The year 1066 became a whirlwind of military campaigns. In September, Harald Hardrada, joined by Harold’s own exiled brother Tostig, launched an invasion of northern England. They achieved a victory at the Battle of Fulford but were decisively defeated by Harold at the Battle of Stamford Bridge on September 25. Harald Hardrada was killed in the battle, and his army was routed.
The Norman Invasion and the Battle of Hastings
Barely days after defeating the Norwegians, Harold had to march his exhausted troops south to face a new threat: William of Normandy, who had landed on the Sussex coast in late September. William’s claim to the throne rested on both his familial connection to Edward and the alleged oath sworn to him by Harold years earlier.
The two armies met at the Battle of Hastings on October 14, 1066. In a brutal and decisive encounter, Harold was killed—reportedly shot in the eye with an arrow—and his forces were defeated. William emerged victorious and was crowned King of England on December 25, 1066.
The End of Anglo-Saxon England
Edward the Confessor’s death, followed by the disputed succession and multiple invasions, marked the end of Anglo-Saxon rule in England. William the Conqueror established a new Norman dynasty that profoundly transformed the English state. The aristocracy was replaced with Norman lords, the language of the court and administration changed, and new systems of governance and feudal control were introduced.
The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, symbolized this transformation, cataloging the lands and resources of the conquered kingdom under Norman rule. The English Church was restructured, and castles like the Tower of London were built to assert Norman dominance.
Legacy
Edward was canonized in 1161 by Pope Alexander III and became one of England’s national saints. However, the sanctity of his legacy contrasts sharply with the chaos that followed his death. His failure to ensure a stable succession created a power vacuum that led directly to the Norman Conquest—arguably the most consequential event in English history.
What followed was a period of immense upheaval but also innovation, laying the foundations for modern England. In a twist of historical irony, the death of a king remembered for his peace and piety unleashed a storm of war and conquest that changed the face of the nation forever. shutdown123