In 1066 King Edward (also known as Edward the Confessor) died without leaving a son or heir. This caused terrible fighting in Europe for the throne of England. There were four main claimants for the throne, but only one could have been king.

Firstly, there was Edgar the Etheling who was the great-grandson of Edward the Confessor. His father was promised the throne by King Edward but was killed under suspicious circumstances. But even though Edgar was the closest living relative to the king he was only 14 and he lacked the necessary experience and support to become king.

There was also Harold Godwinson the former king’s most trusted noble and the richest man in England. He claimed that King Edward had promised him the throne. Harold also ruled the country while King Edward was away and was trusted by the people of England. He led wars against Wales and took land for England so he was a likely competitor for the throne.

Another claimant was William Duke of Normandy. He had inherited land from his father and had attacked surrounding villages and towns. He was experienced in battle and a feared leader. He had the support of many families and later even had the backing of the pope. He was a likely ruler of England.

Finally, there was Harald Hardrada, the King of Norway. Like many Vikings Hardrada was a formidable warrior and a mighty leader. He had much experience in battle and was feared by many. King Cnut, the king before Edward, had promised his father the throne but it was taken by Edward the Confessor. He was so powerful he could just take England by force. He also had the backing of Tostig, Harold Godwinson’s brother. He was also a likely king of England.

Edgar the Etheling had the stronger claim than the others as he was the closest living relative but he lacked in experience and support. Overall, he was the weakest claimant for the throne even though he had the strongest claim.

Harold Godwinson’s claim was strong as he was the king’s most trusted noble and he claimed King Edward had promised him the throne. His claim was weaker than Harold’s and he was less experienced than him. It was stronger than William’s because for the past 200 years England had been ruled by Vikings or Saxons but William was neither.

William Duke of Normandy’s claim was quite strong as King Edward knew him well and he claimed that the former king had promised the throne to him. He also claimed that Harold Godwinson vowed to let him be king. He was more experienced than Edgar the Etheling but because William was a Norman while England had only been ruled by Vikings or Saxons meant that his claim was weaker than Harold’s and Hardrada’s.

In my view, Hardrada had the strongest claim, as he claimed that his father was promised the throne but it was given to Edward the confessor so he was restoring the throne to the rightful family. He was the king of Norway so if he wasn’t chosen he could use the whole of Norway’s resources to take the throne by force. Also, he was a more experienced fighter than Edgar. He was more powerful than Harold because he was king of Norway which was full of Vikings and they were formidable warriors.