Edward the Confessor
Born c.1003
Reigned 1042 - 1066
Died 1066

St Edward

he only surviving heir to the thrown was now Edward, brother of the murdered Alfred the Aetheling and son of Emma and Aethelred the Unready. As far as Godwin was concerned, this was the worst scenario. A king with Norman leanings would threaten his power. He already was the king of England in all but name. It was thought that he was responsible for the death of Alfred the Aetheling and now his brother at the age of 40 came to power. So affected was Edward by the way he had been treated by his mother, he removed her entitlement to her land and confiscated all her possessions. He had Stigand, the Archbishop of Canterbury removed but later re-instated. A deeply religious man, he promised to go on a pilgrimage to Rome but never did. As penance He was ordered by the Pope to build an church. This was called the Church of St Peter and was situated to the West of London. It is now known as Westminster Abbey. Edward was the only English monarch to be canonized. The rest of his life will be continued in another section because he was inextricably linked with affairs of the Godwin family.