Harold GODWINSON, KING OF ENGLAND

1022 - 14 OCT 1066

• BIRTH: 1022, Wessex
• DEATH: 14 OCT 1066, Hastings, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom
• BURIAL: OCT 1066, Waltham Abbey, Essex, England, United Kingdom
• EVENT: The day after King Edward the Confessor's death, the Witenaġemot elected Harold Godwinson to succeed as King of England, his coronation followed that same day.
  THE+WITAN+ELECT+HAROLD+AS+KING+OF+ENGLAND : 6 JAN 1066, London, Middlesex, England
• EVENT: From his coronation on 6 January, to his death on 14 October, Harold was king for 9 months and 8 days.
  9+MONTH+REIGN : from 6 January 1066 to 14 October 1066, England
• EVENT: Harold's army met the invading force of William of Normandy on 14 October 1066 at Senlac Hill (near the present town of Battle) close by Hastings. After nine hours of hard fighting, Harold was killed and his forces defeated. His actual cause of death is
  DEFEAT+AND+DEATH+AT+THE+BATTLE+OF+HASTINGS : 14 OCT 1066, Hastings, Sussex, England
• EVENT: The+last+crowned+Anglo-Saxon+king+of+England.+Harold+reigned+from+6+January+1066+until+his+death+at+the+Battle+of+Hastings. :
• EVENT: King of England, Earl of East Anglia, Earl of Wessex, Earl of Hereford
  Title of Nobility :
• EVENT: Harold "was distinguished by his great size and strength of body, his polished manners, his firmness of mind and command of words, by a ready wit and a variety of excellent qualities."- Orderic Vitalis
  Physical Description :
• EVENT: Harold's wife of 20 years was Edith Swannesha (also known as Edith the Fair, Edyth the Gentle Swan, Edith Swanneck); his wife of 9 months was Ealdgyth of Mercia (also known as Aldgyth or Edith)
  2+DIFFERENT+WIVES+NAMED+EDITH :

• MARRIAGE: between August 1063 and January 1066, Wessex

INDEX

HOME