Claimants to the English Throne in 1066

This section explores the claimants to the English throne following the death of Edward the Confessor. When King Edward the Confessor died on 5th January 1066, he left no direct heir to succeed him. This created a power vacuum, with four prominent figures each laying claim to the throne. Their competing claims were rooted in three primary factors: family ties, promises made, and political realities.

The Four Claimants

• Harold Godwinson: Earl of Wessex, the most powerful Anglo-Saxon noble at the time.
• William, Duke of Normandy: The ruler of Normandy, a powerful and ambitious neighbour.
• Harald Hardrada: The King of Norway, a renowned Viking warrior.
• Edgar Atheling: The great-nephew of Edward the Confessor, and the last surviving member of the Anglo-Saxon royal family.

Family Ties

The claimants' family connections to the English royal family were one of the key factors in their respective claims.

• Harold Godwinson: Harold’s claim was based on his marriage to Edith, Edward’s sister. While Harold had no direct blood relation to Edward, his marriage made him a member of the royal family through his wife. Harold was also the most powerful Anglo-Saxon noble in England.
• William, Duke of Normandy: William’s claim was based on his maternal link to Edward. Edward's mother, Emma of Normandy, was William's great-aunt, making William a cousin of Edward. William argued that Edward had promised him the throne, bolstering his claim.
• Harald Hardrada: Harald had no blood ties to the English royal family. His claim was based more on his connection to the legacy of the Viking kings, particularly King Cnut, who ruled over both England and Denmark. Harald’s claim to the throne was through a combination of ambition and a desire to restore Viking power.
• Edgar Atheling: Edgar was the closest blood relative to Edward the Confessor, being his great-nephew. He was the last surviving member of the House of Wessex, making him the most direct heir to the English throne.

Strongest Claim on Family Ties: Edgar Atheling had the strongest blood connection to Edward. However, at the time, blood ties alone were not always considered essential for claiming the throne, as political factors often played a larger role in determining succession.

Promises

The promises made by Edward the Confessor or others were another key aspect of the claims. The oath was a serious matter in 11th-century Europe, and the legitimacy of each claimant’s promise would heavily influence the succession.

• Harold Godwinson: Harold’s claim was strengthened by the promise made to him by Edward on his deathbed. Edward is thought to have named Harold as his successor, though some historians question the exact nature of the promise. Additionally, in 1064, Harold had visited William in Normandy, during which he swore an oath to support William’s claim to the throne.
• William, Duke of Normandy: William’s claim was largely built on a promise made by Edward in 1051, when he reportedly agreed that William should succeed him. Furthermore, William argued that Harold had sworn an oath to him in 1064 while in Normandy, pledging support for William’s claim.
• Harald Hardrada: Harald’s claim to the throne was rooted in an earlier promise made to his predecessor, Magnus I of Norway, who had claimed the Kingdom of England as part of his legacy. Harald also relied on his alliance with Tostig Godwinson, Harold’s brother, who invited him to invade England in support of his claim.
• Edgar Atheling: Edgar’s claim rested less on promises and more on his status as the last surviving member of the royal family. There were reports that Edward had wanted Edgar to succeed him, although no explicit promise was made to him.

Strongest Claim on Promises: Harold Godwinson had the strongest claim here, as he was promised the throne by Edward on his deathbed. Although Harold had sworn an oath to support William, this oath was made under duress and was considered invalid by many, including the Witan (the council of nobles).

Political Realities

The political situation in England in 1066 was perhaps the most decisive factor in determining who had the strongest claim to the throne. The balance of power, military strength, and the support of the English nobility all played a crucial role.

• Harold Godwinson: Harold was the most powerful noble in England at the time of Edward’s death. He had a strong military background, having led English forces in various campaigns. Moreover, he had the support of the Witan, the English council, and the majority of the English nobility, which gave him significant political backing. Harold had also been entrusted by Edward to govern much of the kingdom in the latter years of his reign, solidifying his position as a key figure in the English political landscape.
• William, Duke of Normandy: William was a powerful and ambitious ruler with significant military resources at his disposal. He had the support of the Papacy, which had promised to back his conquest of England, framing his campaign as a holy war. However, William did not have direct control over English lands, and his power was based largely on his military capabilities and his ability to rally support in Normandy.
• Harald Hardrada: Harald was a highly experienced military leader and a skilled strategist, but his claim to the throne was more about his ambition to restore Viking power in England. While Harald had solid control over Norway and had conducted successful military campaigns in the east, he lacked the support of the English nobility and had no control over English lands.
• Edgar Atheling: Edgar was young and inexperienced at the time of Edward’s death. Though he had the strongest blood connection to the throne, he had no real political power or military support. As a teenager, he was considered too weak to effectively rule England in the face of the challenges posed by William and Harold.

Strongest Claim on Political Realities: Harold Godwinson had the strongest claim in terms of political realities. He had the support of the Witan, control of the kingdom, and the military power to defend England against foreign invaders. In contrast, Edgar was not yet ready to wield such power, and both William and Harald had to rely on military invasions to secure their claims.

The claimants to the English throne in 1066 each had a legitimate reason for their bid, but the strongest claim was ultimately held by Harold Godwinson. His position was reinforced by the promise made by Edward on his deathbed, his family connections through marriage to Edith Godwin, and his political control over England. Despite the strong military ambitions of William of Normandy and Harald Hardrada, and the royal bloodline of Edgar Atheling, Harold’s claim had the most immediate legitimacy in the eyes of the Witan and the Anglo-Saxon nobility. However, this did not prevent the events of 1066 from spiralling into the Battle of Hastings, where Harold’s forces would face William’s Norman army, forever changing the course of English history.