The Succession Crisis & Rival Claimants
The House of Godwin
By the 1060s, the house of Godwin was the most powerful family in England after the king. Earl Godwin had risen to control the earldom of Wessex — the wealthiest region — and married his daughter Edith to King Edward the Confessor. When Godwin died in 1053, his son Harold Godwinson inherited the earldom of Wessex and became the most influential figure in English politics.
Harold’s brothers also held earldoms: Tostig governed Northumbria, Gyrth held East Anglia, and Leofwine controlled the south-east. Together, the Godwins controlled most of England. This concentration of power made the family indispensable to Edward but also created resentment among other nobles.
By 1065, the Godwin family controlled four of England’s six earldoms. Harold Godwinson was effectively running the country, as Edward the Confessor grew old and increasingly focused on religion.
Harold’s Embassy to Normandy
In 1064, Harold travelled to Normandy. The exact reason remains disputed. Norman sources (especially the Bayeux Tapestry) claim Harold was sent by Edward to confirm William as his heir and that Harold swore an oath over holy relics to support William’s claim. English sources suggest Harold may have gone to rescue family hostages held by William. Whatever the truth, the Normans used this oath as powerful propaganda to justify William’s invasion. The oath was especially significant because swearing on holy relics was considered sacred and binding — breaking such an oath was not just a political betrayal but a sin against God, giving William moral authority as well as a political claim.
In 1065, the thegns of Northumbria revolted against Tostig Godwinson, Harold’s brother. They accused Tostig of ruling harshly, imposing heavy taxes, and murdering rivals. The rebels invited Morcar, brother of Earl Edwin of Mercia, to replace Tostig as Earl of Northumbria. Harold chose not to support his brother, instead negotiating a peaceful solution that accepted Morcar as the new earl. Tostig was exiled and went abroad, nursing a bitter grudge against Harold. This decision weakened Harold’s family power but secured the loyalty of the powerful Mercian earls Edwin and Morcar — at least temporarily.
The Death of Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor died on 5 January 1066 without a clear heir. On his deathbed, Edward reportedly reached out to Harold and commended the kingdom to his protection. This deathbed nomination gave Harold a powerful claim, and the Witan quickly confirmed him as king the very next day. Harold was crowned at Westminster Abbey on 6 January — the speed of his coronation was deliberate, designed to present other claimants with a fait accompli. However, Edward’s failure to produce children and his contradictory promises about the succession created a crisis that would be settled by war.
The Rival Claimants
Four men had a claim to the English throne in January 1066, each based on different grounds:
The four claimants were Harold Godwinson (deathbed nomination + Witan approval), William of Normandy (claimed Edward promised him the throne + Harold’s oath), Harald Hardrada (based on an agreement between earlier kings of Norway and England), and Edgar the Aethling (Edward’s great-nephew and the closest blood relative).
Harold Godwinson: Strongest position — the Witan chose him, he had Edward’s deathbed blessing, he was the most powerful earl, and he was English. His weakness was that he had no royal blood and had arguably broken an oath to William.
William of Normandy: Claimed Edward promised him the throne during a visit in 1051 and that Harold swore to support this. He also secured papal backing from Pope Alexander II. His weakness was that he was a foreigner with no support inside England.
Harald Hardrada: King of Norway, an experienced warrior. His claim rested on an agreement between King Magnus of Norway and Harthacnut that if either died without an heir, the other would inherit both kingdoms. This was a weak legal claim but backed by military force.
Edgar the Aethling: The closest blood relative to Edward — his great-nephew. However, he was only about 14 years old in 1066, had no political experience, no military following, and no powerful supporters.
The succession crisis of 1066 arose because Anglo-Saxon kingship was not simply hereditary. The Witan had the right to choose the most suitable candidate, and “suitability” meant military ability and political support as much as bloodline. This opened the door to multiple competing claims. In continental Europe, where hereditary succession was more established, Edgar the Aethling’s blood claim would have been decisive. But in England, the Witan’s power to choose a “capable” king over a young, inexperienced heir made the succession a political contest rather than a legal certainty. This fundamental difference helps explain why four men believed they had a legitimate right to the English throne.