Danish Kings of England

House of Denmark

Country	Kingdom of England, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Norway, Kingdom of Sweden
Titles	King of England King of Denmark King of Norway King of Sweden
Founder	Sweyn Forkbeard
Final sovereign	Harthacnut
Founding	1013
Dissolution	1042
Cadet branches	House of Estridsen

The House of Denmark refers to the Danish kings of England, who ruled England from 1013 to 1014 and 1016 to 1042.

In 1013 Sweyn Forkbeard, already the king of Denmark and of Norway, overthrew King Æthelred the Unready of the House of Wessex. Sweyn had first invaded England in 1003 to avenge the death of his sister Gunhilde and many other Danes in the St. Brice's Day massacre, which had been ordered by Æthelred in 1002.

Sweyn died in 1014 and Æthelred was restored. However in 1015 Sweyn's son, Cnut the Great, invaded England. After Æthelred died in April 1016, his son Edmund Ironside briefly became king, but was forced to surrender half of England to Cnut. After Edmund died in November that same year, Cnut became king of all England.

Although Cnut was already married to Ælfgifu of Northampton, he married Æthelred's widow, Emma of Normandy. He ruled until his death in 1035. After his death another of Æthelred's sons, Alfred Aetheling, tried to retake the English throne, but he was betrayed and captured by Godwin, Earl of Wessex, who supported Cnut's son, Harold Harefoot. Alfred was blinded, and died soon after.

Harold ruled until 1040, although his mother Ælfgifu may have ruled during part of his reign.^[1] Harold initially shared England with his half brother Harthacnut, the son of Cnut and Emma. Harold ruled in Mercia and Northumbria, and Harthacnut ruled in Wessex. However Harthacnut was also king of Denmark (as Cnut III), and spent most of his time there, so that Harold was effectively sole ruler of England.

Harthacnut succeeded Harold as king of England (he is sometimes also known as Cnut II). He died two years later, and his half-brother Edward the Confessor became king. Edward was the son of Æthelred and Emma, and so with his succession to the throne the House of Wessex was restored.

England after the House of Denmark

Edward the Confessor ruled until 1066. His brother in law, Harold Godwinson — the son of Alfred's betrayer — became king, provoking the Norman conquest of England in the same year. Harold II was the last Anglo-Saxon king to rule over England.

In 1085–86 King Cnut IV of Denmark planned one last Danish invasion of England, but he was assassinated by Danish rebels before he could carry it out. This was the last time the Vikings attempted to attack Western Europe, and Cnut's death is regarded as the end of the Viking Age.

List of Danish kings of England

• Sweyn Forkbeard, 1013–14 (also king of Denmark 986/7–1014 and Norway 999–1014)
• Cnut, 1016–1035 (also king of Denmark 1018–35 and Norway 1028–35)
• Harold Harefoot, 1035–40
• Harthacnut, 1040–42 (also king of Denmark 1035–1042)

Queens consort of England

• Emma of Normandy (1002–1016 and 1017–1035)
• Ælfgifu of Northampton (1016–1035)

See also

• House of Knýtlinga
• Danelaw
• Guthrum
• Ragnar Lodbrok
• Ivar the Boneless
• Eric Bloodaxe
• Harald III of Norway
• Cnut IV of Denmark
• Sweyn II of Denmark
• List of English monarchs

References

• Sweyn on the official website of the British Monarchy
• Cnut on the official website of the British Monarchy
• Harold on the official website of the British Monarchy
• Harthacnut on the official website of the British Monarchy

1. ^ Frank Stenton, Anglo-Saxon England, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1971, p. 421.

Royal house House of Denmark
Preceded by House of Wessex	Ruling house of England 1013–14	Succeeded by House of Wessex
	Ruling house of England 1016–42
Royal house House of Harthacnut
Preceded by House of Olaf	Ruling house of Denmark ca 900–1042	Succeeded by House of Bjelbo
Preceded by Fairhair dynasty	Ruling house of Norway 985–95	Succeeded by Vestfold dynasty1
Preceded by House of Hlaðir	Ruling house of Norway 1028–35
Notes and references
1. It is disputed whether the Vestfold dynasty is a cadet branch of the Fairhair dynasty; see Fairhair dynasty for more details.