Edward the Confessor

Edward the Confessor (1003/1005 – 5 January 1066) was King of the English from 1042 until he died in 1066. He was the last king from the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He became king after his half-brother, Harthacnut, who was the son of Cnut the Great, passed away.

Edward ruled for 24 years. Historians have different ideas about how good a king he was. Some think he was quiet and religious. Others believe he was strong and clever. After Edward died in 1066, his brother-in-law Harold Godwinson became king. Harold was later defeated by the Normans led by William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings.

About 100 years after Edward died, in 1161, Pope Alexander III officially named Edward a saint. He was one of England’s national saints until around 1350. Then, King Edward III chose Saint George as the new national patron saint. Edward’s special feast day is celebrated on 13 October by both the Church of England and the Catholic Church.

Early years and exile

Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He was born in Islip, Oxfordshire around the year 1003. When Edward was young, Viking invaders attacked England. After Sweyn Forkbeard became king in 1013, Edward and his family had to leave England for safety and went to Normandy.

When Sweyn died, Edward’s father returned to rule England but sadly passed away in 1016. Edward’s older half-brother, Edmund Ironside, then fought against Sweyn’s son, Cnut. After Edmund died, Cnut became king, and Edward had to leave England again. Edward lived in Normandy for many years. He returned to England in 1041 when King Harthacnut invited him back.

Early reign

Further information: Government in Anglo-Saxon England

After Harthacnut died on June 8, 1042, Edward became king of the English. People chose him as king even before Harthacnut was buried. Edward was crowned on April 3, 1043, at the cathedral of Winchester, the old royal seat of the West Saxons.

Edward's early years as king were difficult. He had to work with three powerful earls to rule well. His family's history was long, but trust in their rule had weakened during Danish control. Edward worked hard to restore strong leadership. He made important decisions, like appointing earls and managing relationships with other kings. Even with these efforts, Edward did not build his own strong base of power.

Crisis of 1051–52

In 1051 and 1052, King Edward had a big problem with his earl, Godwin. Edward did not like Godwin because Godwin's men caused trouble in the town of Dover. Edward asked Godwin to punish the people there, but Godwin refused.

Godwin felt it was not safe and left with his sons to faraway places. Edward sent Queen Edith away to a nunnery. Later, Godwin and his sons returned with the support of many people. Even though Edward was angry, he let Godwin come back to his position because no one wanted a big fight that might let enemies attack the country. Queen Edith returned as queen, and a new leader named Stigand became the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Later reign

In the mid-1050s, Edward arranged leadership in different areas to stop one family from having too much power. Over time, several leaders passed away. By 1057, one family, the Godwins, controlled most of England except for Mercia.

Edward also worked with leaders from Scotland and Wales. He helped Malcolm Canmore become the ruler of Scotland after his father was killed. In Wales, Edward dealt with a leader who attacked England, and later another leader who tried to take control. Edward and his supporters worked to keep peace in these areas.

In 1065, a leader named Tostig, who was Edward’s relative, had problems with the people he ruled. They rebelled against him, and Tostig was forced to leave. Edward became very weak and couldn’t attend important events. He passed away on 5 January 1066 and was buried in Westminster Abbey. Harold, another relative, became the new king the same day.

Succession

Historians have wondered about Edward the Confessor’s plans for who would rule after him. Some believe he wanted William the Conqueror to be his successor. Others think he hoped to have a child with his wife, Edith. Edward’s family ties made William a possible heir.

Another possible heir was Edward the Exile, who lived in Hungary. He returned to England but died soon after. His young son, Edgar, was seen as a possible king but didn’t play a big role in Edward’s later years.

As Edward grew older, he relied on others. He may have accepted that one of them could take over after him. The question of who would succeed him remained unclear and led to big changes for England later on.

Westminster Abbey

King Edward the Confessor helped build Westminster Abbey, the first Norman-style Romanesque church in England. He started building it between 1042 and 1052 as a special place for important people to be buried. The church was finished after his death around 1090, but it was torn down in 1245 to build a new one that is still there today.

The abbey looked very much like Jumièges Abbey, which was built around the same time. Even though Edward wasn’t known for loving books or arts, his abbey became very important for English church buildings.

Veneration

Edward the Confessor was the only king of England named a saint by the pope. He joined other special Anglo-Saxon royal saints, like Eadburh of Winchester, daughter of Edward the Elder, and Edith of Wilton, daughter of Edgar the Peaceful.

After Edward died in 1066, people began to honor him as a saint. In 1161, Pope Alexander III officially named him a saint. People believed Edward lived a good, holy life, even though he was not a warrior like other famous saints.

In the 1200s, King Henry III loved honoring Saint Edward. He built a grand tomb for him in Westminster Abbey and named his oldest son after him. Today, people still remember Edward as a saint, especially in England. His shrine remains in Westminster Abbey, and some churches celebrate his life each year on October 13 or January 5, the date he died.

Appearance and character

The book Vita Ædwardi Regis says Edward was a tall, handsome man with white hair and a beard. He had a kind face and gentle hands. Edward was pleasant and dignified. He walked with his eyes downcast and treated everyone kindly. Though calm most of the time, he could show strength when needed, but he never spoke angrily.

Sometimes, Edward would accept gifts to help make decisions. One story tells of a monastery leader who gave Edward and his wife gold to help win a case, instead of fighting a powerful person openly.
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