| Name |
Harold |
| Title |
King of England |
| Suffix |
II |
Relationship | with Kathleen Alice Jones-Rouse
|
| Birth |
1022 |
| Gender |
Male |
| Also Known As |
Harold II Godwineson |
| Occupation |
1045 |
| Earl of East Anglia |
| Occupation |
15 Apr 1053 |
| Earl of Wessex |
| Occupation |
1058 |
| Earl of Hereford |
| Occupation |
1066 |
| King of England |
- The last Anglo-Saxon King of England, reputedly designated heir by the dying Edward. After becoming King, he crushed the forces of his brother Tostig and Harold III Hardraade of Norway, who claimed the throne, at Stamford Bridge (1066). Harold w as killed in the battle of Hastings by the army of another sucessful claimant to the throne, William the Conqueror.
|
| Stories and Notes |
Last Anglo-Saxon king of England, January to October 1066. He was defeated and killed by William of Normandy (William the Conqueror) at the Battle of Hastings.
Harold succeeded his father Earl Godwine in 1053 as Earl of Wessex.. He had no bloodline to the throne but his sister Edith was married to King Edward the Confessor. In January 1066 when Edward died childless, the Witan (or Witenagemot a council of high-ranking religious and secular men) elected Harold to succeed him and one day later he was crowned King Harold II. William of Normandy claimed that he had been promised the throne by his relative Edward and that in 1063 Harold had sworn allegiance to support his claim. On hearing of Harold's coronation William prepared to invade England to claim the throne.
Meanwhile, Harold's brother Tostig who had quarrelled with Harold joined the king of Norway Harald Hardrada in invading Northumbria. Harold routed and killed them at Stamford Bridge, near York, on 25 September. Three days later William landed at Pevensey, Sussex, and Harold and his army marched quickly South to face him. The Battle of Hastings took place on 14 October 1066. Harold's army was defeated and he was killed in the battle.
The Witan elected 15 year-old Edgar the Aethling, a grandson of King Edmund II Ironside, as the next Anglo-Saxon King. However he was the uncrowned King for only a few weeks from 15 October to 10 December 1066 when William entered London and declared himself king. The Witan and Edgar were forced to submit to William of Normandy at Berkhamstead Castle in Hertfordshire.
|
| To Lady Kathleen |
3 x cousin 26 times removed |
| Death |
14 Oct 1066 |
Battle of Hastings, Battle, Hastings, Sussex, England, United Kingdom  |
| Person ID |
I3066 |
Enchanted Family Tree |
| Last Modified |
6 Sep 2020 |
1022 - 1066 (44 years)
