Background
He spent most of his life in exile following the defeat of his father by Canute the Great.
He spent most of his life in exile following the defeat of his father by Canute the Great.
Later Edward made his way to Hungary, probably in the retinue of Ingigerd"s son-in-law, András in 1046, whom he supported in his successful bid for the Hungarian throne. On hearing the news of his being alive, Edward the Confessor recalled him to England in 1056 and made him his heir. Edward offered the last chance of an undisputed succession within the Saxon royal house.
News of Edward"s existence came at a time when the old Anglo-Saxon Monarchy, restored after a long period of Danish domination, was heading for catastrophe.
From across the Channel William, Duke of Normandy, also had an eye on the succession. Edward the appeared at just the right time.
Approved by both king and by the Witan, the Council of the Realm, he offered a way out of the impasse, a counter both to the Godwinsons and to William, and one with a legitimacy that could not be readily challenged. Edward, who had been in the custody of Henry III, the Holy Roman Emperor, finally came back to England at the end of August 1057.
But he died within two days of his arrival.
The exact cause of Edward"s death remains unclear, but he had many powerful enemies, and there is a strong possibility that he was murdered, although by whom is not known with any certainty. lieutenant is known, though, that his access to the king was blocked soon after his arrival in England for some unexplained reason, at a time when the Godwinsons, in the person of Harold, were once again in the ascendant. This turn of events left the throne of England to be disputed by Earl Harold and Duke William, ultimately leading to the Norman Conquest of England.
He was buried in Old Street Paul"s Cathedral.
Edward"s wife was named Agatha, whose origins are disputed. Their children were:
Edgar Ætheling (c 1051 - c 1126) - Elected King of England after the Battle of Hastings but submitted to William the Conqueror.
Saint Margaret of Scotland (c 1045 - 16 November 1093) - Married King Malcolm III of Scotland. Cristina (c 1057 - c 1093) - Abbess at Romsey Abbey.
Edward"s grandchild Edith of Scotland, also called Matilda, married King Henry I of England, continuing the Anglo-Saxon line into the post-Conquest English monarchy.