England's Tumultuous Eight-Day Transition in 1066

In the year 1066, the English throne was plunged into chaos following the death of King Edward the Confessor. Three significant claimants emerged, each believing they had the rightful claim to the kingdom.

Edward the Confessor, a direct descendant of Alfred the Great, passed away on 5 January at the age of 62, marking the end of a 24-year reign. His death opened the doors to a power struggle, with two major claimants vying for the throne.

The first claimant was Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex, brother of Edward's wife, Edith, and the wealthiest man in England after the king. Harold was well-traveled, having visited Rome, Flanders, Germany, and Normandy, where he is said to have fought valiantly in a campaign against the Bretons and pledged to support William of Normandy's claim to the English throne.

However, upon Edward's death, some thought Edgar Ætheling, the true-born successor to Edward's title, should be the next king. Edgar was the grandson of Edward's half brother, Edmund Ironside. His claim was supported by Archbishop Ealdred of York and the citizens of London, who chose him as their king.

Meanwhile, Harald Hardrada, king of Norway, was another claimant to the English throne. Famous for his military prowess and his role in the Byzantine emperor's Varangian Guard, Hardrada saw an opportunity to expand his kingdom westward.

The battle lines were drawn. Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada met at Stamford Bridge, Yorkshire on 25 September. The battle, consisting of three phases, saw the English cavalry circling the Norwegian spearmen and being driven off, followed by Hardrada leading his men into the fray. Eystein Orre reinforcing the Norwegian army and leading them to their defeat. Hardrada was killed during the battle, and Tostig, his ally, took up the Norwegian royal banner.

In the meantime, William of Normandy, Edward's cousin through his mother, had chosen a base to cause harm to some of Harold's estates, luring Harold into combat. The battle of Hastings was fought on Senlac Hill, and Harold was killed during the battle. William was crowned in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day, with the date chosen to echo the imperial coronation of Charlemagne in Rome in 800. The service emphasised that William was Edward the Confessor's designated and rightful heir.

Despite his initial support for William, Harold's claim to the throne was not supported by the full support of key nobles, and he ultimately submitted to William at Berkhamsted in December 1066. Edgar Ætheling, who had submitted to William earlier, was offered the title of earl, but he refused, choosing instead to live in exile in Hungary.

The battle for the English throne in 1066 was a tumultuous period in English history, marking the end of the Anglo-Saxon era and the beginning of the Norman Conquest.