Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor (1004-66), King of England from 1043. The second son of Ethelred the Unready, he grew up in Normandy. He devoted much of his time to religion, from which he gained his nickname. Edward showed favouritism towards the Normans and was alleged to have promised the throne of England to William of Normandy. He later also promised it to Harold, son of the earl of Essex, and the two rival claims were resolved at the Battle of Hastings (1066), when Harold was killed. He was canonized in 1161.
