AthelingHarold swears an oath in Normandy
A disputed promise becomes part of William's claim.
What the record says
Harold's time in Normandy will be remembered differently on either side of the Channel. William calls it an oath; the English court calls it coercion and ambiguity.
Certainty
| Fact | Value | Certainty |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 1 September 1064 | Exact |
| How sure we are | High | Of this record as a whole |
People
Related events
- Northumbria rejects Tostig
A northern revolt forces the crown to choose between a brother and a realm.
- Edward the Confessor dies
The old king's death leaves the succession to the Witan.
- 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.
- William gathers ships
Norman preparations turn a claim into a credible threat.
Sources
Where this is recorded
- William of Poitiers, Gesta Guillelmi, ed. R. H. C. Davis and Marjorie Chibnall, Oxford Medieval Texts, 1998
- William of Jumièges, Gesta Normannorum Ducum, ed. Elisabeth van Houts, Oxford Medieval Texts, 1992 to 1995
- The Bayeux Tapestry (Bayeux Museum)
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