Edith the Fair: the life of Harold Godwinson’s first wife

Now she is one of the leading figures in BBC drama King and Conqueror. Read on to discover her role in late-Anglo-Saxon England – and what happened to her after the battle of Hastings.

Why is she called Edith the Fair?

Edith the Fair is known by the epithet, ‘Swan-neck’, which derives from the Old English ‘swann hnesce’, possibly referencing her graceful physical appearance.

While this term is sometimes interpreted romantically in later traditions, it might have served as a distinguishing nickname rather than a comment on her personal relationship with Harold – she was one of many prominent and powerful Ediths on the scene.

Who was Edith the Fair?

Some evidence points to Edith the Fair being born into a wealthy and influential East Anglian family – but which one, we don’t know.

One theory suggests that she might have been a daughter of Thorkell the Tall – a prominent Danish nobleman, military commander and political opportunist active in England throughout the early 11th century, not to mention a possible commander of the Jomsvikings.

Thorkell was a powerful figure during the reigns of Aethelred the Unready and Cnut the Great, serving as jarl [Danish lord] of East Anglia under the latter and playing a key role in the shifting power structures of the Anglo-Danish realm. If Edith was his daughter, this would have placed her firmly within the upper tiers of Anglo-Scandinavian nobility, reinforcing her suitability as a consort for a leading nobleman such as Harold Godwinson.

The Domesday Book (compiled two decades after the Conquest) records an ‘Eddeva the Fair’ as the pre-Conquest holder of more than 270 hides of land (a ‘hide’ was an Anglo-Saxon unit of land roughly equivalent to the amount of land needed to support one household) across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and beyond. Though the identification with Edith Swanneck is not conclusive, it’s plausible that these records refer to her.

If so, this placed her among the wealthiest women in England at the time, ranking just behind Queen Edith – Harold’s sister, and wife to King Edward the Confessor.

The scope of these landholdings suggests Edith would have held considerable economic and administrative responsibilities, overseeing estates that would have included agricultural production, household management and religious patronage. This power alone would have positioned her as an important local figure, even if she didn’t hold formal titles.

Edith the Fair and Harold Godwinson

Edith was evidently one of the most significant figures in Harold Godwinson’s life. They had a Danish-style marriage, or more danico – a form of cohabitation recognised under Anglo-Saxon law, though not by the Church.

Such unions were common among the Anglo-Danish nobility, carrying legal rights and social legitimacy, especially in the earlier part of the 11th century. There is little doubt that Edith was seen at the time as Harold’s lawful wife, and their children as legitimate.

The pair were likely together from the early 1050s until Harold’s accession to the throne in 1066. During that time, they had at least five children, including another Harold and Ulf, both of whom would be involved in later resistance to Norman rule.

Edith appears to have lived with Harold primarily at his estates in East Anglia and Wessex.

What happened to Edith when Harold married a second time?

On 5 January 1066, Edward the Confessor died without an heir, triggering a succession crisis. Harold, then Earl of Wessex and the most powerful nobleman in England, was elected king by the Witenagemot, the council of nobles, and crowned the next day.

At some point – likely in 1066 – Harold entered into a Church-sanctioned marriage with Ealdgyth (who, unhelpfully for us, was also known as Edith) of Mercia. She was a sister of Edwin, Earl of Mercia, and Morcar, Earl of Northumbria. This marriage was evidently a canny political arrangement, designed to secure the loyalty of the earls, whose support Harold needed to consolidate his kingship.

While such political marriages were common, Edith’s displacement marked a personal and legal turning point. As a handfasted wife, she now had no formal claim to queenship, and her removal from Harold’s household would have rocked her social and political standing.

Was Edith at the battle of Hastings – and did she identify Harold’s body?

Later that year, Harold faced two major invasions: one from Harald Hardrada of Norway (supported by Harold’s spurned brother Tostig Godwinson) in the north, and the other from Duke William of Normandy in the south. After defeating Hardrada and Tostig at the battle of Stamford Bridge in September, Harold marched rapidly south to confront William’s invading force.

At the battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, Harold was killed. His death was followed by the rout of his army and, ultimately, William’s accession to the English throne.

One of the most enduring traditions involving Edith the Fair relates to the aftermath of the battle of Hastings. According to some later sources, including the Norman poet Wace’s Roman de Rou and the writings of William of Malmesbury, Harold’s body was so mutilated that it could only be identified by a woman variously described as his mistress or common-law wife.

The veracity of the story is hard to judge. The Norman chroniclers don’t mention Edith by name, but nevertheless, the tradition persisted and by the 12th century, it had become part of the broader narrative of the conquest.

According to some versions of the story, Edith appealed directly to the victorious William the Conqueror for the right to bury Harold's body and was granted permission. The body was then interred at Waltham Abbey, which Harold had founded and patronised during his lifetime.

Other sources suggest Harold’s remains were never clearly identified, or were buried elsewhere.

What happened to Edith the Fair following the Norman Conquest

Very little is known of Edith the Fair’s life following 1066. If she is indeed the ‘Eddeva’ of the Domesday Book, then her estates were confiscated or transferred to Norman lords by 1086, as was typical for many Anglo-Saxon nobles and their families.

She may have lived quietly under Norman rule, possibly under the protection of surviving family members. There’s also no firm evidence that she entered a religious house, remarried or fled the country, though such outcomes were common for women in her position.

Edith and Harold’s sons, Harold and Ulf, survived the Conquest and may have fled to Ireland or Scandinavia. One was captured by William and possibly held as a hostage, while the other later returned to England during the turbulent reigns of William’s successors.

Like their mother, they too largely vanished from the political stage and historical record.

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