Every Vikings Valhalla Character Who Became King Of England After King Canute

Summary

• Vikings: Valhalla season 3 saw characters aiming for the throne of England, including Emma’s sons with Aethelred and Canute’s sons with Aelfgifu.
• Harthacnut was chosen as King, but Harefoot had to act as regent.
• William the Conqueror took the throne after defeating Harold Godwinson.

Vikings: Valhalla ended with its third season, but the stories of its characters don’t end there, as some of them went on to become kings of England after King Canute’s (Bradley Freegard) death. Vikings: Valhalla season 3 caught up with its main characters seven years after the events of season 2, in which Leif (Sam Corlett) and Harald (Leo Suter) arrived in Constantinople, Freydis (Frida Gustavsson) became the new leader of Jomsborg and the Jomsvikings, Queen Emma of Normandy (Laura Berlin) discovered Godwin (David Oakes) was behind her assassination attempt, and King Canute returned to England.

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 continued Harald’s efforts to become King of Norway, Leif’s preparations for his journey to the Golden Land, and Freydis’ search for a new home for the Jomsvikings. As for Queen Emma and King Canute, the latter’s health began to decline, forcing him to decide who would succeed him as King of England. In the end, he decided Emma would reign by herself, but at the end of Vikings: Valhalla season 3, it was implied his son Harefoot (Pyry Kähkönen) got together with Emma to rule together – but in real life, he wasn’t the only one who became King of England.

Harold Harefoot was the second son of King Canute and Queen Aelfgifu of Denmark (Pollyanna McIntosh). Harefoot made his debut in Vikings: Valhalla season 1 as a child, when he arrived in Kattegat with his brother Svein and their grandfather, King Sweyn Forkbeard (Søren Pilmark), and it was he who found Leif after he killed Olaf’s men. Seven years later, in season 3, Harefoot was interested in becoming King of England, and he told Godwin about it so he would guide him. Harefoot killed King Forkbeard as he also wanted the throne, but Canute had other plans for him.

Harefoot fought Emma’s eldest son, Edward (Cal O’Driscoll), to prove who was physically stronger and won, but that didn’t grant him the throne of England. Canute decided that his youngest son, Harthacanute (Huey O’Meara), would be King of Denmark (despite only being a child), and Harefoot would be his regent. However, at the end of Vikings: Valhalla, Harefoot was brought to England by Godwin after Canute’s death to become King of England, and it was implied he and Emma would get together.

As Harefoot was the only one of Cnut’s sons in England at the time, he was named regent of England.

When the real Cnut died, Harthacnut was named the heir to Denmark and England, but he was unable to travel to his coronation in England due to an invasion of Denmark led by Magnus Olafsson. As Harefoot was the only one of Cnut’s sons in England at the time, he was named regent of England, though the Archbishop of Canterbury refused to crown him. Harefoot gained more and more support and was officially proclaimed king in 1037, but this led Emma to flee to Bruges, Flanders.

Harefoot died in 1040 of unknown causes and his final resting place is said to be the church of St. Clement Danes, in the City of Westminster.

4 Harthacanute

Harthacanute Reigned From 1040 To 1042

The real Harthacnut also became King of Denmark (as Cnut III) after Cnut’s death.

In Vikings: Valhalla, Harthacanute was Canute’s youngest son and his only child with Emma, and he decided he would be King of Denmark, with his half-brother Harefoot as his regent. However, as Harefoot traveled to England to become king, it’s unclear who guided Harthacanute during his reign. The real Harthacnut also became King of Denmark (as Cnut III) after Cnut’s death, reigning from 1035 to 1042 (as he died in 1042). As explained above, he was set to become King of England as well, but couldn’t travel to his coronation.

In 1041, Harthacnut brought Edward back from exile and chose him as his heir.

When Harefoot died in 1040, Harthacnut finally took over as King of England, reigning until his death. During his reign, Harefoot’s body was exhumed, beheaded, and thrown into a fen bordering the Thames, in retaliation for what he did to Edward’s brother, Alfred, who he tortured, blinded, and killed. Harthacnut had various health issues throughout his life and knew he wouldn’t live for long. In 1041, he brought Edward back from exile and chose him as his heir, as he had no sons who could take the throne.

According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Harthacnut died at a wedding as he stood at his drink and suddenly fell and convulsed. Harthacnut appointed Edward as his heir to the throne of England and Magnus Olafsson as his successor in Denmark. Harthacnut was only 23-24 years old when he died.

3 Edward The Confessor

Edward The Confessor Reigned From 1042 To 1066

In Vikings: Valhalla, Emma had two sons with King Aethelred: Edward and Alfred, who she sent to Normandy in season 2 for their safety following her assassination attempt. Emma reunited with her sons in Vikings: Valhalla season 3, and while Alfred was happy to see her, Edward resented her for sending them to Normandy and not coming back for them until seven years later. When Canute summoned all his sons, Emma’s sons, and Harthacanute to decide who would succeed him, Edward fought Harefoot and lost, with Emma asking Harefoot not to kill him.

Canute said Edward and Alfred would return to Normandy, but Emma told Edward that was her decision, not Canute’s, as she didn’t feel they were ready to rule England yet, but knew they would one day. At the end of Vikings: Valhalla, Emma called for Edward after Canute’s death as she knew the earls would turn against her, but Godwin didn’t let the message get to him and, instead, brought Harefoot as he promised to guide him to become King of England.

Edward escaped back to Normandy, and Harthacnut chose him as his heir.

The story of the real Edward was different, and he became King of England at one point. During Cnut’s reign, Edward spent a quarter of a century in exile, most likely in Normandy, and during Harefoot’s reign, he and Alfred traveled to England. Unfortunately, it was a trap, and Alfred was betrayed by Godwin and captured, tortured, blinded, and killed. Edward escaped back to Normandy, and Harthacnut chose him as his heir. Edward was crowned in 1043, but historians disagree on how effective or not his reign was.

What Edward did, however, was restore the rule of the House of Wessex, and is considered its last king. Edward married Godwin’s daughter, Edith, but as they had no heirs, his brother-in-law succeeded him. Edward died in 1066 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, and Harold Godwinson was crowned the following day.

2 Harold Godwinson

Harold Godwinson Reigned In 1066

Godwin showed in Vikings: Valhalla season 1 that he would betray as many people as he could if that benefited him in some way. Godwin killed King Edmund so Canute would be the only King of England, and in season 2, he came up with an elaborate plan to try to kill Emma, save her, earn a favor, and make his way into the royal family as he wanted his son to become King of England some day. Godwin got what he wanted as Canute married him to his niece, Gytha, thus making him part of the royal family.

Godwin’s sons, Harold and Tostig, appeared briefly in Vikings: Valhalla season 3, but they were just kids. Vikings: Valhalla will never answer the question of whether Godwin’s son became King of England in the show’s universe or not, but the real Harold Godwinson fulfilled his father’s wish. Harold was the son of Godwin and Gytha Thorkelsdóttir, daughter of King Sweyn Forkbeard and sister of King Cnut. After Godwin’s death, Harold succeeded him as Earl of Wessex, making him the most powerful lay figure in England after the king (Edward the Confessor).

Upon hearing of Harold’s coronation, William, Duke of Normandy, began to prepare to invade England.

As Edward died without an heir, the Witan decided the day after his death that Harold would succeed him – however, Harold’s reign wasn’t long. Upon hearing of Harold’s coronation, William, Duke of Normandy, began to prepare to invade England, but as Harold anticipated it, he was prepared for it. William defeated and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, and he became the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold only ruled England for nine months.

1 William the Conqueror

William the Conqueror Reigned From 1066 To 1087

Vikings: Valhalla season 3 introduced some new characters despite not having enough time to develop their stories, and among them was William, Duke of Normandy (Ely Solan). William was introduced when Emma and Canute arrived in Normandy, with Emma mentioning she was William’s great-aunt. Unfortunately, Vikings: Valhalla season 3 didn’t show much of William, only that he was under his uncle’s tutelage, that as soon as he turned 15 years old he would claim what was his, and made a promise with Edward and Alfred that they would all fight for what’s theirs.

The real William, Duke of Normandy had a different story and ended up becoming King of England after Harold Godwinson’s death. William became Duke of Normandy at a very young age (seven years old), and members of the Norman aristocracy fought each other for control of him and for their own ends. William assumed power in Normandy in 1047, and in 1051, he married Matilda of Flanders, daughter of Count Baldwin V of Flanders, which gave William a powerful ally.

William was crowned king on Christmas Day, becoming the first Norman King of England.

Edward the Confessor supposedly chose William as his successor as they were related, but Harold Godwinson was chosen by the Witan, though some sources claim Edward chose him on his deathbed. After Harold’s coronation, William built a large fleet to invade England and killed Harold at the Battle of Hastings. William was crowned king on Christmas Day, becoming the first Norman King of England. William’s reign faced many rebellions, including Danish raids, and he died in 1087, leaving Normandy to his son Robert and England to his second son, William II, who became king that same year.