Everyone in England knew of Duke William of Normandy’s claims to the throne. In 1064 William had kidnapped Harold Godwineson, and made him promise to assist him in gaining the throne. However Harold said the promise had been made through force and he would not hold to it.
England did not William to be King. Although related to Edward the Confessor, it was through Norman bloodlines, he was of no blood relation to the royal bloodline. He was also of illegitimate birth, and no one wanted a bastard on the throne. Harold Godwineson was declared King of England, and became King Harold II on January 6th, 1066.
Harold knew that William would try to take the throne. He assembled an army, and for the entire summer of 1066 he and his army waited along the English Channel, expecting William to appear. Travel across the Channel was only possible in the summer, so they knew he would attack soon. For months, however, William did not show up.
Tostig and the Vikings
While King Harold and his men were waiting for William along the English Channel, Harold’s brother Tostig had other plans. Angry and jealous of his brother, Tostig traveled to Norway to talk to King Harald Hardrada.
Harald Hardrada knew that for decades England had Danish Kings, and that Canute particularly had been well received by the people of England. Tostig convinced Hardrada that the people of England once again wanted a Dane to rule over them, although currently the throne was held by his brother Harold.
Believing Tostig, Harald Hardrada assembled an invasion force. He would land in the north of England in September, defeating the English at the Battle of Gate Fulford on September 20th.
The invasion by the Vikings caught King Harold completely unaware. He had been waiting since spring for William and the Normans to invade. It was now near the end of the season in which travel across the Channel was possible, and William still had not shown up.
With an invading force to the north, Harold moved his army as rapidly as possible to meet the Vikings, abandoning his position in the south.
King Harold met the Vikings on September 25th in York, at the Battle of Stamford Bridge. The English soundly defeated the Danes and Harald Hardrada left to return to Norway. Harold and his army had repelled the invaders, but they were not the invaders they had been expecting.