HAROLD I Harefoot

Although King Cnut (Canute) left England to Harthacnut, his son by Emma of Normandy, the throne was seized two weeks after Cnut's death by Harthacnut's half-brother Harold Harefoot, Cnut's son by either his mistress or his first wife, Elgifu of Northampton. Harold had been born around 1012. He was said to have acquired the name Harefoot for his speed, and his skill as a huntsman.

Cnut had intended to divide his dominions between his three sons. He left Norway to his eldest son, Sweyn, and Denmark to Harold. On Cnut's death, Harold promptly took possession of his father's treasure and received the support of Earl Leofric of Mercia and the majority of the Danes.

The great council, or Witangemot, meeting at Oxford, confirmed Harold as King, but Ethelnoth, Archbishop of Canterbury, refused to crown him. Ethelnoth is said to have placed the royal sceptre and crown on the altar of a church and offered to perform the ceremony without using any of the royal regalia. Harold rejected the Christian religion in protest, refusing to attend church services while he remained uncrowned.

Queen Emma of Normandy, who had the support of the nobles of Wessex and particularly Earl Godwine, a powerful nobleman who was married to Cnut's sister, managed to retain control of Wessex, where Emma acted as regent in the absence of Harthacnut, who himself remained in Denmark. Emma made vigorous attempts to unseat Harold in favour of her son.

On hearing the news of Cnut's death, the sons of Aethelred II the unready, Edward and Alfred, in exile in Normandy, gathered a fleet and sailed for England. On approaching Southampton, the elder of these, Edward, found the town unwilling to support him as the son of the weak and hated Aethelred and Edward had little choice but to return to Normandy.

Harold's reign was short and brutish. Godwine, accepting the situation, switched sides and deserted Emma of Normandy. Alfred the Atheling, while on a visit to his mother in England, was on his way to Winchester to see her, when he was captured by Earl Godwine and his followers dispersed. Alfred was delivered to followers of his step-brother, Harold Harefoot. He was taken by ship to Ely, and was blinded while on board. He died soon after at Ely. This event would later affect the relationship between his brother Edward the Confessor and Godwine, during the former's reign, Edward held Godwin responsible for the death of his brother.

Emma was forced into exile, taking refuge in Flanders and was joined there by Harthacnut. Together they began to make plans for an invasion of England, having gathered a fleet of sixty warships. The early death of Harold on 17th March, 1040 at Oxford at the age of but 24, made it possible for his half-brother Harthacnut to enter England peacefully. The cause of Harold's untimely death is not certain. An Anglo-Saxon charter attributes the onset of a sudden illness of Harold to divine judgment.