Starter quiz
- ______ are people with a high rank in Anglo-Saxon society such as earls.
- 'Nobles' ✓
- How did Edward the Confessor demonstrate his closeness to god?
- By giving alms (charity) to the poor ✓
- By building Westminster abbey
- By always attending church services ✓
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- 100 years after his death, the Pope made Edward the Confessor a ______.
- 'saint' ✓
- What was the Danelaw?
- a set of laws established by Tostig in Northumbria
- a region in northern England influenced by Danish laws and customs ✓
- a region in southern England influenced by Danish laws and customs
-
- How many armed rebels attacked York and killed Tostig’s housecarls at the start of the uprising against Earl Tostig Godwinson?
- 200 ✓
- 20
- 2 000
-
- What event marked the beginning of the uprising against Tostig in 1065?
- assassination ordered by Queen Edith
- Edward the Confessor's death
- rebels attacking York ✓
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Exit quiz
- Match the words with their definitions. Write the correct letter in each box.
- claimant⇔a person who declares their belief that they have a right to something ✓
- mercenary⇔a soldier who fights for any country or group that pays them ✓
- aethling⇔In Anglo Saxon England, this was a prince of royal blood. ✓
- ______ means that something can be proved to be right by law or according to customs.
- 'Legitimacy' ✓
- How many claimants were there to the throne in 1066?
- 2
- 3
- 4 ✓
- 5
-
- Which claimant had the support of the Witan?
- Duke William of Normandy
- Harold Godwinson ✓
- Edgar the Aethling
- Harald Hardrada
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- Who claimed to have been promised the throne by Edward the Confessor?
- Duke William of Normandy ✓
- Harold Godwinson
- Edgar the Aethling
- Harald Hardrada
-
- Who convinced Harald Hardrada to invade England?
- Tostig Godwinson ✓
- Harold Godwinson
- Cnut, the Viking king of England
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- There were four claimants to the throne in 1066.
- Harold Godwinson had the support of the Witan.
- William of Normandy claimed to have been promised the throne by Edward the Confessor.
- Harald Hardrada claimed a historical right to the throne.
- Edgar the Aetheling was Edward the Confessor's closest living relative.
Common misconception
After a monarch dies, their eldest child automatically becomes monarch after them.
In Anglo-Saxon England an heir was always in a strong position, but even if there was an heir, the Witan could use their influence for someone else to be made monarch - if, for example, the heir was too young.
Keywords
Claimant - a claimant is a person who declares their belief that something belongs to them or that they have a right to it
Succession crisis - a succession crisis occurs when there is no clear heir to a position
Mercenary - a mercenary is a soldier who fights for any country or group that pays them
Legitimacy - legitimacy means that something can be proved to be right by law or according to customs
Aethling - in Anglo-Saxon England, an aethling was a prince of royal blood