5
January 1066 A.D. King
Edward the Confessor’s 2 Successors
Graves,
Dan. “King Edward the Confessor’s 2 Successors.” Christianity.com.
Jun 2007. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/901-1200/king-edward-the-confessors-2-successors-11629786.html.
Accessed 12 Jul 2014.
Edward the Confessor became the only English king
ever to be canonized (officially named a saint) and was the builder of one of
the most celebrated churches in the Christian world. Edward was next to the
last of the Saxon kings. He married Edith, daughter of Godwin. On his deathbed,
Edward named Edith's brother Harold to succeed him as king. But Harold could
not hold the throne. Ten months after Edward's death, French from Normandy
invaded England under William the Conqueror.
William's claim to the English
throne was the result of an earlier invasion. When Edward was in his teens, the
Danes invaded England and removed his father from the throne. Edward fled to
Normandy, which was ruled by Edward's uncle. Edward actually spent a large part
of his life in Normandy. He came under the influence of the Norman monks and
led a devout life. He vowed to make a pilgrimage to Rome, but his half brother
died and Edward suddenly was proclaimed king before he could fulfill his vow.
Edward was not particularly
outstanding as a king, but he reduced taxes and lived on the income of his own
lands. Despite turbulent times, he kept his nation at peace. However, he
favored Normans over Saxons. This led to serious disputes with his father-in-law,
Godwin. In anger at Godwin, Edward may have insulted his own wife, Edith.
It bothered Edward that he had
not fulfilled his promise to make a pilgrimage to Rome. He asked the pope to
release him from his vow, since the troubled condition of his land did not
permit him to travel freely. The pope agreed to free Edward but only if he
would rebuild the monastery of St. Peter at Westminster. The result--the
Collegiate Church of St. Peter--is known today as Westminster Abbey.
The choir and part of the main worship
area were dedicated on December 28, 1065. Edward was too sick to attend. The
sixty-three-year-old king died just eight days later, on
this date, January 5, l066. Claiming that Edward had passed the
throne to him while sheltering in Normandy years earlier, William invaded
England. On December 25, he was crowned King of England in Westminster Abbey.
This famous church, rebuilt by later kings, has ever since continued to be the
coronation church of the British monarchy.
Some time after Edward's death,
Osbert of Clare and other monks of Westminster made claims that Edward had been
a holy man. He was reported to have performed several miracles when touching
people to heal them. King Henry II saw political advantages in strengthening
the memory of Edward. He petitioned for Edward's canonization. Pope Alexander
III obliged in 1161. And so Edward became an official saint of the Roman Church
ninety-five years after his death.
Bibliography:
"Edward, Saint, the Confessor." Britannica.
Britannica, 1967.
"Edward the Confessor," and
"Westminster Abbey." The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church,
edited by F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1997.
Various internet articles.
Last updated June,
2007
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