Harold II c.1022-1066
Anglo-Saxon King of England

He was the second son of Earl Godwin. By 1045 he was Earl of East Anglia. In 1053 he succeeded to his father's earldom of Essex and became the right hand of King Edward the Confessor. His brother Tostig became Earl of the Northumbrians in 1055, and two years later two other brothers were raised to earldoms. Meantime Harold drove back the Welsh, and added Herefordshire to his earldom. In 1063, provoked by the fresh incursions of the Welsh King Gruffyd, he marched against him, defeated the enemy at every point, and gave the government to the dead king's brothers. In c.1064 he made a celebrated visit to the court of William, Duke of Normandy, to whom he seems to have made some kind of oath and whom he helped in a war with the Bretons. On his return he married Ealdgyth, Gruffyd's widow, though Ealdgyth Swan-neck, who had borne his five children, was still alive. In 1065 the Northumbrians rebelled against Tostig, and Harold acquiesced in his replacement by Morcar and Tostig's banishment. In January 1066 King Edward died, and Harold, his nominee, was chosen king, and crowned in Westminster Abbey. He defeated Tostig and Harald III Sigurdsson, King of Norway, at Stamford Bridge in September 1066, but four days later Duke William landed in the south of England at Pevensey. Harold marched southwards and the two armies met at Senlac, about nine miles from Hastings. On 14 October 1066, the English fought stubbornly all day but were defeated. Harold, the last Anglo-Saxon King of England, was killed; he was supposedly pierced through the eye with an arrow.

Bibliography: Hope Muntz, Golden Warrior (1970)