St Edward the Confessor Factsheet

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St Edward the Confessor factsheet

BORN: c. 1003, Islip in Oxfordshire TITLES King of England th th REIGNED: 8 June 1042 – 5 January 1066 St Edward the th DIED: 4/5 January, Westminster Abbey Confessor (The name FAMILY ‘Confessor’ is Father: King Ethelred the Unready because of his religious devotion) Mother: Emma of Normandy COAT OF ARMS Wife: Edith

Children: None

KEY EVENTS TIMELINE ST EDWARD THE CONFESSOR & WESTMINSTER ABBEY 1003 – Edward is born to King Ethelred and He organised the construction of Westminster Abbey in Queen Emma 1050 on the site of an earlier monastery. It was built in the Norman or Romanesque style of architecture and 1013 – Sweyn Forkbeard from Denmark seizes dedicated to St Peter. St Edward the Confessor was the throne and Edward goes to live in buried in Westminster Abbey in 1066. In 1269 his body Normandy was moved to a newly built Shrine which can still be 1041 – Edward invited back to England by seen in the Abbey today. Witan and king FAMOUS FOR: 1042 – Edward becomes king after the death • Building Westminster Abbey of his half-brother Harthacnut • Leaving no heir, leading to the succession crisis of 1043 – Edward is crowned at Winchester 1066 and the Battle of Hastings. Cathedral • His piety and holiness. During his lifetime, people 1045 – Edward marries Edith, daughter of the believed he could cure the sick simply by touching powerful Earl Godwin them. Upon his death, his burial place became a 1050 – Construction of Westminster Abbey place of pilgrimage where people prayed for the begins miracle of healing. 1065 – On the 28th December Westminster • The only King of England to have been made a saint. Abbey is consecrated • Edward was the Patron Saint of England until 1348 1066 – Edward dies on the 5th January and is buried in the Abbey FUN FACTS: 1161 – Edward is ‘canonised’ (made a saint) • He loved to hunt and went hunting every day after church. 1269 – Edward’s body is translated into a • He is the patron saint of difficult marriages. beautiful new Shrine in the presence of King th Henry IIIA • He was the 8 son of King Ethelred, so never expected to become King of England.

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