Following the TV series King and Conqueror, people are searching for ‘Did King Harold marry Margaret?’
The answer is, King Harold Godwinson did marry Earl Morcar’s sister, named Margaret in the TV series. However, Morcar’s sister’s real name was Aeldgyth ‘Ravenhair’, and you can read about her here.
I don’t understand why the TV company chose to rename Aeldgyth as Margaret, as there was a real Margaret present at the Conquest – and her life was even more dramatic than that of Morcar’s sister. The real Margaret was plucked from oblivion to become a queen and a saint.
Who was Margaret?
Margaret was born in the 1040s, somewhere in Eastern Europe. Her father was Edward the Exile, son of King Edmund Ironside. Margaret’s royal ancestry was of the Kings of Wessex, stretching back to Alfred the Great and beyond. Hence, she was known as Margaret of Wessex.
King Edmund Ironside was son of King Aethelred ‘The Unready’ and his first wife, Aelfgifu of York. Aethelred’s reign was plagued by Danish incursions. Edmund fought them, but was murdered in 1016, when Cnut of Denmark completed his conquest of England.
Edmund left two young sons, Edward and Edmund ‘junior’. Cnut ordered the boys to be killed – Cnut ruthlessly killed potential opponents. But somehow, Edmund’s sons were spirited away to safety, first in Kiev, then in Hungary.
Edward, known as ‘The Exile’ married a woman named Agatha. She was connected either to the Holy Roman Emperor, and/or to King Stephen of Hungary. She bore three children: Margaret, Christina, and Eadgar, direct descendants of the Kings of England, back to Alfred the Great and beyond.
The English Succession
Shortly before Margaret’s birth, King Cnut died. He was twice married, to northern noblewoman Aelfgifu of Northampton, then to King Aethelred’s widow, his second wife Emma.
Emma, had come from Normandy to marry Aethelred in 1002, and bore him three children: Alfred, Edward, and Godgifu. When Cnut invaded in 1013, Emma sent her young children to her home in Normandy, for safety.
Cnut married Emma as part of his conquest of England. She bore him a son, Harthacnut, but never recalled her children by Aethelred. Hence, they grew up Normandy, speaking French.
When Cnut died, he was succeeded first by the son from Aelfgifu, then by the son from Emma. Both died young. With Cnut’s line dead, the English turned to Aethelred’s son, Edward, to become king.
Hence, in 1042, shortly before Margaret’s birth, Aethelred’s son, Edward ‘The Confessor’ crossed the sea, and became King of England.
Thus, the crown returned to Alfred the Great’s line of Kings of Wessex/England.
The Call to England
By 1056, it became apparent that Edward, ‘The Confessor’ would be childless, and he launched a search for his half-nephew, Edward the Exile.
Edward the Exile answered the summons. He arrived, with his family, in 1057. Within two weeks, Edward the Exile was dead. No source that I can discover names a cause for his death.
Edward the Confessor made his nephew’s children his wards. Eadgar, the boy, was named ‘Aetheling’, eligible for the succession.
The girls received a royal education, including religion, reading, and languages.
Succession
When Edward the Confessor died, Agatha hid her son Eadgar, fearing he would be killed. After all, her husband, spirited away to hide from Cnut, had died as soon as he set foot back onto English soil.
Many English nobles hadn’t liked King Edward’s Frenchified ways. They knew that William would make a claim, through connection to Emma, his great aunt – and they didn’t want him.
Fearful that teenaged Eadgar wasn’t strong enough to fight William, they elected for their king the experienced military man, Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex. Although Earl, Harold was not descended from the line of Wessex kings, the line of Alfred the Great. Harold’s royal blood was Danish, through his mother, who was kin to King Cnut.
Conquest
As we all know, King Harold lost the Battle of Hastings to William of Normandy, in October 1066.
After the battle, William waited for the English to present the crown to him.
But they did not. They retreated to London and elected Eadgar for king.
William responded by ravaging a swathe around London. Eventually, the English were forced to surrender, to end the killing.
Margaret’s actions during this time are not recorded. Like women throughout history, she was probably stuck at home, waiting, worrying, and praying.
Hostage
King William offered peace to those who surrendered, including Eadgar and the Mercian Earls.
However, they were required to remain at his court, found themselves unable to leave, and were forced to travel to Normandy with him.
As ever, historians don’t tell us what the women did. Did Margaret travel to Normandy with Eadgar? If not, maybe she, her sister and mother were housed in one of the royal residences – probably also hostage.
Escape
In the summer of 1068, the hostages escaped. They fled to King Malcolm ‘Canmore’ of Scotland. Presumably, Eadgar’s womenfolk accompanied him, as he joined a rebellion against William.
The rebellion failed. Eadgar and his companions returned to Scotland.
Eadgar declared king again
In 1069, Eadgar joined a second English rebellion at York, supported by a fleet from Denmark. Eadgar was, again, declared King.
However, William responded brutally, with his Harrying of the North.
Eadgar and his companions were forced to flee once more, back to Scotland.
Presumably, during the fighting , Eadgar’s womenfolk remained in Scotland, again waiting, worrying and praying.
Shipwreck
In 1070, King Malcolm of Scotland raided northern England. His motives are mysterious; Did he intend to support the English rebellion? Was it a show of aggression to warn William not to attack Scotland? Or, simply opportunistic plundering?
Whatever his reasons, Malcolm happened to be on Wearside as a ship was wrecked. From that ship were rescued Margaret and her family.
Where were they going? Rumour suggests that Agatha had decided that England had caused her family enough trouble, and was returning them all to her continental kin.
The King declares his love
At this point, King Malcolm asked for Margaret in marriage.
A fairy tale, eh?
Or, maybe not?
Margaret refuses
Margaret said no. She wanted to become a nun.
Consider the attractions: cloistered away from the deadly politics that had blighted her family. Peace.
Why now?
Why was Malcolm proposing now – when Margaret was washed up from a wreck? She had been at his court, at least some of time – for two years. Why only now that Malcolm discovered his undying love?
Was it to do with his previous wife? There are few records of Malcolm’s first wife, Ingibiorg of Orkney. Did she die before Malcolm proposed to Margaret? Did he divorce her? Or did he intend to have two wives ,as King Cnut had done?
Malcolm’s love
Margaret’s refusal did not deter King Malcolm. He pressed her brother. Again, again, and again.
Malcolm’s court was full of refugee English Nobles, who also pressed Margaret, fearful of losing Malcolm’s support if she refused him.
Eventually, Eadgar was forced to capitulate.
In 1070, likely against her will, Margaret of Wessex married King Malcolm of Scotland.
Sainthood
Margaret lost her dream of becoming a nun – instead, she became a Saint.
As Queen, she prayed, fasted, and did everything she could to relieve suffering, especially of the poor. She campaigned to free English refugees, enslaved as a result of William’s ravages.
Religious dedication damaged her health She rose to pray at midnight, she fasted too much. Today, we might see this as obsessive behaviour, reaction to her traumas.
But in Margaret’s world, she was revered for her piety. Scotland was Christian, but followed the Celtic tradition that had thrived in Ireland. Margaret was credited with guiding Scotland into the Continental Christianity in which she’d grown up.
She was also credited with encouraging King Malcolm to become more charitable.
Margaret was canonised (made a saint) in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV, and is the patron saint of Scotland.
Legacy
Despite damaging her health with fasting and night prayers, Margaret bore eight children, and is also a saint to pregnant women. Hence, Mary Queen of Scots used the Holy Relic of St Margaret’s head to aid childbirth.
Margaret’s life ensured that the ‘blood’ of the Kings of Wessex still flows through the English Royal family. through her daughter, Edith (renamed Matilda after her marriage) who married William the Conqueror’s son, Henry.
Margaret’s sister, Christina, achieved what Margaret could not: Christina became a nun.
Sources/Further Reading
The Lost King of England, by Gabriel Ronay
St Margaret, Queen of Scotland, by Alan J Wilson
The Norman Conquest, by Edward A Freeman
The Godwins, by Frank Barlow