Harthacnut

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Harthacnut
King of Denmark and England
Reign	1035 - 8 June 1042 (Denmark) 17 March 1040 – 8 June 1042 (England)
Predecessor	Cnut the Great (Denmark) Harold Harefoot (England)
Successor	Magnus I (Denmark) Edward the Confessor (England)
Father	Cnut the Great
Mother	Emma of Normandy
Born	1018 England
Died	June 8, 1042 England
Burial	Winchester Cathedral, Winchester, England

Harthacnut (Cnut the Hardy, sometimes Harthacanute, Hardicanute, Hardecanute, Hörthaknútr; Danish: Hardeknud) (1018 – 8 June 1042) was King of Denmark from 1035 to 1042 as well as King of England from 1040 to 1042. He came from Northmannia according to Adam of Bremen^[1] and was the only son of Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy.

He succeeded to the throne of Denmark in 1035, reigning as Cnut III, yet a war against Magnus I of Norway meant he could not secure his claim to the throne of England. Consequently, it was agreed that his elder illegitimate half-brother Harold Harefoot was to be regent there.

Harold took the English crown for himself in 1037 — Harthacnut being "forsaken because he was too long in Denmark"^[2] — 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 settled his difficulties in Scandinavia through a treaty he had made with Magnus in 1038 or 1039. This stated that they agreed that 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. Harold, however, died on 17 March 1040, before any conquest could occur. Harthacnut was then invited to England, and the landing at Sandwich on 17 June 1040, "seven days before Midsummer"^[2], with a fleet of 62 warships was a peaceful one. He did though, with apparent scorn, command Harold's body to be taken from its tomb and cast in a fen with the animals.

Harthacnut was a harsh and unpopular ruler: to pay for his fleet, he severely increased the rate of taxation, 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 Ethelred 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. It is rumoured he fathered an illegitimate son, William Canute. On 8 June 1042, he died at Lambeth — 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…"^[2] He was buried at Winchester, his father's place of rest, and his mother's, on her death. Edward assumed the throne on Harthacnut's death, restoring the Saxon royal line of Wessex.

[edit] Ancestry

[edit] References

Harthacnut Born: 1018 Died: 8 June 1042
Regnal titles
Preceded by Cnut the Great	King of Denmark 1035-1042	Succeeded by Magnus the Good
Preceded by Harold Harefoot	King of the English 1040-1042	Succeeded by Edward the Confessor

v • d • e Monarchs of Denmark by house Early monarchs c.916–1412 (Harthacnut) · Gorm the Old · Harald Bluetooth · Sweyn Forkbeard 1 · Harald II · Cnut the Great 1 · 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 · Eric Plough-tax · Abel · Christopher I · Eric Klipping · Eric Menved · Christopher II · Valdemar III · Christopher II · Gerhard III of Holstein · Valdemar Atterdag · Olaf II · Margaret I 2 Palatinate-Neumarkt 1397–1448 Eric of Pomerania 2 · Christopher of Bavaria 2 Oldenburg 1448–1863 Christian I 2 · Hans 2 · Christian II 2 · 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.

v • d • e   English monarchs   Kingdom of the English 886–1066 Alfred the Great · Edward the Elder · Ælfweard · Athelstan the Glorious1 · Edmund the Magnificent1 · Eadred1 · Eadwig the Fair1 · Edgar the Peaceable1 · Edward the Martyr · Æthelred the Unready · Sweyn Forkbeard · Edmund Ironside · Cnut1 · Harold Harefoot · Harthacnut · Edward the Confessor · Harold Godwinson · Edgar the Ætheling Kingdom of England 1066–1649 William I · William II · Henry I · Stephen · Matilda · Henry II2 · Henry the Young King · Richard I · John2 · Henry III2 · Edward I2 · Edward II2 · Edward III2 · Richard II2 · Henry IV2 · Henry V2 · Henry VI2 · Edward IV2 · Edward V2 · Richard III2 · Henry VII2 · Henry VIII2 · Edward VI2 · Jane2 · Mary I2 with Philip2 · Elizabeth I2 · James I3 · Charles I3 Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland 1653–1659 Oliver Cromwell3 · Richard Cromwell3 Kingdom of England 1660–1707 Charles II  · James II  · William III and Mary II  · Anne 1Overlord of Britain. 2Also ruler of Ireland. 3Lord Protector. Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.

Persondata
NAME	Harthacnut
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Cnut the Hardy; Hardicanute; Hardecanute; Hörthaknútr; Hardeknud
SHORT DESCRIPTION	King of Denmark and King of England
DATE OF BIRTH	1018
PLACE OF BIRTH
DATE OF DEATH	8 June 1042
PLACE OF DEATH	Lambeth