THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE – PART TWO While the final decision as to who was to become king of England was for the Witan, there was nothing to stop the king from indicating who he thought his successor should be, and here arose the dichotomy. The childless Edward seems, at some time, to have promised the throne to William of Normandy, and to Harold Godwinson on his death bed. Harold had no blood claim, the nearest relationship being his position as the king’s brother in law, a relationship somewhat strained when Edward put Edith aside. The English did not want another foreign king, which ruled out Eustace, William and the two Scandinavians. Edgar was only a teenager, and although there had been young kings in the past, he had little support. The only realistic candidate, the mature man, proven warrior and already the most powerful man in the kingdom was Harold, already (at least by his account) chosen by Edward, and it was he that the Witan acclaimed as the next king, crowned on 6 January in the as yet unfinished Westminster Abbey by Archbishop Stigand, the archbishop of Canterbury. Upon his crowning Harold married as his second wife Ealdgyth, the sister of the Northern earls Edwin and Morcar, ensuring the loyalty of the north.
THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE - PART TWO
THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE - PART TWO
THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE - PART TWO
THE BATTLE OF STAMFORD BRIDGE – PART TWO While the final decision as to who was to become king of England was for the Witan, there was nothing to stop the king from indicating who he thought his successor should be, and here arose the dichotomy. The childless Edward seems, at some time, to have promised the throne to William of Normandy, and to Harold Godwinson on his death bed. Harold had no blood claim, the nearest relationship being his position as the king’s brother in law, a relationship somewhat strained when Edward put Edith aside. The English did not want another foreign king, which ruled out Eustace, William and the two Scandinavians. Edgar was only a teenager, and although there had been young kings in the past, he had little support. The only realistic candidate, the mature man, proven warrior and already the most powerful man in the kingdom was Harold, already (at least by his account) chosen by Edward, and it was he that the Witan acclaimed as the next king, crowned on 6 January in the as yet unfinished Westminster Abbey by Archbishop Stigand, the archbishop of Canterbury. Upon his crowning Harold married as his second wife Ealdgyth, the sister of the Northern earls Edwin and Morcar, ensuring the loyalty of the north.