Who were the Normans? (AQA GCSE History)

Summary

Edward the Confessor had spent his entire childhood in Normandy and his mother was a Norman. Edward did not have any children, when he died in 1066 this led to challenges for the throne of England. William, the Duke of Normandy had proven himself a very capable leader and had conquered neighbouring lands. He had also sent troops to support Edward when the English King faced an uprising. These close contacts and debt of gratitude meant that William felt he was the rightful successor to Edward’s throne

Anglo-Saxon England’s relationship to Normandy

• There had been close links between Normandy and Anglo-Saxon England for many years in the lead-up to 1066

• When Cnut killed Aethelred and took the English Crown in 1016, Aethelred’s sons Alfred and Edward and his widow Emma of Normandy escaped to Normandy

  • Alfred and Edward were raised in the Norman court by Richard, the Duke of Normandy

  • Richard forced Emma of Normandy to return to England to marry Cnut

  • Richard believed this would maintain some Norman influence in England

  • Cnut hoped marrying the previous king’s widow would lead to the English accepting him

• Cnut’s death in 1035 meant that his son Harold Harefoot became King

• When Harefoot died in 1040, his brother Harthacnut made a claim for the Throne

  • To win the support of the English earls, Harthacnut appointed Edward as his successor

  • Edward was Harthacnut’s half-brother, as Emma of Normandy was mother to both of them, but he was also the son of the English King Aethelred

• Harthacnut died unexpectantly at a wedding feast in 1042

  • The path was clear for Edward - who had a Norman mother and had been brought up and educated as a Norman - to become King of England

• Edward ruled England from 1042 to when he died in 1066

Significance of Normandy

• William was the son of Richard, Duke of Normandy (part of modern-day France)

  • His parents were not married which is why he is sometimes known as William the Bastard

• He inherited the title of Duke of Normandy from his father aged just seven

  • In 1063, he expanded the territory under his control by conquering Maine (a province of modern-day France)

  • He was a ruthless and respected military leader

  • The neighbouring region of Anjou was bogged down in a civil war and the King of France was aged just 14 in 1066

  • This left William free to consider making a challenge for the throne of England without fearing attacks from elsewhere in France

Edward the Confessor’s connection to William

• William was a distant cousin of King Edward through Emma of Normandy

  • However, as William was illegitimate, his claim to the English throne through blood was flawed

• Edward had been raised by the Normans, adopted many of their customs and appointed Normans to key positions in England

  • When Earl Godwin rose up in rebellion against Edward in 1051, William sent Norman soldiers to support the King

  • William believed that, in exchange for this help, Edward had promised him the English Throne

  • This led William to become a challenger for the English throne