Warring factions
Who's who in King & Conqueror? Historian David Musgrove fills in the facts
BBC / CBS Studios
- Dr David Musgrove
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Harold Godwinson
James Norton
James Norton as Harold, Earl of Wessex, in King & Conqueror. BBC
Harold leapt into action to have himself crowned after Edward the Confessor’s death. His claim to the throne was shaky, but he was a proven leader and fighter and perhaps was seen as the best chance to keep the Anglo-Saxon monarchy alive. In King & Conqueror, he’s a conflicted man, power-hungry but also driven by a desire to serve.
William of Normandy
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William, Duke of Normandy in King & Conqueror Lilja Jons/BBC
The bastard Duke of Normandy is portrayed as a charismatic schemer. William must have been a dynamic and inspiring figure in real life, as he was able to build a strong powerbase in Normandy from an inauspicious start, and manage the logistics of a complicated operation to invade England in 1066.
Edward the Confessor
Eddie Marsan
Eddie Marsan as King Edward in King & Conqueror Lilja Jons / BBC
A saintly king, who perhaps was not worldly enough to rule effectively, Edward nevertheless managed almost a quarter-century on the throne. Probably, for much of his reign, he was in thrall to the Godwin family, who wielded the real power. On screen we see a rather weak figure, prone to rages. His relationship with his mother, Lady Emma, is problematic.
Lady Emma
Juliet Stevenson
Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma in King & Conqueror. Lilja Jons/BBC
The queen of both Kings Aethelred and Cnut, and the mother of Kings Harthacnut and Edward, Emma of Normandy was clearly a strong and resilient woman. She’s played as a manipulative matriarch, very much intent on ruling in the stead of her son Edward, who she doesn’t think much of at all.
Edith Swan-neck
Emily Beecham
Emily Beecham as Edith Swan-neck in King & Conqueror Lilja Jons/BBC
Edith (also known as Edith the Fair) is assumed to have been married to Harold Godwinson in the “Danish way”, which is generally taken to mean outside of Christian rites. In King & Conqueror, Edith is a potent adviser to Harold, but her role is diminished when Harold takes another wife — this time in a church ceremony.
Matilda of Flanders
Clémence Poésy
Clémence Poésy as Matilda in King & Conqueror. Lilja Jons/BBC
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William’s wife Matilda is shown as another powerful female. She uses her family connections with Count Baldwin of Flanders to manoeuvre William to better contend with threats at home from the King of France, and to be able to launch the invasion of England. Meanwhile, she also had five daughters and four sons between 1053 and 1069.
Authors
Dr David Musgrove
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