General Notes

King of England for a short time in the memorable year, 1066. He hadbecome the Earl of East Anglia in 1044. Upon his father's death in April1053, he succeeded to the Earldom of Wessex and from then on, was at theright hand of the king. In 1063, supported by his brother, Tostig, Earlof Northumbria, he commanded a brilliantly conducted campaign against theWelsh. He was successful in bringing them into submission, and by doingso, solidified his reputation as an able general.

Harold acted as an emissary from Edward the Confessor to the court ofWilliam of Normandy in 1064, during which time he allegedly swore an oathof fealty to William, relinquishing any personal claim to the throne.This oath, which may have been given lightly, or possibly under duress,would figure directly in William's own claim, two years later. He wouldclaim that the promise Harold made to him had been broken, giving Williamthe right to challenge Harold in the battle for the crown.

While on his deathbed, the Confessor named Harold as his successor,overlooking his grandson, the rightful heir, Edgar the Ætheling, andignoring a promise that he allegedly made (according to French sources)to William of Normandy. Upon Edward's death, Harold wasted no timesecuring ecclesiastical blessing on his claim by having himself crownedimmediately.

Harold's brother, Tostig, had been exiled since the autumn of 1065 andhad joined together with Harald Hardrada of Norway. A combined forcelanded in Yorkshire in September of 1066. Until this time, Harold'sattention had been directed toward the south and the invasion that heknew would come from Normandy. But, now, Harold had to break away andmarch north to meet the new threat that had come. He defeated the forcesof his traitorous brother and the King of Norway decisively at the battleof Stamford Bridge on the 25th of September.

Meanwhile, the favorable winds that the Normans had been waiting for hadcome and they had set sail across the channel, landing at Pevensey on the28th. As soon as Harold heard this distressing news, he marched his forceat top speed to the south. He reached London on October 5, and stopped togive his weary troops a rest and to gather reinforcements for the battlethat lay ahead.

The story of these events and the decisive Battle of Hastings have beenpresented exquisitely in the Bayeux Tapestry and it need not be repeated,here. Suffice it to say that William won the day, and with it, thekingdom. The English fought fiercely and well, since they understood thatnot only their lives were at stake, but their country, also. Perhaps, ifthe English had been fresh and at full strength, they might have woneasily, but they were tired and depleted after Stamford Bridge and thesubsequent march south.

During his brief reign, the government continued to function as before,but there is no reliable way to judge what Harold might have been like asa king. He was certainly a capable field commander and a leader whoinspired loyalty and confidence. His death has been recorded as coming inthe midst of the final battle by way of a Norman arrow that penetratedhis eye. Whether or not that is true, his memory lingers on as the lastof the Anglo-Saxon kings, and the last monarch of England to sufferdefeat at the hands of a foreign invader.
Source:
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