Harthacnut (1018 – 8 June 1042), also known as Harthacanute, Harðacnut, or Canute III was King of Denmark from 1035 to 1042 and King of England from 1040 to 1042, succeeding Harold Harefoot and preceding Magnus I of Norway and Edward the Confessor, respectively.
Biography[]
Harthacnut was born shortly after the marriage of his parents in July or August 1017. Cnut had put aside his first wife Aelfgifu of Northampton to marry Emma of Normandy, and he put their sons in higher positions than the children that he had with Aelfgifu. In the 1020s, Canute defeated Norwegian and Swedish forces invading his country and also took control over England from Harold Harefoot. Harthacnut succeeded his father as King of Denmark on his death in 1035, and he fled from Norway as Magnus I of Norway seized power for himself. Harthacnut died at Kennington in 1042 when his wife accidentally poisoned him, attempting to kill his rival Magnus; Magnus became the next Danish king.