1035. Death of Canute. Accession of his son Harold.
1040. Death of Harold. Accession of his brother Hardicanute.
1041. Hardicanute caused all Worcestershire to be ravaged, because two of his officers, employed in collecting the Danegelt, were killed at Worcester.
1042. Death of Hardicanute. Accession of Edward the Confessor, son of Ethelred.
1044. Edward married Editha, daughter of Godwin, earl of Kent, the most powerful nobleman in the country.
1051. Eustace, count of Boulogne, the king’s brother-in-law, had a conflict with the people of Dover. Godwin refused to punish them, and was soon after banished. William, duke of Normandy, visited England.
1052. Godwin returned, and recovered his power.
1053. Death of Godwin. His son Harold succeeded to his possessions and authority.
1054. Siward, earl of Northumbria, invaded Scotland in behalf of his nephew Malcolm, and defeated the usurper Macbeth.
1066. Death of Edward the Confessor. Harold mounted the throne. His brother Tostig, who had shortly before been expelled from his earldom of Northumbria (granted to him on the death of Siward), allied himself with Harold Hardrada, king of Norway; and the allies invaded England. They were defeated at Stamford Bridge, near York (Sept. 25). William, Duke of Normandy, claimed the crown, on the pretext that Edward had bequeathed it to him, and landed with an army at Pevensey to assert his claim.