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Edward was dead. Harold was King. Edith was sidelined. And as far as the Vita Edwardii was concerned, this was the moment where the wheels came completely off the wagon.
384 – King Harold Godwinson
Category: The Dark Ages
Learn about the rise of England, Scotland, and Wales in episodes of the British History Podcast that cover the so-called Dark Ages.
383 – The Death of King Edward
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Christmas of 1065 would have been a grim affair. And as 1066 approached, the Court was likely consumed with anxiety. The King was childless and the throne was being eyed from all sides by foreign dynasties and, according to sources like William of Poitiers, the King had been terribly ill for quite some time. Poitiers tells us that this illness had become so severe in 1063 that the King had made preparations for succession, believing he was already on his deathbed.
382 – Bros Before Thrones
381 – Weekend at William’s
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After the traitorous murder of King Gruffydd, Harold returned to England victorious… and as for Wales. Well, their King had been assassinated and their lands were carved up between rival nobles who were subservient to England.
380 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 3
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Up in the hills of Snowdonia, pinned between the sea and the English midlands, King Gruffydd fought against the invading forces of the Godwinsons. And he was giving the English such a hard time that even the Life of King Edward admits it in the record.
379 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 2
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Earl AElfgar and his alliance with King Gruffydd of Wales was likely the one true barrier that stood between Harold Godwinson and the throne of England.
378 – Everybody is killing everybody else and no one is talking about it
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On the year 1059, there is an enigmatic entry in the Welsh Chronicle.
377 – The King of Wales
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Water, and the ability to control water ways, was an important aspect in the Welsh imagination. In fact, the importance of Welsh power on the seas even appears in the Mabinogion.
376 – Lost Years and Lost Lands
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Things are moving quickly in our story, now. Pieces are moving into place, and the board is shifting rapidly. Thanks to the benefit of hindsight, we can see where this is going and see how these events are leading to a calamity in just a few years.
375 – Life and Death Politics. But Mostly Death.
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For the first time in a long time, Wales was experiencing a time of internal peace, thanks in large part to its unification under King Gruffydd.