King Harold II of England (died 1066)

The second son of Earl Godwine of Wessex, Harold became Earl of East Anglia in 1045. In 1051 he was outlawed to Dublin by King Edward the Confessor, but was pardoned in the following year. After the death of Godwine in 1053, Harold succeeded to the West Saxon earldom. He fought against Welsh in Herefordshire in 1055-6 and refortified the town of Hereford. In 1060 he restored the church at Waltham in Essex and in 1062 he campaigned in north Wales, sailing, in 1063, from Bristol to attack the Welsh coast. In 1064 or 1065 he was sent to Normandy by King Edward for uncertain reasons and landed in Ponthieu where he was captured by its ruler, Count Guy, before being ransomed by William, Duke of Normandy. Harold and William campaigned together and Norman sources claim Harold swore fealty to William. In January 1066, on the death of Edward, Harold became King of England. In October he defeated the army of Harald Hardrada, King of Norway at Stamford Bridge near York, but was then killed at the Battle of Hastings.