Harold II ('Godwinson'), king of England 1066

b. c1022; d.1066

Harold was one of the sons of Godwin Earl of Wessex, and head of the most powerful family in England, after the king's. He became earl of East Anglia in 1044, and succeeded his father as earl of Wessex in 1053.

Because of its power, the Godwin family had an ambivalent relationship with the monarch, Edward the Confessor. In particular they championed the Anglo-Saxon ruling elite over what they saw as the growing influence of Norman officials in the king's circle. The tensions between the Godwins and Edward were such that in 1051 Godwin and his sons, including Harold, were exiled for failing to carry out the king's orders. They only had their lands returned to them after they returned to England in 1052 with a substantial force and the intercession of the Witan.

Between 1053 and Edward's death in 1066, Harold became the dominant military commander in England, fighting a number of campaigns against Gruffydd of Wales, and also under William, duke of Normandy. Norman sources say that it was while in Normandy in 1064 that he pledged the English crown to William on Edward's behalf, but here is no firm evidence of this. In fact, the dying Edward appointed Harold to be his successor and Harold was crowned in January 1066.

He was destined to be last of the Old English kings because his rule was immediately threatened by two other claimants: Harold Hardrada of Norway and William of Normandy. Harold defeated the former at Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire only to hear that William's invasion force had landed on the south coast. He turned his army south to confront William at the earliest opportunity, a decision which prevented him from raising more troops and resting the soldiers who had forced marched to Yorkshire and back and fought against the Norwegians.

The English and Norman forces met near Hastings and the battle raged for most of the day. The outcome was far from inevitable and the Normans only secured their victory with the deaths of Harold and two of his brothers.

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