45Edward’s brother-in-law and the most powerful
and wealthy person in England, was in
Normandy. William made Harold, whom he had
probably taken hostage, swear an oath to support
William’s claim to the throne.
With William and his rivals waiting in the
wings, there was a clear danger that Edward’s
death would trigger an invasion. Therefore, when
Edward fell fatally ill in 1065, he chose a successor
who had strong support within England, as well
as the experience to defend the kingdom. That
person was Harold Godwineson.
Harold was a proven ruler, warrior, and
diplomat. Knowing the danger the kingdom
faced, the other powerful men in England
supported Harold as Edward’s successor. Edward
died on January 5, 1066, and Harold was crowned
soon after (see illustration above). Harold faced
two invasions in his short reign: one led by King
Harald Hardrada of Norway and one led by
William, which William justified based on
Edward’s offer and Harold’s broken oath.The Road to Hastings
Harold spent the summer of 1066 preparing to
defend England. He deployed troops, ordered shipsWhy did Duke William invade England? By the
1060s, England was a wealthy kingdom with a
strong system of royal government. The line of
royal succession, however, was not clear. Edward
the Confessor, who was king of England before
Harold, had no children.
In 1051, King Edward had offered to make
Duke William the heir to the English throne in
exchange for William’s support during a political
crisis. The two men were relatives, so it is not
surprising that Edward sought William’s help.
Historians debate whether Edward really intended
William to succeed him. William was not the only
possible successor to Edward. Others included
Edward’s nephews, as well as the kings of Norway
and Denmark, who had claims to the English
throne and armies to support them. There were
also candidates among the kingdom’s most
powerful landowners.
Who Would Follow
Whatever Edward intended, William took his offer
seriously. He did everything he could to position
himself to succeed Edward. In 1064, he even tried
to gain the support of one of his rivals for the
throne. He did this when Harold Godwineson,
This scene from the Bayeux Tapestry shows Harold being crowned king of England. The Tapestry is
actually an embroidered piece of linen (231 feet long and 19.5 inches wide). Believed to date to the
11th century, its designs picture incidents of the Norman conquest and the events leading up to it.