Harold II (Harold Godwinson)
Earl Harold, who became king of England in January 1066 and was killed at the Battle of Hastings that October.
king 1066
A year in a sentence: entries from the Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, entries for 802–1154, in the edition of John Earle (Oxford, 1865) · entries for 802–1154; the Peterborough copy written about 1121–1155
On þissum geare man halgode þet mynster æt West mynstre on Cilda mæsse dæg. And se cyng Eadward forðferde on twelfta mæsse æfen. and hine mann bebyrgede on twelftan mæsse dæg. innan þære niwa halgodre circean on Westmynstre. And Harold eorl feng to Engla landes cyne rice. swa swa se cyng hit him ge uðe. and eac men hine þær tó gecuron. and wæs gebletsod to cynge on twelftan mæsse dæg. [...]
In this year the minster at Westminster was consecrated on Holy Innocents’ Day. And King Edward died on the eve of Twelfth Day and was buried on Twelfth Day, in the newly consecrated church at Westminster. And Earl Harold came to the throne of England, as the king had granted it to him, and the people also chose him for it. He was blessed as king on Twelfth Day.
On þissum geare com Harold cyng of Eoferwic to Westmynstre. to þam Eastran þe wæron æfter þam middan wintre þe se cyng forðferde. and wæron þa Eastran on þone dæg xvi kl' Mai. Ða wearð geond eall Engla land swylc tacen on heofenum gesewen swylce nan man ǽr ne geseah. Sume men cwedon ꝥ hit cométa se steorra wære. þone sume men hatað þone fæxedon steorran. and he æteowde ærest on þone æfen Letania Maior. viii kl' Mai. and Swa scan ealle þa seofon niht. [...]
In this year King Harold came from York to Westminster for the Easter after the midwinter when King Edward died. Easter fell that year on April 16. Then a sign was seen in the sky all over England, such as no one had ever seen before. Some people said it was the star called a comet, which some call the long-haired star. It first appeared on April 24, the eve of the Greater Litany, and it shone like this for seven nights.