Who Wanted to Become the King of England in January 1066? (Edexcel GCSE History)

All four claimants to the English throne in 1066 had strengths and weaknesses as potential kings of England. The categories to assess each person's claims are:

• Family connection to Edward the Confessor

• The strength of the person as a military and political leader

• Support of the English nobility and English people
  

When judging the claimants on these factors, the person with the strongest claim was Harold Godwinson. Harold's only weakness was that he was not a blood relative of Edward. He was a talented military commander, possessed the loyalty of many English nobles and ruled the richest earldom in England. His claim was stronger than Edgar Aethling's. While Edgar had the strongest blood connection to Edward, his age and inexperience limited his claim as the King of England.

William, Duke of Normandy and Harald Hardrada had the weakest claims to the English throne. While both were strong leaders in their own countries, they were foreign rulers. They either had no or a distant family connection to Edward. Their rule would trigger strong resistance from the Witan, thegns and English people. They did not understand the systems of government in England. They could not communicate in the same language as many of their potential subjects. 

The basis for the claim:  Harold believed that Edward's dying wish was for him to become King of England

Strength of his claim

Weakness of his claim

His sister, Edith, was married to Edward the Confessor. This gave Harold a family connection to the king

Despite this family connection to Edward, Harold was not a blood relative of the king

Harold was the most powerful earl in England. He had strong influence over other earls and thegns in the kingdom. This also gave him power over the Witan. Edward had relied on Harold heavily during his reign

King Edward did not fully trust Harold Godwinson. Edward was willing to do whatever it took to keep Harold as a friend rather than an enemy

Witnesses heard Edward's deathbed promise to Harold 

The witnesses were loyal to Harold. They could have lied about hearing this promise

Harold had proven himself as a skilled military leader. England would have a warrior king

The basis for the claim: Aethling was King Edward's great-nephew

Strength of his claim

Weakness of his claim

Edgar had a blood connection to Edward. In Anglo-Saxon times, the title 'Aethling' meant 'prince of royal blood'

While Edgar had blood connections, he had very few political connections. He had no powerful earls on his side

After his father died in 1057, Edward took care of Edgar during his childhood

Edward did not do anything at this time to boost Edgar's chance of succession

The Witan were afraid of the threat from Normandy and Scandinavia. Edgar was only a teenager. They did not believe that Edgar was strong enough to rule England

The basis for the claim: Using the claims of previous Viking rulers with a connection to England

Strength of his claim

Weakness of his claim

King Cnut's son and King of England, Harthacnut, lost control of Norway after a conflict with Magnus Olafsson. A secret deal stated that they would name each other heir to their respective thrones. When Harthacnut died in 1042, Magnus attempted to make his claim on England. This was unsuccessful due to Hardrada's pillaging. Hardrada became the joint ruler of Norway. Upon Magnus' death in 1047, Hardrada took on his claim to the English throne

This was an incredibly weak claim to the English throne. The succession did not come through a direct claimant. Hardrada took over Magnus' claim due to his connection to the kingdom of Norway. Hardrada knew that his claim to the English throne was weak. He did not plan an invasion of England during Edward the Confessor's reign

'Hardrada' meant 'stern ruler.' England would have a warrior king again

Only the Danelaw would welcome a Viking monarch

Hardrada had the support of Tostig Godwinson. He told Hardrada that his brother, Harold, was very unpopular with the English

Tostig's claims were not true. Tostig was reliant on Hardrada's success to return to England from exile

As a strong military leader, Hardrada had a large army. He has around 15,000 warriors and 300 longships. Tostig provided Hardrada with an additional 12 ships

The basis for the claim:  An agreement made with Edward the Confessor

Strength of his claim

Weakness of his claim

William claimed that Edward named him the heir to the English throne in 1051. William argued that Harold Godwinson's embassy to Normandy confirmed his claim in c1064

Historians do not have evidence about what happened during Harold's embassy. It is unknown if Edward promised the throne to William genuinely. Edward had a strong relationship with Normandy. At the same time, Edward was also desperate for allies

William was a successful ruler of Normandy. He wanted to extend Normandy's power across Europe. The Pope backed William's claim to the English throne. This gave William more legitimacy

Many people in England would not want a foreign ruler. William spoke a different language to the English and the Anglo-Danish in the Danelaw

William was a strong military leader and the Normans were the best warriors in Europe

Not all of William's men supported the invasion. Crossing the English Channel was dangerous. The crossing also posed the challenge of transporting horses, supplies and heavy equipment by boat

William was Edward the Confessor's cousin. Edward's mother came from Normandy

This is a very distant blood relation, which did little to strengthen his claim