AthelingEdward the Confessor dies
The old king's death leaves the succession to the Witan.
What the record says
Edward dies at Westminster. Harold Godwinson is chosen and crowned the next day.
Certainty
| Fact | Value | Certainty |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 5 January 1066 | Exact |
| How sure we are | High | Of this record as a whole |
People
Related events
- Harold is crowned
Harold takes the crown with the support of the English nobility.
- Tostig seeks a return
Tostig's exile hardens into a political grievance.
- Northumbria rejects Tostig
A northern revolt forces the crown to choose between a brother and a realm.
- William gathers ships
Norman preparations turn a claim into a credible threat.
- Stamford Bridge
Harold defeats the Norwegian host.
Sources
Where this is recorded
- The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (Avalon Project)
- Vita Ædwardi Regis, in Lives of Edward the Confessor, ed. H. R. Luard, Rolls Series, 1858
- The Chronicle of Florence of Worcester, trans. Thomas Forester
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