AthelingThe Godwins return
The king yields, and the family comes back stronger than before.
What the record says
Godwin's restoration teaches every earl that pressure can move the crown, and teaches Harold that power is safest when the family moves together.
Certainty
| Fact | Value | Certainty |
|---|---|---|
| Date | 1 September 1052 | Exact |
| How sure we are | High | Of this record as a whole |
People
Related events
- Earl Godwin dies
Harold inherits the weight of the most powerful family in England.
- Godwin is driven into exile
A quarrel with the king sends England's strongest family across the sea.
- Edward returns to the English throne
The old royal house returns after years of Danish rule.
- Harold swears an oath in Normandy
A disputed promise becomes part of William's claim.
- Northumbria rejects Tostig
A northern revolt forces the crown to choose between a brother and a realm.
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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