Conquered and conquerors

Queen Emma of Normandy brought a Norman-French influence to England with her marriage to Ethelred in 1002. Her son, Edward the Confessor, brought a number of Norman nobles and advisors over to England when he became king in 1042 after Cnut’s son Harthacnut died.

Then, in 1066, the ruler of Normandy, Duke William, decided to make his claim to the kingdom of England through conquest. He had some blood relation to the dead king, Edward the Confessor, through Emma, the late Queen Mother, and he claimed that Edward had promised him the succession before he died.

William’s forces invaded England around the same time as a Norwegian force under Harald Hardrada also invaded. England’s ruling council, the Witan, had chosen an English noble, Harold Godwinson, as king, so Harold had to fight both the Danes and then the Normans to keep the throne.

He defeated the Danes at Stamford Bridge, but then lost to William of Normandy at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066. This famous military event led to the migration of many Norman-French nobles who joined those who had come earlier with Emma and Edward. The land of England was divided up and given to these nobles by the new King William I, also known as William the Conqueror.