Edward the Confessor was a king who was considered to be a highly religious individual by his contemporaries. Edward the Confessor became the King of England in 1042. For much of his youth Edward had actually lived in Normandy in exile whilst Canute (Cnut) and then Harthacnut was on the throne.
During his exile Edward became close to Robert the Duke of Normandy, which would turn out to have dramatic consequences for the future of England. Once he was on the throne Edward was apparently more interested in piety than running the country. Edward was responsible for the building of Westminster Abbey a highly visible sign of his religious fervour.
A Monarch Without Power
Edward might have been a king noted for his religious piety yet for the majority of his 24-year reign was spent without him holding effective power. At the beginning of his reign Earl Godwin was the most powerful person within Anglo-Saxon England, and he was able to tell Edward what to do. Edward naturally enough resented the interference from the over bearing Godwin. When Godwin died his sons Harold and Tostig took over as the de facto rulers of England, with Edward marrying their sister. Edward feared that the Godwinsons would have their powerful position assured if Edward had a son whom they could control.
An Unclear Succession Undermined Stability
Edward the Confessor intentionally or inadvertently undermined the political and military stability of Anglo - Saxon England by not having children, and not officially nominating an heir to the English throne. Not having children in many ways undermined the position of Harold Godwinson, who was not the only claimant to the throne once Edward died. His main rivals were the Norse king Harold Harada and Duke William of Normandy.
Ultimately Edward the Confessor’s connections with Normandy would come back to haunt his English subjects as Duke William of Normandy claimed that he was promised the English throne by Edward. When Edward died in January 1066 Harold Godwinson claimed that the dying king had named him as the next king, only for the Vikings to unsuccessfully invade and for the Normans to complete their invasion of England that autumn.
For further details read about events leading to the Battle of Hastings
Sources:
Ashley M, (2002) A Brief History of British Kings & Queens, Robinson, London
Gardiner & Wenborn (1995) The History Today Companion to British History,Collins and Brown Ltd, London
Morgan K O, (1993) The Oxford Popular History of Britain, Oxford University Press, Oxford
Roberts J.M, (1996) A History of Europe, Penguin, London
