Harthacnut

Harthacnut
King of Denmark and England
Penny struck in Harthacnut's name
Reign	1035 – 8 June 1042 (Denmark)[1] 17 March 1040 – 8 June 1042 (England)
Predecessor	Cnut the Great (Denmark) Harold Harefoot (England)
Successor	Magnus I (Denmark) Edward the Confessor (England)
House	House of Denmark
Father	Cnut the Great
Mother	Emma of Normandy
Born	1020 England
Died	8 June 1042 (aged 21–22) England
Burial	Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, England

Harthacnut^[2] (Cnut the Hardy; Danish: Knud III Hardeknud) (1020 – 8 June 1042) was a Danish King of Denmark from 1035 to 1042 as well as King of England from 1040 to 1042.

The only legitimate son of king Cnut the Great, who ruled Denmark, Norway, and England, Harthacnut struggled to retain his father's possessions. Magnus I took of control of Norway, but Harthacnut did manage to regain kingship of England in 1040 after the death of his half-brother Harold Harefoot.

Harthacnut died unexpectedly in 1042, and was succeeded by Magnus in Denmark and Edward the Confessor in England. Harthacnut was the last Danish king to rule England.

King of Denmark

Harthacnut was born in 1020,^[3] the son of Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy.^[4] Cnut the Great reigned over Denmark, Norway, and England. He succeeded his father on the throne of Denmark in 1035, reigning as Cnut III,^[1] yet a war against Magnus I of Norway meant he did not have the power to secure his claim to his father's throne of England.^[5] Consequently, it was agreed that his elder illegitimate half-brother Harold Harefoot was to be regent there.^[4] Harold took the English crown for himself in 1037 — Harthacnut being "forsaken because he was too long in Denmark"^[6] — and the Queen-mother, Emma, who had previously been resident at Winchester with some of her son's housecarls, was made to flee to Bruges, in Flanders.

Harthacnut meeting Magnus. Illustration by Halfdan Egedius.

Harthacnut settled his difficulties in Scandinavia through a treaty he had made with Magnus in 1039.^[4] According to the agreement, if one of them were to die without an heir, the other should be his successor. Harthacnut then began to prepare for an invasion of England, and the deposition of Harold from the kingship, and led his fleet to his mother in Flanders.^[4] Harold, however, died on 17 March 1040, before any conquest could occur.

King of England

Harthacnut was then summoned to England and travelled with a fleet of 62 warships. The landing at Sandwich on 17 June 1040, "seven days before Midsummer"^[6], was a peaceful one. He did though, with apparent scorn, command Harold's body to be dug up and thrown into a bog.^[7]

Harthacnut was a harsh and unpopular ruler:^[4] to pay for his fleet, he severely increased the rate of taxation,^[5] and in 1041 the people of Worcester killed two of Harthacnut's housecarls who had been collecting the tax, prompting an attack by Harthacnut in which the city was burned. The story of Lady Godiva riding naked through the streets of Coventry to persuade the local earl to lower taxes may come from the reign of Harthacnut. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle gives a dismal assessment of him: "He never accomplished anything kingly for as long as he ruled." It also says that in 1041 Harthacnut broke a pledge and betrayed Earl Eadwulf of Northumbria, who was under his safe conduct.

In 1041, Harthacnut invited his half-brother Edward the Confessor (his mother Emma's son by Æthelred the Unready) back from exile in Normandy to become a member of his household, and probably made Edward his heir. Harthacnut was unmarried and had no known children.

Death

On 8 June 1042, he died at a wedding in Lambeth, as he was drinking to the health of the bride^[4] — he "died as he stood at his drink, and he suddenly fell to the earth with an awful convulsion; and those who were close by took hold of him, and he spoke no word afterwards…"^[6] He was buried at Winchester, his father's place of rest,^[4] and his mother's, on her death. Edward assumed the throne on Harthacnut's death, restoring the Saxon royal line of Wessex.

Ancestry

References

Monarchs of Denmark Early monarchs c.916–1412 (Harthacnut) · Gorm the Old · Harald Bluetooth · Sweyn Forkbeard1 · Harald II · Cnut the Great1 · Harthacanute1 · Magnus the Good  · Sweyn II · Harald III · Canute the Saint · Olaf I · Eric Evergood · Niels · Eric the Memorable · Eric Lamb · Sweyn Grathe / Canute V / Valdemar the Great · Canute VI · Valdemar the Victorious · Valdemar the Young · Eric Plough-tax · Abel · Christopher I · Eric Klipping · Eric Menved · Christopher II · Valdemar III · Christopher II · Interregnum · Valdemar Atterdag · Olaf II · Margaret I2 Palatinate-Neumarkt 1397–1448 Eric of Pomerania2 · Christopher of Bavaria2 Oldenburg 1448–1863 Christian I2 · John2 · Christian II2 · Frederick I · Christian III · Frederick II · Christian IV · Frederick III · Christian V · Frederick IV · Christian VI · Frederick V · Christian VII · Frederick VI · Christian VIII · Frederick VII Schleswig-Holstein- Sonderburg-Glücksburg since 1863 Christian IX · Frederick VIII · Christian X3 · Frederick IX · Margrethe II Italics indicates Danish monarchs who were also monarchs of Norway. 1 Also monarch of England.  2 Also monarch of Sweden.  3 Also monarch of Iceland.