Tragic Demise of the Monarch and Conqueror: An Unjustified Ending, Incongruous with His Characteristic Dignity
Edward the Confessor, the last Anglo-Saxon king before the Norman Conquest, is often portrayed as a saintly and weak ruler in popular culture. However, a closer look at historical accounts paints a different picture.
Edward, known as 'the Confessor' due to his holier-than-thou reputation, was a strong and feared king who ruled with an iron fist. He was known to punish his subjects severely, either by taking away their assets or exiling them.
One of the prevailing sources for our view of Edward as a pious ruler is a tract called The Life of King Edward, commissioned by his wife, Edith of Wessex. Edith was instrumental in making Edward appear like a saint and patriarch during public appearances.
Contrary to popular belief, Emma of Normandy, Edward's mother, was not murdered or removed by her son. Historians, including Tom Licence, dispute the claims that Edward would have physically harmed his mother or beat her to death with his crown. Emma was a politically savvy woman throughout her life and was queen consort to both Aethelred the Unready and Cnut the Great. She had two sons who were also kings, Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor.
Emma's relationship with her son was predominantly political, and there is no credible evidence that she was killed or removed by Edward. In fact, it was during Cnut's reign that Emma married him, which may have caused feelings of betrayal in Edward.
The drama series King and Conqueror portrays Emma as vicious and manipulative, and Edward as a weak and ineffectual man who beats his mother to death with his crown. However, these depictions are far from the historical truth.
Historian Tom Licence, in his research, has debunked these portrayals, stating that Edward did not beat his mother to death with his crown, and that the claim that Edward beat his wife is not justified.
In reality, Emma was removed from the royal court, but there is no record that she was murdered, by her son or otherwise. It is possible that Edith of Wessex took over Emma's influence after her removal from court. Emma died in Winchester in 1052, almost a decade after being sent there.
Aethelred the Unready, Edward's father, was responsible for the St Brice's Day Massacre of 1002, which led to Cnut's claim to the throne during the Danish Conquest of 1016, resulting in Edward spending his youth in exile in Normandy.
In conclusion, while popular culture may portray Edward the Confessor and his mother, Emma of Normandy, in a certain light, historical accounts paint a different picture. Edward was a strong and feared king, and Emma was a politically savvy woman who was removed from the royal court but not murdered by her son.
