How Did King Edward The Confessor

Great Essays
Did Edward the confessor make William the conqueror his heir before his death
England has been characterised by not having principles that were clearly established to guide matters related with royal succession. In the Anglo-Saxon era, lack of these principles often made succession matters ambiguous and often bloody, considering that England was enjoying military might, harboured expansionist ambitions and was under constant threat from neighbouring kingdoms such as Normandy. Heirs played a pertinent and pivotal role in ensuring that the royal bloodline of the monarchs was preserved, yet intermarriages and childlessness often complicated the smooth transition of power once a king passed on. However, lack in succession guidelines often fomented rivalry for the throne among the male children in the extended royal family. Usually, a king displayed preference for his preferred successor by allowing eligible male relatives, sons included, to participate in royal charters and gain titles to significant pieces of land in the English kingdom.
Notably, King Edward the confessor remained childless throughout his reign despite being married to Edith, a daughter of one of the three earls who remained in England while the kingdom was under Danish rule. As such, by the time of his death in 1066, King Edward has not sired an heir and as such, his vacant throne become contestable and even invited controversy and conflict as well. Indeed, the throne
…show more content…
This brings in another tradition that is not necessarily related to the succession to the throne but rather the importance of religion to the politics and life of the English the time. Indeed, one account suggests that the childlessness of King Edward was a deliberate choice aimed at exhibiting his piety and spirituality amongst the

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Count William knew he could take advantage of his vassal Hugh because of his rank that was created by the feudal system. Even though Hugh had an important city and had a number of additional claims to other land, William asserted his unyielding power over his territory and thus Hugh’s; Hugh being William’s vassal. William asserted his authority over Hugh countless times, one example being when Hugh had “captured forty-three of the best horsemen” of an enemy and William demanded Hugh to “Hand over the men”. William did so by saying “because you are mine to do my will.”…

    • 729 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A main portion of this section of the book, showed how the father’s role impacted a couple’s marriage as during this time period, honor did not involve keeping their word but rather honor meant the status and social position one held in the community. It was not uncommon for people to marry solely to gain social status in this time period and daughters would listen to whom their fathers wanted them to marry, often resulting in a higher social status. The third and final section of the book focusses on the time period from 1779-1819. Seed attempts to analyze and explain the outcomes of the new system, royal bureaucracy, which was put in place for marriage selection. This new system awarded the new officials with the power to limit the individual couple’s freewill for who they wanted to marry and ultimately increased the parent’s role in deciding who their children should be wed to.…

    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jesus Gutierrez 10/10/15 Humn 240 Professor Brown Benedictine University Chap 24 summary There was a big transformation in Europe between 1500 and 1800. It went from being a sub region to becoming a powerful force. There were also a lot of changes that occurred internally and also these changes empowered the western nations of Europe to presume preeminence. This transformation occurred together and in many levels…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Joseph and Elizabeth married in Stoke Prior a tiny village in Worcestershire County located in the West Midlands about 130 miles northwest of London. No records exist of their lives, save for their names mentioned in the obituaries of their children. Record keeping in rural areas was sporadic and soemtimes non-existent. They lived in the midst of the Industrial Revolution during the reign of King George the Third. Under his rule, England lost the American colonies to revolutionaries and waged war against Napoleon Bonaparte.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “I have no desire to make windows into men’s souls” – the famous words Elizabeth I told her subjects when she came to the throne in 1558. She was referring to the religious reforms and that she had no desire to interpret either Protestantism or Catholicism so closely to cause tensions or rebellions, like so many that had occurred during the reigns of her predecessors. Despite this, some would disagree and say it was the tough social, political or economic climate at the time that led to these inevitable revolts by the common people and subjects. This essay will look at how far religious discontent was the reason for the Tudor rebellions.…

    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In medieval England, social status and rank are very important in everyday life. Everybody was in a class and rank depending on that class. You couldn’t change your class, marry outside of your class, and you had specific jobs to do. In medieval times, you couldn’t change your class.…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    King Henry Viii Influence

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages

    English life during the fifteenth century was in a way a mess. During this time the church has been separated from the throne and multiple reform movements have taken place. Amidst the mess-free thought has spurred the development of art and of exploration. Life in England hasn't particularly been hindered by all the religious turmoil, but rather it had given people the ability to think and develop what they have believed in. During the Renaissance, he was noted as a humanist philosopher.…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Acknowledgement of the variable nature of courtly love over time proves the change in queenship after Margaret’s reign in Malory’s titular final chapter. Malory began the tale of story of Guinevere’s arrest and trial for charges of high treason brought through adultery. Two knights decide to report to Arthur the extent of Lancelot and Guinevere’s relationship. Guinevere demands to remain behind in hopes of calming Arthur, but the breach seems unsurpassable as Lancelot sets up a rival kingdom. Normally, Guinevere’s role consists of progressing a male narrative through her position as a desirable object the hero must attain.…

    • 1543 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Although there are clear differences between the ideals of Catholic and Protestant faith, I believe that by the end of the reign of Elizabeth I, English Christianity was a fusion of old Catholic tradition still battling the ideas of Protestant reformation. I will demonstrate this in this essay by establishing catholic traditions, analysing what changes the protestants wished to make and finally evaluating their effect. There are three traditions that stand out within the practises of the Catholic Church, iconography, rituals and community life. We can explore these through 'Long Melford Church Before the Reformation ' in which Roger Martyn recounts his boyhood memories of the traditions of the Catholic Church. The use of images in the Catholic…

    • 1193 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The American Revolution is a revolution because it created a drastically different political system than was present under the English monarchy, which helped to influence/change the status of the “lower ranked people” because it created new opportunities for social groves for groups such as women, African American, and Native Americans. The changes that in the political system occurred as a result of the enlightened ideas having influenced the colonist. These ideas took root in the colonies and became the dominant philosophical and political view of that time. The ideas consisted of several things, Natural Laws, Progress, Liberty and toleration. Each of which had its own meaning and significance to the colonies.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the 1600s England was very chaotic state. Absolutism was challenged and the people questioned who should lead the nation. During this period, Absolutism was prominent in Europe and the king practically said and did whatever they wanted. This caused problems when King Charles I came into power in 1625 after his father’s death. The problems came from the fact that he struggled to control Parliament and would thus defy them by doing things such as taxing the people without consulting them first.…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    At that time, two unified kingdoms existed: the kingdom of England and the kingdom of Scotland. They developed side by side. Besides the desire in the north to expand its territorial limits, the realm from the South also had the ambition to govern Scotland. As Malcolm III was helped by the English to conquer the throne of Scotland, they saw the opportunity to realise their wishes of governance. Nonetheless, once he was King, Malcolm turned his back on them and became an opponent.…

    • 1104 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    England had many separate areas that had their own rulers and when the country wanted to unite it was extremely difficult. Each individual state wanted their own ruler to be in charge. It was settled through the War of Roses, between York and Lancaster. York won the war and got the crown. Both states were destroyed after the war.…

    • 535 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The era between the death of Henry VIII and the excommunication of Elizabeth by the papacy was one consumed by the debate of what the Church of England should looks like. Edward VI was a Protestant,and he made strides to define the Church of England as a Protestant church, instead of leaving the church as mostly Catholic in practice like his father had. Mary I, on the other hand, tried to revert England back to Catholicism. And finally, Elizabeth I started her reign by being diplomatic, careful not to lean on Protestantism or Catholicism too much, but as she spent more time as the monarch she became more and more Protestant and her policies illuminated that shift. Each monarch contributed to the religious debate that had taken over England,…

    • 1552 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Edgar is his beloved legitimate son, and Edmund is his illegitimate child: “But I have a son, sir, by order of the law, some year elder than this, who is yet no dearer in my account. Though this knave came saucily to the world, before he was sent for, yet was his mother fair, there was good sport at his making, and the whoreson must be acknowledged” (I.1.19-24).This predefined outline of the relationship between father and son greatly troubles Edmund. Edmund believes that he should be viewed as an equal, or even superior to Edgar in the eyes of his father. However, due to his status of being born out of wedlock, prevents him from being viewed as an equal. This discrepancy in status inspires Edmund to conspire against his brother: “Let me, if not by birth, have lands by wit with all with me’s meet that I can fashion fit” (I.2.191-192).…

    • 1756 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Great Essays