King harold 2 biography of michael

Harold Godwinson, also known as Harold II, was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, reigning for a mere nine months in 1066 before his untimely death at the Battle of Hastings.

Ego Hulfketel minister.

Ego Ælfricus Eboracensis aecclesiae archipraesul corroboraui.

At the same time, Norman emissaries arrived in England, demanding that Harold fulfill his oath. Wessex was an enormous territory that covered about a third of England, giving Harold control over a vast swath of the country.

The Welsh Campaign

Harold’s reputation as a skilled military commander grew throughout his career.

Ego Liuingus episcopus Cridiensis adposui.

And so that no one in the present or in the future may doubt what freedom has been graciously and firmly granted by me, let all the possessions of that church never be burdened by any obligations, neither for military service, nor for the building of bridges and fortifications, nor for royal dues, nor for the arrest of thieves.

Fratres igitur eiusdem loci idoneos ex se uel ex qua uoluerint congregatione abbates siue decanos sibi per successiones eligendi habeant potestatem, et ne impediantur auctoritate apostolica prohibemus. As Harold’s men poured into the royal compound, the Welsh king slipped away to the safety of his ships, though not before witnessing the destruction of much of his fleet.

The following spring saw a coordinated assault on Welsh territory.

We have gladly received your letters, signifying your well-being, and we have given thanks to Almighty God, who stirs the sincerity of your heart to all things useful to the holy mother church.

Ego Frewine minister.

Depiction of Harold II from the Bayeux Tapestry  ©Harold was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England and was killed by William, Duke of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings.

Harold was born in the early 1020s, the son of Godwine, Earl of Wessex.

Et ne quis praesentium uel magis futurorum ambiget quae sit illa libertas quam amabiliter et firmiter concedo, omnimodis cuncta illius aecclesiae possessio nullis sit unquam grauata oneribus nec expeditionis nec pontis et arcis aedificatione, nec iuris regalis fragimine nec furis apprehensione.

For the reverence and honor of the Holy Mother of God Mary and of my advocate, the apostle Peter, I give and grant to Abbot Leofwine, and to all future abbots after him, in the entire possession of the monastery, sac and soc (jurisdiction), and their toll on land and water, in the city and outside, and all laws and customs as fully and as freely as the aforementioned duke held them more honourably and freely from me.

This pincer movement, executed with military precision, forced Gruffydd to retreat into the forbidding peaks of Snowdonia.

It was here, amidst the mist-shrouded valleys and craggy slopes, that Gruffydd ap Llywelyn met his end. scripta est haec syngrapha, hiis consentientibus ierarchis qui subter notati: uidelicet,

Ego Eadwardus rex hanc meam libertatem regali stabilimento affirmaui.

This victory showcased Harold’s exceptional military leadership and tactical skills, but an even greater adversary was just landing in southern England.

The Norman Invasion and the Battle of Hastings

While he had successfully repelled the Norwegian invasion in the north, a greater threat loomed from across the English Channel.

In 1045, he led the English fleet in successful maneuvers against Magnus of Norway, demonstrating both his military prowess and his value to the crown.