Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is episode 384.

King Harold Godwin's Sim. This show is ad-free due to member support and is a way of thanking

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King Edward was dead. Harold was now king. And Edith was sidelined. And as far as the

Vita Eduardo was concerned, this was the moment where the wheels came completely off the wagon.

And honestly, the Chronicle starts to look a little unenthusiastic at around this point too.

With various versions seeming to express reservations about the new King Harold. And it's version

D that becomes the most blunt about it. Actually stating that the throne was Edgar the

Athlings quote, proper do. However, despite the scribes belief that it was Edgar the Athlings

proper do, when fighting breaks out to try and get Edgar that throne, they'd change their opinion.

You know those people who talk about how much they support a cause, but then they flip out when

a march to support that cause interrupts their commute. That's version D. But regardless of

whether one felt that Harold was the harbinger of doom or just another guy on a throne,

the fact remains that his elevation to King was quick and it was a shock to many as he wasn't a

member of the Royal Dynasty. Now, had things gone well, these were facts that may have been forgotten,

or at least forgiven. But we all know that they don't. And so many of the scribes who are writing

about these events were looking back at the terrible events to follow, having personally lived

through them and drawing some conclusions. And they seem to have seen the crowning of Harold

as the beginning of the end. And he's kind of an easy target when you think about it.

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