GCSE · History · AQA · Spec 8145

Causes of the Norman Conquest

Edward the Confessor died in January 1066 with no children — and four men claimed his crown. How did one death make four rivals? Start twenty-four years earlier.

Build the web

How did Edward's reign build the crisis of 1066?

Here are seven pieces of the story. Which ones made another happen, or made it more likely? Add the links you think matter — each arrow points from a cause to what it caused. Then compare your web with this lesson's.

Edward becomes king (1042) with no loyal followers of his own
The Godwin family's power grows
Edward turns to Normandy for support
The Godwins are exiled (1051) and return by force (1052)
Harold visits Normandy and swears an oath to William (c.1064)
Tostig is exiled, and Harold does nothing to help him
1066: Edward dies childless — rival claimants threaten invasion (outcome)

Add a link

This factor……made this happen or worse

No links yet.

Exam line: Link, don't list: 'Edward turned to Normandy to balance the Godwins, which led to their exile in 1051 — but their armed return in 1052 left him more dependent on them than before.'

Place it in time

How long did the crisis take to build?

Drag each event to the year it happened, then check.

A — Edward becomes kingB — Edward suggests William as his successor; the Godwins flee into exileC — The Godwins return by force and get their earldoms backD — Harold becomes Earl of Wessex after Godwin's deathE — Harold visits Normandy and swears his oathF — Edward the Confessor dies (5 January)

Harold's visit to Normandy, c.1064 — two accounts

Tap each question to compare the accounts.

Norman chroniclers

Edward the Confessor sent him, to confirm the king's promise that Duke William would be the next king of England.

English chroniclers

He went to recover his brother and nephew, who were being held hostage in Normandy.

Shared ground

Both accounts agree that Harold did travel to Normandy, around 1064.

Four claims, one crown

Who claimed the throne in 1066 — and on what grounds?

Select each claimant to see what his claim rested on, then read why the Witan chose as it did.

What did each claim to the English throne rest on?

Harold Godwinson

The story goes that Edward, on his deathbed, nominated Harold, his brother-in-law, to be king — though other sources suggest Edward only entrusted Harold to protect the kingdom.
He had the backing of the Witan and many nobles, and was crowned on the same day as Edward's funeral.
His claim rested mainly on the power and influence he and his family had built up.
Weakness: he was related to Edward only by marriage and had no royal blood.

Edgar the Aetheling

Edward's nephew and his closest living relative — he had once seemed Edward's choice of heir.
The last male of the House of Wessex, descended from Alfred the Great.
Weakness: he was barely into his teens — an unrealistic choice with trouble ahead.

William, Duke of Normandy

Claimed Edward had promised him the throne: Edward's mother was Norman, Edward had spent most of his life in Normandy, and in 1051 Edward proposed his cousin William as a possible heir.
Claimed that Harold had visited Normandy and sworn an oath to support William's claim.
Convinced the Pope to support his claim, which gave him religious legitimacy.
A formidable warrior who had asserted his control over northern France; the prosperous kingdom of England offered him more power and security.
Weakness: the Witan did not support him.

Harald Hardrada, King of Norway

Cnut was the Viking king of England from 1016 to 1035, and Cnut's son had promised that a future King of Norway could succeed to the English throne.
Weakness: a technical claim, and a weak one, resting on complicated Viking deals from long ago.

Common ground

All four were claiming the same thing: the right to follow Edward, who died with no children to succeed him.
Every claim had a weakness a rival could point to.

Compare the positions, then weigh them yourself.

Why the Witan chose Harold

In 1066 there was a real risk of invasion from other claimants, so the Witan acted quickly. Edgar had royal blood but was barely a teenager; Harold had no royal blood but was a strong, proven military leader. The Witan chose military experience.

Comparing 4 positions: Harold Godwinson, Edgar the Aetheling, William, Duke of Normandy, Harald Hardrada, King of Norway.

Watch out: Don't rate Hardrada's claim as strong just because he was a king: it came from an old promise made by Cnut's son, not from anything Edward said or did.

What do you think?

How was the crown decided in 1066?

5 January 1066: Edward the Confessor dies with no children. Harold Godwinson is crowned king on the same day as Edward's funeral.

Which idea is closest to what you think right now?

The crown went to the closest blood relative — that's simply how it worked.Edward promised the throne to William in 1051, so that made William the rightful king.Once Harold was crowned, that settled it — he was the king and the argument was over.The Witan could choose someone other than the heir — it chose Harold, but rivals rejected him and threatened invasion.

How sure are you?

I'm sureI think soI'm guessing

The crown went to the closest blood relative — that's simply how it worked.

This is a common misconception

Not quite. In Anglo-Saxon England an heir was always in a strong position — but the Witan could use its influence to make someone else monarch, for example if the heir was too young. Edward's closest living relative, Edgar the Aetheling, was passed over.

Edward promised the throne to William in 1051, so that made William the rightful king.

This is a common misconception

Edward did suggest William as a possible successor in 1051 — but a suggestion didn't make William king. In January 1066 the Witan backed Harold, and William had no support from it. William had a claim, not a crown.

Once Harold was crowned, that settled it — he was the king and the argument was over.

This is a common misconception

He was king, but it wasn't settled. The other claimants refused to accept that Harold was the legitimate king. A few weeks after the coronation, Harold discovered that William was building a fleet of ships to invade England.

The Witan could choose someone other than the heir — it chose Harold, but rivals rejected him and threatened invasion.

This matches the evidence

Yes. An heir was in a strong position, but the Witan chose Harold, a strong military leader. Being crowned didn't end it: rivals refused to accept his legitimacy, and it was the threat of invasion that turned the succession into a crisis for England.

Three ideas to keep apart: being the heir helped but didn't guarantee the crown; a promise gave a claim, not a crown; and a coronation didn't end the argument when rivals were ready to invade.

Exam line: A claim is not a crown, and a crown is not the end of the argument: 1066 became a crisis because rivals were ready to invade.

Your turn

Explain it in writing

Explain why there was a succession crisis in England in 1066. [6 marks]

Your answer

0 words · your answer stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

The mark scheme

Gives the trigger: Edward died in January 1066 with no children, so there was no clear successor. (1 mark)
Explains Harold's claim through Godwin power: the family's earldoms and Harold's military strength won him the Witan's backing. (1 mark)
Explains William's claim: Edward's 1051 suggestion that William could succeed him, strengthened by Harold's oath or the Pope's support. (1 mark)
Explains how Hardrada became a threat: Tostig, angry at his exile, convinced him to invade. (1 mark)
Links two factors, for example that Edward's turn to Normandy to balance the Godwins is where William's claim came from. (1 mark)
Explains that the threat of invasion by claimants who rejected Harold is what turned the disputed succession into a crisis. (1 mark)

Model answer

There was a succession crisis because Edward died in January 1066 with no children, and his reign had left several men with a reason to claim the throne. To balance the powerful Godwins, Edward had turned to Normandy and in 1051 suggested William as his successor — the root of William's claim, which grew stronger when Harold swore an oath to support him around 1064. Meanwhile the Godwins' power kept growing, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, was a strong military leader, so the Witan chose him as king. But the rivals would not accept him. Tostig, angry at his exile, persuaded Harald Hardrada to invade, and a few weeks after the coronation William was building a fleet. It was this threat of invasion that turned a disputed succession into a crisis.

Naming the four claimants describes the crisis. Explaining it means showing where each claim came from — and how the threat of invasion turned an argument into a crisis.

Exam line: Every factor you mention should lead somewhere: to a claim, to the Witan's choice, or to the threat of invasion.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

Why Edward the Confessor's death in 1066 left four men with a claim to his crown

What you need to know

The crisis was built over Edward's whole reign (1042–1066), not just in January 1066.
Edward see-sawed between the Godwin family and Normandy — and each swing strengthened a future claimant.
The Witan chose Harold, but rival claims plus the threat of invasion turned the succession into a crisis.

The big picture

Edward the Confessor spent his reign (1042–1066) balancing the powerful Godwin family against his links with Normandy. Those swings built up Harold Godwinson's power and gave William of Normandy a claim, while Tostig's anger at his exile brought Harald Hardrada into the contest. When Edward died childless in January 1066 the Witan chose Harold — but rival claimants refused to accept him, and the threat of invasion turned the succession into a crisis.

Key points

11042: Edward, nearly 40 and back from exile in Normandy, becomes king with no loyal following and relies on Earl Godwin of Wessex.

21045: Edward marries Godwin's daughter Edith; Godwin's sons Swain and Harold become earls in southern England.

31051: to balance the Godwins, Edward brings in Norman advisers and suggests William as his successor; the Godwins are exiled. 1052: they return by force and Edward has to restore them.

41053 onwards: Harold becomes Earl of Wessex; by the 1060s his family controls most of England.

5c.1064: Harold visits Normandy and swears an oath on holy relics to support William's claim.

65 January 1066: Edward dies childless. The Witan chooses Harold over Edgar the Aetheling; William and Harald Hardrada (urged on by Tostig) threaten invasion.

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Worked example

Problem

A student writes: 'Harold swore an oath to William in Normandy, so in 1051 Edward suggested William as his successor.' Find the mistake and fix the explanation.

⚠ Watch out

Treating the claimants as a list. Saying 'there were four claimants' describes the crisis; explaining it means showing where each claim came from — for example, that Edward's turn to Normandy in 1051 is the root of William's claim.

🧠

Memory hook

Picture Edward on a see-saw: the Godwins at one end, Normandy at the other. Every shift made one end heavier — and by 1066 each end had a man who wanted the crown: Harold and William.

✓

Check yourself

Cover the page: name one link that starts with Edward's turn to Normandy, and one that starts with the Godwins' growing power. Then say what turned 1066 into a crisis.

Flashcards

(14)

Why was Edward's position weak when he became king in 1042?

He had spent most of his life in exile in Normandy, so he had no loyal followers in England — he relied on Earl Godwin of Wessex.

What did Earl Godwin gain in return for supporting Edward?

Massive influence: Edward married Godwin's daughter Edith (1045) and made Godwin's sons Swain and Harold earls in southern England.

How did Edward try to balance the Godwins' power?

By strengthening his links with Normandy: Norman advisers, and in spring 1051 suggesting Duke William as his successor.

What was the see-saw of 1051–52?

1051: Godwin clashed with Edward's Norman advisers and the Godwins fled into exile. August 1052: they returned by force and Edward had to restore their earldoms.

What did becoming Earl of Wessex in 1053 give Harold?

A wealthy earldom, many loyal thegns and great military power — and a key role as an adviser in ruling England.

Name three other ways Harold built his power in the 1060s.

Successful military campaigns in Wales; influencing the appointment of bishops and giving generously to churches; political marriages that gained him powerful relatives.

Two accounts of why Harold went to Normandy (c.1064)?

Norman chroniclers: Edward sent him to confirm William as successor. English chroniclers: he went to recover his brother and nephew, held hostage.

Why did Harold's visit to Normandy matter?

William made him swear an oath on holy relics to support William's claim. It boosted William's claim, and once Harold was king the Normans called him an oath breaker.

What is a succession crisis?

A crisis that happens when there is no clear heir to a position — like England's after Edward died childless in 1066.

Who were the four claimants to the throne in 1066?

Harold Godwinson, Edgar the Aetheling, William Duke of Normandy, and Harald Hardrada, King of Norway.

Why did the Witan pass over Edgar the Aetheling?

He was Edward's closest living relative but barely into his teens; with invasion a risk, the Witan chose Harold's proven military experience.

What was Harald Hardrada's claim based on?

A promise by Cnut's son that a future King of Norway could succeed to the English throne — a weak, technical claim.

How did Tostig Godwinson add to the danger in 1066?

Angry that he had been exiled and Harold did nothing to help, he befriended Hardrada, convinced him to invade and said the Northumbrians would welcome Viking rule.

Why didn't Harold's coronation settle the succession?

Rival claimants refused to accept his legitimacy, and weeks later he learned William was building a fleet to invade — the threat of invasion made it a crisis.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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How did Edward's reign build the crisis of 1066?

How long did the crisis take to build?

Who claimed the throne in 1066 — and on what grounds?

Harold Godwinson

Edgar the Aetheling

William, Duke of Normandy

Harald Hardrada, King of Norway

How was the crown decided in 1066?

Explain it in writing

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