by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025
Ealdgyth of Mercia’s second husband, Harold II Godwinson, King of England; Credit – Wikipedia
Ealdgyth of Mercia was Queen of Wales via her first marriage to Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, King of Wales, and was Queen of England via her second marriage to Harold Godwinson, later Harold II Godwinson, King of England. Born circa 1035, Ealdgyth’s parents were Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, the son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and his famous wife Godgifu, better known as Lady Godiva, and Ælgifu, believed to be the sister of William Malet, Lord of Eye.
Ealdgyth had three brothers:
Around 1057, Ealdgyth married Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, an ally of her father. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was King of Gwynedd and King of Powys, both in Wales, from 1039 to 1055 and then King of Wales from 1055 to 1063.
Ealdgyth and Gruffydd ap Llywelyn had three children:
- Maredudd (? -1069), died at the Battle of Mechain in the Kingdom of Powys
- Idwal (? – 1069), died at the Battle of Mechain in the Kingdom of Powys
- Nesta married Osbern FitzRichard, had at least one son and one daughter
In the spring of 1063, Tostig Godwinson, the brother of Harold Godwinson, led an army into North Wales while Harold led a fleet of ships to south Wales and then north to meet his brother’s army. Gruffydd ap Llywelyn was forced to take refuge in Snowdonia, in Wales, where he was killed.
In England, Edith the Fair, also known as Edith Swansneck, was Harold Godwinson’s companion for more than twenty years. Their relationship was more danico, Latin for “in the Danish manner”, similar to handfasting. Although the relationship was not recognized by the Catholic Church, Harold and Edith’s children were not considered illegitimate. The marriage of Edith Swanneck and Harold Godwinson lasted until circa 1065, when Harold made a marriage recognized by the Catholic Church.
Harold Godwinson was the most powerful nobleman in England and was regarded as the principal successor of Edward the Confessor, King of England, who had no children or other heirs. However, to gain the support of the Catholic Church, Harold decided to enter into a legitimate marriage that the Catholic Church would recognize. Although Edith the Fair was still living, Harold married Ealdgyth of Mercia, the widow of a defeated enemy, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn of Gwynedd, King of Wales. Harold chose Ealdgyth of Mercia to secure the support of the Mercians and to weaken the links between the Mercians and the Welsh rulers. Although the date is unknown, it occurred sometime before the Norman Conquest in October 1066, but whether it occurred before or after Harold’s coronation as King of England is unknown.
Harold and Ealdgyth had one son who was born after Harold’s death:
- Harold (1067 – after 1098) – He was probably born in Chester, England, where his mother was taken by her brothers to escape the advancing army of William the Conqueror, the future King William I of England. Harold was exiled during the reign of King William I of England and found refuge at the court of the King of Norway. In 1098, Harold was one of the men Magnus III Olafson, King of Norway, took with him on an expedition to Orkney, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man, and Anglesey. That was the last mention of Harold that appears in any source.
When William II, Duke of Normandy, heard that Harold Godwinson had been crowned King of England, he began careful preparations for an invasion of England. During the summer of 1066, he assembled an army and an invasion fleet. The Battle of Hastings, the ultimate showdown, occurred on October 14, 1066, when the army of William II, Duke of Normandy, met the army of King Harold II Godwinson of England, about six miles northwest of Hastings, England. Harold appears to have tried to surprise William, but Norman scouts found his army and reported its arrival to William, who marched from Hastings to the battlefield to confront Harold.
The Norman army defeated the army of King Harold II Godwinson, who was killed in the Battle of Hastings, along with two of his brothers, Gyrth and Leofwine. As William’s position grew stronger, it became evident to those in power that the teenage Edgar the Ætheling, the last of the Anglo-Saxon House of Wessex, who was King of England elected after the death of King Edward the Confessor, should be abandoned and that they should submit to William. On Christmas Day 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned King of England at Westminster Abbey.
After Harold’s death, Ealdgyth’s brothers went to London to fetch her and take her to Chester, England, for her safety. After the 1066 Norman Conquest of England, Ealdgyth does not appear in historical sources.
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Works Cited
- Ealdgyth – History… the interesting bits! (2023). History… The Interesting Bits! https://historytheinterestingbits.com/tag/ealdgyth/
- Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Harold II Godwinson, King of England [Review of Harold II Godwinson, King of England]. Unofficial Royalty. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/harold-ii-godwinson-king-of-england/
- Venning, Timothy. (2013). The Kings & Queens of Anglo-Saxon England. Amberley Publishing Limited.
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Edith of Mercia. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Gruffudd ap Llywelyn. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
