Introduction
When King Edward the Confessor died in 1066, he left no clue as to who was to succeed him; or rather, he left too many. Within months, no fewer than four credible claimants had presented themselves, and two were formidable foreign lords, King Harald of Norway and William, Duke of Normandy.
On January 5th, 1066, King Edward the Confessor died childless, and without settling the question of who should inherit his crown. A likely candidate had been Edward the Exile, a son of Edward’s half-brother King Edmund Ironside.* He was summoned home from Kiev in 1054 together with his wife Agatha, youngest daughter of Prince Yaroslav, but he died three years later, leaving a young son, Edgar. King Edward never actually settled the crown on either of them; however, in his last illness the King did entrust his wife and kingdom to the care of Harold Godwinson, his brother-in-law, and the Witenagemot, England’s noblemen, duly crowned Harold King on January 6th, 1066.
Nonetheless, others claimed that Edward had made prior undertakings to them. One was his cousin William, Duke of Normandy.* Another was Harald Hardrada, King of Norway, who said that he was the legal heir of Edward’s predecessor Harthacnut, King of Denmark and England, and that Edward had acknowledged it.* That September, Harald came to claim his inheritance, with some three hundred longships and 15,000 Viking warriors.
See Edward the Exile. Edmund Ironside’s father was King Ethelred the Unready, and his mother was Ælfgifu of York. Ethelred subsequently married Emma of Normandy, and Edward the Confessor was their son. Ethelred and Edmund were overthrown by Cnut the Great, King of Denmark, in 1016 and Cnut later married Ethelred’s widow, Emma.
William’s grandmother was Emma of Normandy, Edward the Confessor’s mother, making William and Edward cousins once removed.
Harald’s claim rested on his title as King of Norway. His predecessor Magnus I ‘the Good’ had acquired Denmark after the death of Edward’s half-brother Harthacnut, King of Denmark and England, in 1042. Edward had assumed the crown of England, but Harald said that it should really have been his, as he and Magnus had an agreement whereby each would be the other’s heir. After Magnus died in 1047, Harald failed to secure Denmark, but he insisted that Edward had acknowledged his right to succeed him in England.
Précis
The death of Edward the Confessor in 1066 left no legal heir to the crown, as he had no children and his expected successor, Edward the Exile, had died too. Edward’s brother-in-law Harold was crowned King, but William of Normandy contested his right, and that September Harald Hardrada of Norway swept over the North Sea intent on conquest. (58 / 60 words)
The death of Edward the Confessor in 1066 left no legal heir to the crown, as he had no children and his expected successor, Edward the Exile, had died too. Edward’s brother-in-law Harold was crowned King, but William of Normandy contested his right, and that September Harald Hardrada of Norway swept over the North Sea intent on conquest.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, if, may, must, or, unless, whereas.
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
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