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Tom Licence on Edward the Confessor

Tom Licence on Edward the Confessor

In this talk first delivered in in August 2020, Professor Tom Licence explores the reign of Edward the Confessor and what can be learned about the 1066 invasion

Published: August 14, 2020 at 12:06 PM

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Why, in 1066, for the first time, did multiple foreign powers invade England? The answer can only be found in the reign of Edward the Confessor, whose death in January that year began the 'year of battles'. Much noise has arisen from the camps of Harold and William, who each claimed the Confessor had promised the throne to them; but who was really responsible for the downfall of Anglo-Saxon England? Professor Licence explains why we must listen to the silences.

Professor Tom Licence is professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia. He specializes in the Norman Conquest and he is author of Edward the Confessor: Last of the Royal Blood (Yale University Press, Aug 2020)