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Death of Edward, King of England
On 5 January 1066, Edward the Confessor died childless at Westminster; his dying words contradicted earlier promises to Duke William of Normandy and …
Timeline
- 1066Palace of Westminster · LondonEdward I (the Confessor) fell ill after Christmas and died at Westminster on 5 January. Childless, and long close to the Norman-descended queen Emma's family, his multiple promises to Norman and native English nobles left a vast controversy for later ages.
- 1066England · EnglandAfter Edward's death, the House of Wessex, Duke William of Normandy, and King Harald Hardrada of Norway all claimed the English throne. The witan swiftly chose Harold Godwinson, leader of the Godwin family, as king, prompting William and Harald to prepare invasions; 1066 became the most turbulent year in English history.
Sources
- Anglo-Saxon Chronicle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_Chronicle
- William of Malmesbury, Gesta Regum Anglorum — William of Malmesbury