Harold also succeeded his deceased father as the Earl of Hereford, replacing him as the focal point of the opposition.
After Harold’s coronation, Duke William of Normandy began planning an invasion of England. In order to accomplish this, he fought Harold’s professional soldiers on land and the Saxon navy in the English Channel. On the Norman Coast, William constructed 700 warships in preparation for this invasion. During this period, there was also the looming threat of Norwegian Vikings.
In September 1066, Norwegian king Harald Hardrada and his army of Norsemen invaded England. Godwinson was able to repel the forces, resulting in a violent stalemate at Stamford Bridge before the Vikings retreated. Harold then started marching his forces south to meet William and his Norman army at Hastings.
The conflict at Hastings
Harold Godwinson initially commanded the conflict at Hastings, with William’s knights outnumbered and on the run. As rumors of William’s demise began to circulate, the Normans fled. Duke William, however, was not dead; he threw off his helmet to disclose himself to Harold’s troops, and his men then charged Harold’s soldiers.
Harold’s army was defeated in fierce combat, and Harold himself was killed in the conflict. His brothers Gyrth and Leofwine perished in the conflict as well. This 1066 “Battle of Hastings” is one of the most significant conflicts in British history.
Harold was either killed by a Norman archer or by his own soldiers when rumors circulated that he had betrayed his side to William, according to conflicting historical accounts. Harold was slain by an arrow that pierced his eye, despite the fact that this is a subject of significant debate among historians.
The bodies of Harold and his siblings, who were also killed, were stripped of all medals and decorations. He could only be identified by certain physical characteristics. According to one source, Edith, his widow, was tasked with identifying the body, which she did by recognizing unique identifying characteristics. Due to Harold’s strong ties to Bosham, his birthplace, and the discovery of an Anglo-Saxon coffin in the church there, it is believed that this was the exact location of his burial.
The circumstances surrounding the king’s demise and burial are shrouded in mystery, with differing accounts from various sources. William of Poitiers reports that Harold’s body was entrusted to William Malet for burial. According to some sources, his body was granted a proper burial in the church he refounded in 1060, the church of Waltham Holy Cross in Essex. In addition, legends claim that Harold survived the Battle of Hastings and fled to England. According to legend, he perished as a hermit in Chester or Canterbury.
Harold’s Personal Life
Harold was married to Edyth Swansea for approximately twenty years. They had a minimum of six offspring. The clergy, however, viewed her as Harold’s concubine. According to Orderic Vitalis, he was once engaged to Adeliza, one of William, Duke of Normandy’s daughters. However, the engagement never resulted in matrimony.
He married Edith, the daughter of the Earl of Mercia and the widow of Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, later in 1066. With her, he had two sons named Harold and Ulf. Although little is known about their later lives, it is believed that they lived in exile. Edith was forced to seek refuge with her siblings Edwin, Earl of Mercia, and Morcar of Northumbria after Harold’s death.
Estimated Net Worth
The estimated net worth of Harold Godwinson is $10 million, and his primary source of income is sovereign. We lack sufficient evidence regarding Harold Godwinson’s automobiles and lifestyle.