Edward the Confessor and the House of Godwin
I can explain why the Godwin family was so powerful in Anglo-Saxon England.
Edward the Confessor and the House of Godwin
I can explain why the Godwin family was so powerful in Anglo-Saxon England.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- After years in exile in Normandy, Edward the Confessor's position as king was weak; he relied on Earl Godwin's support.
- In 1051 the Godwins were exiled after tensions over Edward's Norman advisers.
- After threatening to invade, the Godwins returned to positions of power.
- Edward relied more and more on the Godwins, whose power increased.
- In a trip to Normandy in 1064, Harold Godwin made promises to William, Duke of Normandy.
Keywords
Exile - exile is when someone is sent away from your home country
Adviser - an Anglo-Saxon adviser was a high-ranking noble who gave advice to the monarch, such as an earl or bishop
Successor - a successor is a person expected to inherit the throne after the monarch has died
House - a House refers to a dynasty, a group of leaders or rulers from the same family
Chronicler - a chronicler is someone who writes a record of historical events
Common misconception
An Anglo-Saxon monarch held all the power in their kingdom.
In fact, Anglo-Saxon nobles could force their monarchs to do things they did not want to do. For example, King Edward was forced to allow the House of Godwin back from exile and restore them to their earldoms.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Starter quiz
6 Questions
Exit quiz
6 Questions
a high-ranking noble who gave advice to the monarch
a person expected to inherit the throne after the monarch has died.
someone who writes a record of historical events