Who caused the Battle of Hastings?

Answer 1

Basically, it was because William the Conquerer had a better claim to the throne than Harold. It's fairly complicated:-

In 1002, King Aethelred 2 of England married Emma, the daughter of Richard of Normandy (the father of the future William the Conquerer).

In 1013, Aethelred , his wife, and 2 sons (Alfred and Edward) fled to Normandy after England was invaded by the Danes.

In 1015, Aethelred returned to England .

In 1016, Aethelred died, his son Edmund Ironside also died, and his 2 sons (Edmund and Edward) were banished and fled to Hungary and Cnut became king of England.

To forestall any action by Richard of Normandy on behalf of his 2 nephews - Aethelred's and Emma's 2 sons - Cnut made a treaty with Richard and married Emma.

In 1035, Cnut died and his kingdom was split up between his sons: Harold Harefoot took England, was crowned king, killed Aethelred, and expelled Emma. (She found refuge with Baldwin of Flanders. However, Richard of Normandy could not intervene on behalf of his nephews - Aethelred's and Emma's 2 sons - because he had also died in 1035, his 8 year old son William was Duke of Normandy, and the duchy was distracted by other things.

In 1040 Harold died and Harthacnut was made king.

In 1041 He invited his half-brother Edward, who was still in Normandy, to return to England: (this was a tacit recognition of Edward as heir presumptive to the throne.)

In 1042 Harthacnut died and in 1043 Edward was made king. Edward the Confessor was half-Norman by blood, and fully-Norman by upbringing (he had lived there since 1013), his following was Norman, and he was surrounded by Norman priests and clergy.

In 1048, Duke William of Normandy proposed for the hand of Matilda, the daughter of Baldwin 5 of Flanders in order to make an alliance.

In 1051, Duke William of Normandy (now 24) visited his cousin Edward in England. Edward was childless and vowed to perpetual chastity. The question of succession was discussed, and William left for home with a claim of some sort to the English throne.

In 1053 William married Matilda.

In 1054, King Henry 1 of France died, who was succeeded by his infant son Philip 1, under the guardianship of Baldwin of Flanders. The king of France was 'in the pocket' of William's father-in-law, and this gave William great status .

In 1064, King Edward the Confessor was dying, and William was visited by King Edward's chief Lieutenant, Harold Earl of Wessex.

There are differing accounts of the exact details, they agree that Harold (then Earl of Wessex, and the chief Lieutenant of King Edward the Confessor of England [ who was dying] ) was caught in a storm in the English Channel, driven ashore on the coast of Ponthieu in Normandy, captured, and put in prison. William looked upon this as an act of God, and when he had Harold in his power ( Harold was virtually under-king of England at the time) refused to release him unless Harold did homage to William and swore that on his return he would recognize William's claim to the English throne. (There is no doubt that the oath was taken, and Harold did nothing to refute or deny it.)

In 1066, before he died on January 5th, King Edward commended to the care of Harold 'his wife, his retainers, and all his kingdom' , and Harold was crowned King. William Duke of Normandy was most upset at this, with the breaking of oaths and promises and denial of his right of inheritance of the throne made to him. So, he decided that if he was not going to be given what was rightfully his, then he was going to take it by force.

The basic cause of the Battle of Hastings was the usurpation of William, the Duke of Normandy's, rightful inheritance of the throne of England previously promised to him.

[see "The Decisive Battles Of The Western World And Their Influence on History" by Major-General J.F.C. Fuller, Volume 1, 1954]

Answer 2

its was two people want to be king and ;the one with they more money got pit base they think ed he could gave more they there man think it was not fare and want for battle .

Answer 3

The Battle of Hastings started because Edward the confessor promised the crown to 3 people , Harold from England, William from Normandy and Harald the viking.