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| Depiction in the Bayeux Tapestry (c. 1067) |
Birth name: Hereweald Godƿinson
Born: c. 1022, Wessex, Kingdom of England
Father: Godwin, Earl of Wessex
Mother: Lady Gytha Thorkelsdóttir
House: Godwin
Nationality: English
Religion: Catholicism
Claim: Elected and chosen by Edward 'The Confessor' *disputed*
Reign: 05 January 1066 - 14 October 1066 (9 months)
Coronation: 06 January 1066
Predecessor: Edward 'The Confessor'
Successor: Edgar II *disputed*
Died: 14 October 1066 (aged 44), Senlac Hill, Sussex, Kingdom of England
Cause: Mutilated in battle
Burial: *Unknown*
Motto: N/A
Spouse(s):
- Lady Edith Swanneck 'The Fair' (m. ???? - c. 1066)
- Lady Ealdgyth of Mercia (m. 1066 - 1066)
Children:
- With Lady Edith Swanneck
- Lord Godwin of Wessex (c. 1045 - c. 1070)
- Lord Edmund of Wessex (c. 1046 - ????)
- Lord Magnus of Wessex (c. 1047 - ????)
- Gunhild, Lady of Richmond (c. 1060 - c. 1094)
- Gytha, Grand Princess of Kiev (c. 1061 - c. 1107)
- Lord Ulf of Wessex (c. 1063 - c. 1088)
- With Lady Edith Swanneck or Lady Ealdgyth of Mercia
- Lord Harold of Wessex (c. 1065 - c. 1098)
Appearance:
Not much is known about Harold's physical appearance, but he may have been tall and possessed a strong body. He may have also had birthmarks or tattoos, but these would often be hidden by clothes. The Bayeux Tapestry depicts him as having a moustache in the typical Anglo-Saxon style.
Character:
Throughout much of his life, Harold was very politically and militarily powerful, and he knew how to use it. He was ambitious in his bid to become the king, and was able to get the English nobles on his side when claiming the throne.
Even before he became king, his was well known for his military successes, defending English land from Viking raids, as well as warding off invasions from the Welsh.
He was also described as having excellent manners while also possessing a commanding presence.
Harold also had a witty sense of humour, but was likely most well known for his bravery, which he possessed until the very end of his life.
Biography:
Harold was born possibly around the year 1022 and was the second of eleven children born to Godwin, Earl of Wessex and his wife, Lady Gytha Thorkelsdóttir. The House of Godwin was a very powerful family within England at the time, with Harold's father wielding a great deal of influence within the kingdom. His family also had strong Scandinavian roots.
Little is known about Harold's early life.
His family reached the height of their power in 1045 when Harold's sister, Edith, married King Edward the Confessor, and it is around this time that Harold was made the Earl of East Anglia. While stationed there, Harold began a relationship with Lady Edith the Fair, though the two were never officially married in the eyes of the Church. Instead, their relationship was based around the more Viking tradition of a marriage, which was still acceptable in England at the time. The two of them would go on to have around six or seven children together.
Harold spent the majority of his early adulthood defending the English coast from Danish and Norwegian invasions, as well as aiding the Holy Roman Emperor in military campaigns against Flanders. However, the Godwin family was not popular with the King of England, and he often looked for any excuse to rid himself of the powerful house. This resulted in the whole family being exiled in 1051, with the support of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who also loathed them. It appears that Edward may have even looked for a way to annul his marriage to Harold's sister, Edith, but this never ultimately went ahead.
In 1053, Harold's father, Godwin, died, and due to his elder brother being exiled and disinherited after charges of kidnapping and murder, Harold instead became the new Earl of Wessex. Thus, Harold became the most powerful man in England. After his father's death, Harold spent most of his time focusing his attention on potential invasions from Wales, and even killed King Gruffydd of Wales during battle in 1063.
By this point in time, it appeared likely that King Edward would not produce any legitimate children, and the question of who his heir would be began to linger on everybody's mind. One living male member of the House of Wessex remained, Edgar Ætheling, but he was very young and never officially recognised by the English court. As an Anglo-Saxon, and most powerful man in England, Harold himself stood an excellent chance of being declared his heir, especially after both him and his supporters kept attempting to keep Norman influence away from the kingdom. However, back in the Duchy of Normandy, the duke, William, argued that Edward had nominated him as his heir.
According to William and his supporters, Harold was one day shipwrecked off the coast of Normandy while on his way to swear his loyalty and acknowledge William as Edward's heir. William allegedly took Harold in, and it was during this time that Harold supposedly swore a sacred oath to support the Duke of Normandy. However, this is highly debated, and may have been Norman propaganda to justify their invasion of England several years later.
After his trip to the continent, Harold was then swept up in the rebellions and near civil war caused by his brother, Tostig, Earl of Northumbria. Tostig was widely hated by his people, and Harold intervened in support of the people of Northumbria. This betrayal of his brother would later haunt him, as Tostig fled to Norway, and began encouraging King Harald III of Norway to invade England and claim the throne in exchange for his lands and titles back.
During this time, King Edward had fallen very ill and did not appear likely to live. Apparently in a brief moment of consciousness before his death in 1066, Edward named Harold as his heir. This was met with little resistance from the English nobles, who quickly elected him as the new monarch, and Harold officially became King Harold II of the English.
Upon hearing this news, William, Duke of Normandy, immediately began planning an invasion. The story of Harold's alleged broken sacred oath led to William gaining support from the Pope himself. This caused other European leaders and nobles to rally behind William, while Harold was labelled as a traitor and blasphemer.
Harold was forced to quickly scramble his own army to wait on the Isle of Wight, but William never showed up due to his invasion plans being delayed by bad weather.
After a few months, with no sign of Norman forces, Harold gave up the defensive position, and his army returned to London.
Literally at the same time as this, King Harald III of Norway, allied with Harold's brother, Tostig, landed in the north of England with his army. Thus, Harold was forced to immediately march his army to the north of the country, travelling so swiftly that he was able to take the Norwegian army by surprise. The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place in Yorkshire, with Harold emerging victorious while Harald was killed in action. But this victory could not be celebrated, as while Harold and his men were in the north, William and his Norman fleet had finally landed in the south.
As soon as the battle was over, Harold was forced to march his exhausted army all the way back down south and into Sussex where the Norman army had established a base. Upon reaching the Normans, Harold had little time to fully prepare, and the Battle of Hastings officially began on Senlac Hill.
The battle lasted all day, with Harold originally gaining the high ground and forming a defensive shield wall that the Normans were unable to break through. Chaos eventually erupted in the Norman army, as rumours circulated that William had been killed, and Harold's forces briefly broke formation to take advantage of the chaos. Meanwhile, William rallied his men, with the previously mentioned moment providing him with an idea.
After nine hours of fighting, William and his army feigned a retreat, causing the English army to break their defensive formation and chase the Norman's down the hill, possibly rashly lead by Harold's own brothers. Not only did the Anglo-Saxons no longer have their protective shield wall, but they had now also lost the advantage of higher ground. The Norman troops then turned around and slaughtered the English army.
What happened next is not certain, but it is widely believed that Harold was shot in the eye with an arrow, killing him instantly. Regardless of whether this happened or not, Harold was then most certainly brutally mutilated, having lost both the English crown and his life.
Rule:
Though Harold's reign was rather short, he is notably most famous for being the last Anglo-Saxon King of England.
Whether or not Edward the Confessor had promised him the throne of England, Harold was able to receive popular support for his claim, demonstrating that English nobles viewed him as a capable monarch.
However, his religious reputation was tarnished by the Norman story that Harold had broken an oath that he had sworn on sacred Christian relics.
Due to his short reign, he was not able to achieve anything politically notable, but militarily, he did successfully defend England from being conquered by Norway. But this success did not extend to the Norman invasion, resulting in Harold ultimately losing his crown and his life.
Trivia:
- According to legend, before the Battle of Stamford Bridge, a man rode up to King Harald III and offered Tostig a chance to return to the side of the English. When asked what Harold was prepared to give Harald in exchange for his troubles, the man replied "seven feet of English ground" to match Harald's height, before riding away. Harald admired the man's bravery and when he asked Tostig for the man's identity, Tostig revealed him to be Harold himself.
Quotes:
N/A
Timeline of Reign:
| 1066: Harold elected as King - English nobles agree to recognised Harold as King of the English.
| 1066: Declared a usurper - Harold declared a usurper by Pope Alexander II.
| 1066: Defence of the Isle of Wight - Harold prepares for Norman invasion only for it to never arrive.
| 1066: Battle of Fulford - Norway invades England and defeats the earls of Mercia and Northumbria.
| 1066: Battle of Stamford Bridge - English victory against the Norwegians; King Harald III killed.
| 1066: Battle of Hastings - English defeated by the Normans; Harold II killed.
| 1066: Anglo-Saxon period ends - The era of the Anglo-Saxons in England officially ends.
Sources & Further Reading:
Bayeux tapestry stitches detail..jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2022). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bayeux_tapestry_stitches_detail..jpg
Brain, J. (2023). King Harold II (Godwinson). Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Harold-II-Godwinson/
Loyn, H. R. (1966). Harold, Son of Godwin from The 1066 Commemoration Series. Pamphlet 2. Oxford University Press. [Pages 3-16]
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2018). Harold II | Biography, Death, & Facts. In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harold-II
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