Divorced, Beheaded, Died: The History of Britain's Kings and Queens in Bite-Sized Chunks Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Kevin Flude
England’s independence but England fell under the control of King Swein (‘Forkbeard’) of Denmark, whose son Cnut became the first Viking King of all England.
C NUT
Reigned 1016–1035
Cnut, or Canute, was born in around 995 and was the son of King Swein of Denmark. When Edmund II died in 1016, he became uncontested King of England by right of conquest and went on to become King of Denmark in 1018 and King of Norway in 1028. He consolidated his claim to England by killing or banishing his Saxon rivals and marrying Emma of Normandy, the widow of Aethelred II, with whom he had three children. He also had two illegitimate children by his first ‘handfast’ wife, Elgiva.
Although he was undoubtedly ruthless, he was a strong ruler. He deposed many of the aristocrats who governed England, but he was relatively open-handed in replacing them, so he had devoted English followers. He also allowed English laws to continue and sought good relationships with the Church.
The famous tale of Cnut setting up his throne on the seashore and commanding the tide to turn, to no avail, was an attempt to demonstrate to sycophantic courtiers the limits of his power, and may have taken place in London, on the banks of the tidal Thames.
H AROLD I
Reigned 1037–1040
Harold was the illegitimate son of King Cnut by his concubine, Elgiva. He was nicknamed ‘Harold Harefoot’ because he was fleet of foot and loved hunting. On his father’s death in 1035, Harold was appointed regent, as his half-brother Harthacnut, the recognized heir to Cnut’s throne, was busy in Denmark. Unhappy with his regent status, Harold usurped the throne in 1037, but died in 1040, just as Harthacnut was preparing an invasion to reclaim his throne.
H ARTHACNUT
Reigned 1040–1042
Harthacnut was the son of King Cnut and his second wife, Emma of Normandy. He succeeded as King of England and Denmark on his father’s death in 1035, but the English throne was usurped by his half-brother Harold. Harold died in 1040, and Harthacnut was crowned at Canterbury Cathedral. He was a deeply unpopular king who raised taxes to such an extent that Lady Godiva felt it necessary to ride naked through Coventry to protest against the taxation of the townspeople. Harthacnut was unmarried and so invited his half-brother, Edward the Confessor, son of Emma and her first husband Aethelred the Unready, to return from exile and become heir to the throne. He died very suddenly from a seizure after a drinking session.
The Last Kings of Anglo-Saxon England
The deaths of the dreadful Viking sons of Cnut allowed the return of the royal English bloodline in the form of King Edward the Confessor, after he had waited twenty years in exile in Normandy. England was at this time almost a confederation of regions with different ethnic backgrounds: the Vikings were represented strongly in the east and the north, the Britons in the west and the English in-between. The aristocracy was referred to as ‘Anglo-Danish’ as the English and the Danish Vikings intermarried. Typical was Earl Godwin, an English aristocrat who made two advantageous marriages to Danes, firstly to King Cnut’s sister and then to a granddaughter of another King of Denmark. Their son Harold became the last English King.
E DWARD THE C ONFESSOR
Reigned 1042–1066
Edward was the son of Aethelred II and Emma of Normandy, and was born in around 1003. He was exiled to Normandy during the reign of the Viking kings, but was recalled by his half-brother King Harthacnut and became heir to the throne.
On Harthacnut’s death, Edward faced many difficulties in restoring the English monarchy, the most dangerous being the number of contenders for the English throne. Edward did not help matters in this respect, as there is evidence that he offered the succession to the Kings of Denmark and Norway, and his cousin William of Normandy also claimed that he had been made heir. Furthermore, Edward’s marriage in 1045 to Edith, the
C NUT
Reigned 1016–1035
Cnut, or Canute, was born in around 995 and was the son of King Swein of Denmark. When Edmund II died in 1016, he became uncontested King of England by right of conquest and went on to become King of Denmark in 1018 and King of Norway in 1028. He consolidated his claim to England by killing or banishing his Saxon rivals and marrying Emma of Normandy, the widow of Aethelred II, with whom he had three children. He also had two illegitimate children by his first ‘handfast’ wife, Elgiva.
Although he was undoubtedly ruthless, he was a strong ruler. He deposed many of the aristocrats who governed England, but he was relatively open-handed in replacing them, so he had devoted English followers. He also allowed English laws to continue and sought good relationships with the Church.
The famous tale of Cnut setting up his throne on the seashore and commanding the tide to turn, to no avail, was an attempt to demonstrate to sycophantic courtiers the limits of his power, and may have taken place in London, on the banks of the tidal Thames.
H AROLD I
Reigned 1037–1040
Harold was the illegitimate son of King Cnut by his concubine, Elgiva. He was nicknamed ‘Harold Harefoot’ because he was fleet of foot and loved hunting. On his father’s death in 1035, Harold was appointed regent, as his half-brother Harthacnut, the recognized heir to Cnut’s throne, was busy in Denmark. Unhappy with his regent status, Harold usurped the throne in 1037, but died in 1040, just as Harthacnut was preparing an invasion to reclaim his throne.
H ARTHACNUT
Reigned 1040–1042
Harthacnut was the son of King Cnut and his second wife, Emma of Normandy. He succeeded as King of England and Denmark on his father’s death in 1035, but the English throne was usurped by his half-brother Harold. Harold died in 1040, and Harthacnut was crowned at Canterbury Cathedral. He was a deeply unpopular king who raised taxes to such an extent that Lady Godiva felt it necessary to ride naked through Coventry to protest against the taxation of the townspeople. Harthacnut was unmarried and so invited his half-brother, Edward the Confessor, son of Emma and her first husband Aethelred the Unready, to return from exile and become heir to the throne. He died very suddenly from a seizure after a drinking session.
The Last Kings of Anglo-Saxon England
The deaths of the dreadful Viking sons of Cnut allowed the return of the royal English bloodline in the form of King Edward the Confessor, after he had waited twenty years in exile in Normandy. England was at this time almost a confederation of regions with different ethnic backgrounds: the Vikings were represented strongly in the east and the north, the Britons in the west and the English in-between. The aristocracy was referred to as ‘Anglo-Danish’ as the English and the Danish Vikings intermarried. Typical was Earl Godwin, an English aristocrat who made two advantageous marriages to Danes, firstly to King Cnut’s sister and then to a granddaughter of another King of Denmark. Their son Harold became the last English King.
E DWARD THE C ONFESSOR
Reigned 1042–1066
Edward was the son of Aethelred II and Emma of Normandy, and was born in around 1003. He was exiled to Normandy during the reign of the Viking kings, but was recalled by his half-brother King Harthacnut and became heir to the throne.
On Harthacnut’s death, Edward faced many difficulties in restoring the English monarchy, the most dangerous being the number of contenders for the English throne. Edward did not help matters in this respect, as there is evidence that he offered the succession to the Kings of Denmark and Norway, and his cousin William of Normandy also claimed that he had been made heir. Furthermore, Edward’s marriage in 1045 to Edith, the
Similar Books
Bone Deep
Randy Wayne White
All Wounds
Dina James
Sweet Memories
Lavyrle Spencer
Seal Team Seven
Keith Douglass
A Map of the Known World
Lisa Ann Sandell
The Bride's Farewell
Meg Rosoff
Killing Gifts
Deborah Woodworth
A Simple Song
Melody Carlson
Saddle Sore
Bonnie Bryant
Plan B
SJD Peterson