Harold Godwinson
Earl Godwin died in 1053, leaving his son Harold to inherit the title of Earl of Wessex. This inheritance transformed Harold from a regional power into the most influential layman in England after King Edward the Confessor. The family's ascent began with Wulfnoth, a native of Sussex who served as a thegn under King Cnut the Great. By 1018, Cnut had elevated Godwin to the position of Earl of Wessex, marking the start of their political dominance. Godwin survived the reigns of multiple kings, including Edmund Ironside and Harthacnut, by shifting alliances when necessary. His involvement in the 1036 murder of Alfred Aetheling nearly cost him everything, yet he secured forgiveness through oaths and gifts. In 1045, King Edward married Godwin's daughter Edith, cementing the family's status at the heart of royal power. Six sons and three daughters were born to Godwin and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, creating a vast network of influence across the British Isles. Harold was approximately twenty-five years old when this marriage took place, placing his birth around 1020.
Harold became Earl of East Anglia around 1045, shortly before his father's death. This appointment likely responded to threats from King Magnus the Good of Norway, requiring strong coastal defense. Documents from 1044 show Harold acting as an earl, but by 1045 he regularly appeared in official records with that title. He formed a relationship with Edith the Fair, heiress to lands in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Essex. Their union followed More danico customs, known as "in the Danish manner," which bypassed Church sanction but remained accepted among laypeople. Any children from this arrangement were considered legitimate heirs. Harold probably entered this partnership to secure loyalty within his new territory. His elder brother Sweyn had been exiled in 1047 after abducting the abbess of Leominster. Sweyn's lands were divided between Harold and cousin Beorn. In 1049, Harold commanded ships sent to aid Holy Roman Emperor Henry III against Baldwin V, Count of Flanders. During this campaign, Sweyn returned to England seeking pardon, but Harold refused to return any lands. Sweyn eventually took Beorn hostage and killed him. By 1053, Harold succeeded his father as Earl of Wessex, consolidating power across southern England.
In 1064, Harold was shipwrecked at Ponthieu while traveling along the English coast. The earliest post-conquest Norman chroniclers claimed King Edward had previously appointed Duke William II of Normandy as heir. They argued Harold was sent to swear fealty to William on behalf of the king. Scholars remain divided over whether this story holds historical truth or represents later propaganda. Some accounts suggest Harold sought to release family members held hostage since Godwin's exile in 1051. Others propose he was simply caught in a storm during a hunting expedition. He left from Bosham and landed at Ponthieu, where Count Guy I captured him. Guy held Harold at Beaurain castle up the River Canche from Le Touquet. William arrived soon after and demanded Harold be handed over. Harold accompanied William into Brittany, crossing past Mont Saint-Michel abbey. There he rescued two soldiers trapped in quicksand. The pursuit continued from Dol-de-Bretagne to Rennes, ending when Conan surrendered Dinan's keys at lance-point. William knighted Harold and presented him with weapons. Norman sources state Harold then swore an oath on sacred relics supporting William's claim to England. After Edward died, Normans claimed Harold broke this oath by accepting the crown.
Harold led his army north on a forced march from London, reaching Yorkshire within four days. This rapid movement allowed him to catch Harald Hardrada and Tostig by surprise near York. On the 25th of September 1066, the Battle of Stamford Bridge resulted in total defeat for the invaders. Both Harald Hardrada and Tostig were killed during the fighting. Snorri Sturluson recorded a story describing a mysterious rider approaching the Norwegian leaders before the battle. The rider offered Tostig his earldom back if he turned against Hardrada. When Tostig asked what Harold would give for such service, the reply was "Seven feet of English ground." The rider then returned to the English host. Hardrada asked who he was, and Tostig identified him as Harold Godwinson himself. Earlier that year, Harold had supported Northumbrian rebels against his brother Tostig due to doubled taxation. He replaced Tostig with Morcar, creating a fatal split within the family. This decision drove Tostig into alliance with King Harald Hardrada of Norway. The victory at Stamford Bridge demonstrated Harold's military capability but left his forces exhausted before facing William.
The two armies clashed at Senlac Hill on the 14th of October 1066 after nine hours of hard fighting. Harold was killed and his forces defeated at the Battle of Hastings near present-day Battle. His brothers Gyrth and Leofwine also died in the same engagement. Norman accounts like Carmen de Hastingae Proelio claim Harold was lanced and dismembered by four knights including Duke William. Twelfth-century histories from William of Malmesbury and Henry of Huntingdon describe an arrow wound to Harold's head. Amatus of Montecassino wrote twenty years after the battle about Harold being shot in the eye with an arrow. Modern historians cannot produce a definitive account without compromising one hypothesis or another. The Bayeux Tapestry shows a figure below the inscription "Hic Harold Rex Interfectus Est" gripping an arrow striking his eye. However, this detail may be a late eighteenth- or nineteenth-century modification. Etchings from the 1730s show differing objects held by the standing figure. Benoît's 1729 sketch displays only dotted stitch marks longer than any arrow shown elsewhere. Bernard de Montfaucon's 1730 engraving depicts a solid line resembling a spear held overhand. Charles Stothard included the arrow in his 1816 reproduction commissioned by the Society of Antiquaries of London. Some believe both accounts are accurate: Harold suffered the eye wound first, then mutilation beneath horse hooves.
William of Poitiers stated that Harold's body was given to William Malet for burial. Another source claims Edith the Fair identified her husband's body through a private mark known only to her. Harold's strong association with Bosham led some to suggest it as his final resting place. An Anglo-Saxon coffin discovered there in 1954 contained thigh and pelvic bones of a powerfully built man about five feet six inches tall. The remains showed signs of arthritis and were aged over sixty years. The skull was missing, suggesting earlier vandalism rather than natural decomposition. Legends claimed Harold received proper funeral rites years later at Waltham Abbey Church in Essex. He had refounded this church in 1060. Stories including Vita Haroldi suggested Harold fled England or became a hermit at Chester or Canterbury. His son Ulf was released from prison by King William in 1087 before dying. Ulf joined Robert Curthose and disappeared from history. Two other sons, Godwine and Edmund, invaded England in 1068 and 1069 with Irish aid but lost at Northam. Diarmait mac Máel na mBó presented another Irish king with Harold's battle standard in 1068. After Harold's death, pregnant Ealdgyth was collected by Edwin and Morcar and taken to Chester for safety. Her fate remains unknown. Some historians believe Harold and Ealdgyth had twin boys born after their father's demise.
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Common questions
When was Harold Godwinson born and how old was he when King Edward married his sister Edith?
Harold Godwinson was born around 1020. He was approximately twenty-five years old when King Edward the Confessor married his daughter Edith in 1045.
What happened to Harold Godwinson during his journey to Ponthieu in 1064?
Harold Godwinson was shipwrecked at Ponthieu while traveling along the English coast in 1064. Count Guy I captured him and held him at Beaurain castle before Duke William of Normandy demanded his release.
Who died alongside Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings on the 14th of October 1066?
His brothers Gyrth and Leofwine also died in the same engagement as Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings on the 14th of October 1066. Norman accounts claim Harold was lanced and dismembered by four knights including Duke William.
Where did Harold Godwinson die and what is known about his burial site?
Harold Godwinson died at the Battle of Hastings near present-day Battle after fighting for nine hours on the 14th of October 1066. His body was given to William Malet for burial though legends suggest he received proper funeral rites years later at Waltham Abbey Church in Essex.
How many children did Earl Godwin have with Gytha Thorkelsdóttir and who were they?
Earl Godwin had six sons and three daughters with Gytha Thorkelsdóttir creating a vast network of influence across the British Isles. Two other sons named Godwine and Edmund invaded England in 1068 and 1069 with Irish aid but lost at Northam.