The twelfth day of Christmas, 5th January is the Eve of the Epiphany. Harold's coronation followed immediately after the burial of Edward, quite possibly as part of the same event, whilst the congregation was gathered in the cathedral. Harold was later criticised for the apparent haste of his coronation but more likely it was simply more expedient to combine the ceremonies.
There had been almost two weeks in which Edward sickened and died. All the nobles and senior clergy in the land were gathered together for the celebration of Christmas and the consecration of the church. There had been plenty of time in which to address the succession and to nominate a successor. Harold, as the 'under-king' and Edward's 'governor' was foremost in the possible heirs.
William claimed through his publicity machine and many post-conquest writers that he was the designated heir, but he was not present to represent Edward at the consecration, this role fell to Queen Edith. Nor was he present thoughout Edward's final illness, or called for in his final hours. ASC 1065 clearly states that Harold Godwinson was the chosen successor. The Bayeax tapestry shows Harold being offered the crown.
ASC 1065
" But the prudent king
had settled the realm
on high-born men—
on Harold himself,
the noble earl;
who in every season
faithfully heard
and obeyed his lord,
in word and deed;
nor gave to any
what might be wanted
by the nation's king.
This year also was Earl Harold hallowed to king; but he enjoyed
little tranquillity therein the while that he wielded the
kingdom."
ASC E
“And Harold the earl succeeded to the kingdom of England, even as the king had granted it to him, and men also had chosen him thereto; and he was crowned as king on Twelfth-day.”
Symeon of Durham
“After his [Edward’s] funeral, the under-king Harold, son of duke Godwin, whom the king before his decease had chosen as the successor to his kingdom, was by the princes of all England elected to the royal dignity; and on the same day was solemnly consecrated king by Aldred, arch-bishop of York.”
Matthew Paris's Lives of Edward, written nearly 200 years later claims that Harold was elected because no-one dared to oppose him.
He [Harold] was tall and open handed and handsome,
But less loyal than he appeared ;
He caused himself to be elected by many,
And crowned ; for to oppose him
No one dared, and this wrong took place,
Although Symeon says that Harold was crowned by Archbishop Aldred of York, the Bayeax tapestry shows Harold's coronation being officiated by Archbishop Stigand.
Orderic Vitalis, pp461-462
"On the very day of the
funeral, when the people were bathed in tears for the loss of their
beloved king, Harold caused himself to be crowned by archbishop Stigand
alone, though the pope had suspended him from his functions for certain
crimes, without the concurrence of any other bishops and the earls and
barons of the realm.
When the English were apprized of the bold
usurption effected by Harold, they were very indignant and some of the
most powerful lords, resolved on an obstinate resistance, refused to
offer him any tokens of submission. Others, not knowing how to free
themselves from the yoke imposed upon them, which soon became firmly
fixed, and on the other hand, considering that they could neither depose
him, not while he held the reigns of government set up another king to
the advantage of the realm, submitted to his usurption, consolidating
the power which he had already established. In a short time the throne
which had been iniquitously seized was stained by horrible crimes."
[and here Orderic moves on to the expulsion of Tostig which he sets after the coronation and which he blames on Harold]
Matthew Paris shows Harold crowning himself. He says in "the Lives of Edward the Confessor"
It was the feast of the Epiphany, when
The crown he placed on his head,
And the morrow after King Edward
Died, Which had seemed to him long delayed;
By seculars and lay people.
With pride hastily
Without sacrament of Holy Church,
And without service was he crowned.
Henry of Huntingdon gives the post-conquest view that Harold seized the crown unlawfully. He follows the error that Edward died on twelfth day, the eve of epiphany. He says, “ For when the church of St. Peter at Westminster had been consecrated on Holy Innocents' day, and soon afterwards King Edward departed this life on the eve of Epiphany, and was interred in the same church, which he had built and endowed with great possessions, some of the English sought to make Edgar Etheling king; but Harold, relying on his power and his pretensions by birth, seized the crown.”
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