biography
| name: |
Edward the Confessor, St
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (c.1003–66)
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| biography:
| King of England (1042–66), the elder son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, and the last Anglo-Saxon king before the Conquest. After living in exile in Normandy, he joined the household of his half-brother Hardicanute in 1041, then succeeded him on the throne. He married Edith, the only daughter of the powerful Earl Godwinson of Wessex in 1045. Until 1052 he maintained his position against the Godwin family by building up Norman favourites, and in 1051 very probably recognized Duke William of Normandy (later William I) as his heir. But the Godwins regained their ascendancy, and on his deathbed in London, Edward (who remained childless) named Harold Godwinson (Harold II) to succeed. The Norman Conquest followed soon after. Edward's reputation for holiness began in his lifetime, and he rebuilt Westminster Abbey in the Romanesque style. His cult grew in popularity, and he was canonized in 1161; feast day 13 October. |
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