Harold II

Harold II (about 1022-66), King of England.

Harold God-winson was the second son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex.

Godwin looked after the kingdom of England for King Edward the Confessor.

In those times, the ruler of England was chosen by a group of men called the Witan. When Edward died, the Witan chose Harold to be king and he was crowned in Westminster Abbey, London.

However,William, Duke of Normandy (William I), claimed the throne. He said that King Edward had promised it to him.

In 1064 Harold had been shipwrecked on the coast of Normandy and at this time, William had made Harold swear to help him to become the King of England. Now Harold said that a forced oath was not a true one and got ready to face an invasion by William.

At this moment, an army of Norsemen led by the King of Norway, Harold Hardrada, landed in Yorkshire, in the north of England. With them was Harold's jealous brother, Tostig. Harold marched northwards to meet these enemies, covering 200 miles (322 km) in five days.

On 27 September, 1066, he defeated them in the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Then he had to march back to London and on to Sussex to face a second invasion on the south coast of England, about 300 miles from Stamford Bridge. There, on 13 October, 1066, he faced William's army on the hill of Senlac, nine miles from Hastings. Harold was defeated and killed.

The story of the Battle of Hastings is told in the Bayeux Tapestry and this appears to show Harold being killed by an arrow in his eye. But no one is sure how Harold really died. His body is buried at Waltham Abbey, Hertfordshire.

See Peter Rex The Last English King