1066 and all that
By SHEILA KIGGINS
Posted on 30 September 2016
Still the most memorable date in English history, 1066 packed a lot into its 12 months. The year started with the death of a king and ended with the near-total annihilation of the English nobility, and a Norman invader on the throne. These days we’d call it regime change and questions would be asked about Norman war crimes in the north. Or we’d write a saga about it and call it Game of Thrones.
King Harold is one of history’s most
famous losers, but if fate had been kinder at Hastings he would be remembered for triumphing at 1066’s other great battle - Stamford Bridge, fought in Yorkshire on 25 September against his own brother Tostig and the King of Norway. Harold didn’t have long to rest on his laurels, as news reached him during his victory feast that Duke William of Normandy had landed in Kent with an army behind him.
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