Harald II Gudinesson of England

  General Notes:

Born: Cir 1020
Marriage: Edgyth Swan-neck circa 1064 in York, England
Died: 14 Oct 1066, near Hastings, Sussex, England at age 46
General Notes:
Harold Godwineson, or Godwinson, last Anglo-Saxon king of England. A strong ruler and a skilled general, he held the crown for nine months in 1066 before he was killed at the Battle of Hastings by Norman invaders under William the Conqueror.Harold's father, Godwine, Earl of Wessex and Kent, was the most powerful man in the kingdom early in the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-66). About 1044 Godwine obtained for Harold the earldom of East Anglia. In 1051 Edward banished Godwine and his sons for defying royal authority, but Harold led the forces that in 1052 invaded England and forced the king to restore the family.Upon Godwine's death in 1053, Harold succeeded to his father's earldoms and became the chief power in the land. By 1057 he had obtained earldoms for his three brothers, Tostig, Gyrth, and Leofwine. His only rival was the house of Leofric of Mercia. Leofric's outlawed son, Aelfgar, raided Mercia with help from the Welsh, and in retaliation Harold and Tostig subjugated Wales in 1063. In 1065 the Northumbrians revolted against Tostig, their earl. Bowing to rebel demands, Harold gave Tostig's earldom to Morcar of the house of Mercia, but by doing so he made Tostig his bitterest enemy. Nevertheless, Harold's position remained unshaken.On his deathbed Edward the Confessor had supposedly designated Harold the royal heir. The King's Council (the Witenagemot) confirmed Edward's brother-in-law Harold, Earl of Wessex, as King. With no royal blood, and fearing rival claims from William Duke of Normandy and the King of Norway, Harold had himself crowned in Westminster Abbey on 6 January 1066, the day after Edward's death. Earlier, Edward had, however, promised the crown to William, Duke of Normandy. Moreover, Harold himself, when shipwrecked on the coast of Normandy, had been forced to promise to support William's claim. Hence, when Harold assumed power on the death of Edward (Jan. 5, 1066), he was immediately threatened with the rivalry of William and another royal claimant, Harald III Hardraade, king of Norway, as well as with the enmity of Tostig. In May, Harold mobilized his fleet and army against an expected invasion by William. Instead, he had to use his forces to repel Tostig's raids on the south and east coasts of England. He dismissed his men in early September because he had run short of supplies. Thus, William was free to cross the English Channel unopposed. Tostig and Harald III Hardraade joined forces and invaded England in that month, but they were defeated and killed by Harold at Stamford Bridge, near York, on September 25. Hardrada's army had invaded using over 300 ships; so many were killed that only 25 ships were needed to transport the survivors home. Three days later William landed in England. Harold attacked him on October 14, and in an all-day battle the king, Gyrth, and Leofwine were killed. Harold was hit in the eye by an arrow and cut down by Norman swords. His army of some 7,000 infantry was defeated on the field of Senlac near Hastings. The accession of William to the English throne as King William I ended the Anglo-Saxon phase of English history.An abbey was later built, in 1070, to fulfil a vow made by William I, and its high altar was placed on the spot where Harold fell. The ruins of Battle Abbey still remain with a stone slab marking where Harold died.Edgyth was Harald's concubine. He was ca. 1064 married with Ealdgyth, daughter of Elfgar and widow of Griffits. This was a political marriage.
Noted events in his life were:
• Acceded: 6 Jan 1066. King of England.
Harald married Edgyth Swan-neck, daughter of Alfgar of Mercia and Aelfgifu, circa 1064 in York, England. (Edgyth Swan-neck was born before 1050 and died after 1070.)

Harald married Edgyth Swan-neck, daughter of Alfgar of Mercia and Aelfgifu, in 1064 in York, England. (Edgyth Swan-neck was born before 1050 and died after 1070.)