The Monarch Ascending- Unveiling the Ruler Crowned in the Historic Year of 1066
Who was crowned king in 1066? This question brings us back to one of the most pivotal moments in English history. The year 1066 is often referred to as the “Year of the Four Kings” due to the succession of monarchs in England, but it is most notably remembered for the Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinson, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, and established Norman rule over the island.
William the Conqueror, born William of Normandy, was the Duke of Normandy at the time of the Battle of Hastings. He claimed the English throne through his right to the kingdom of England, which he believed was granted to his great-grandfather, Robert the Magnificent, by Edward the Confessor, the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. When Edward died childless in January 1066, Harold Godwinson, Edward’s close relative and the Earl of Wessex, was crowned king by the Witenagemot, the council of Anglo-Saxon nobles.
However, William’s claim to the English throne was not the only one. Harold Godwinson had also been crowned king by the Witenagemot, but he had to fight for it. After defeating Harold’s brother, Tostig, in a battle in Northumbria, William sailed across the English Channel with his Norman army and landed in Pevensey, Sussex, on September 28, 1066. His swift action was a response to Harold’s decision to claim the English throne for himself, which was seen as a betrayal of William’s claim.
The Battle of Hastings took place on October 14, 1066, and it was a decisive victory for William the Conqueror. Harold Godwinson was killed in the battle, and his body was never found. With Harold’s death, William was able to claim the English throne, and on Christmas Day of that year, he was crowned king by the Archbishop of Canterbury, becoming William I of England.
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 had profound and lasting effects on the country. William the Conqueror’s rule introduced a new form of government, legal system, and architecture, which were heavily influenced by Norman culture. The Battle of Hastings and the subsequent Norman Conquest are etched into English history as a defining moment that reshaped the nation’s identity and laid the foundation for its future.
