Harold II Godwinson (1022-14 October 1066) was the King of England from 5 January to 14 October 1066. The last of the Anglo-Saxons that ruled England, he was killed in the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when the Norman duke William the Conqueror invaded England.
Biography[]
Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, 1066
Harold was the son of Godwin, the Earl of Wessex and Gytha Thorkelsdottir, and was one of the Anglo-Saxon nobility. He became Earl of Wessex when his father died, and he first encountered Duke of Normandy William the Conqueror while shipwrecked in France in 1064. Harold was invited to aid William in his campaign against Conan II of Brittany, and Harold rescued two of William's soldiers from quicksand.
In 1065, Harold faced problems at home when his brother Tostig Godwinson rebelled with aid from the Norwegian king Harald Hardrada, and when Edward the Confessor died in late 1065, Godwinson rushed to claim the throne. Edward had promised William the Conqueror the throne before he died, so Godwinson made enemies with his former ally. Not only did he face William, but also his brother and the Norwegian king, who invaded England from the sea. At the Battle of Fulford the Norwegians defeated the army of two English nobles, so Harold left southern England with an army to meet the Norwegians. Harold Godwinson defeated the Norwegians in the Battle of Stamford Bridge, killing the two men, before heading south again to meet William.
In October 1066, Harold Godwinson and William made battle in the Battle of Hastings, the turning point of English history. Harold set up camp on Caldbec Hill, where he formed a shield wall to face the Norman knights. His men were lured from the wall to pursue fleeing Norman knights, but it was a feint; the Normans turned back and attacked the English troops. Godwinson rallied his men, but was struck in the eye with an arrow and cut down. He was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, as William took the throne.
Gallery[]
| King of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Edward the Confessor |
1066 | Succeeded by: William the Conqueror |