Harold I

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Read Next

Union Jack flag of Great Britain, united kingdom

What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?

Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day (June 2, 1953) holding the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross in her right hand the Orb in her left, in an embroidered and beaded dress by Norman Hartnell, a crimson velvet mantle edged with ermine fur, with the Coronation ring, the Coronation necklace, and the Imperial State Crown. The backdrop depicts the interior of Westminster Abbey; photograph by Cecil Beaton. (British royals)

5 Fascinating British Coronation Objects

King Charles III and Queen Camilla (Camilla, Queen Consort) wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Coronation of King Charles in London, England on May 6, 2023

British Royal Line of Succession

King George V of Britain, c. 1910, shortly after his accession to the throne

How Did King George V Really Die?

Discover

Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that

America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)

Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society

12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

Flags That Look Alike

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Italian Renaissance painter from Florence. Engraving by Cosomo Colombini (d. 1812) after a Leonardo self portrait. Ca. 1500.

10 Famous Artworks by Leonardo da Vinci

Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army

8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century

Super Typhoon Noru over the western tropical Pacific Ocean as observed by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA Aqua satellite July 31 2017

What Is the Difference Between a Typhoon and a Super Typhoon?

Woman tied to a ducking stool, a method of punishment by means of humiliation, beating, or death. (cucking stool)

8 Unusual Punishments Inflicted on Women Throughout History

Harold I

king of England

Also known as: Harold Harefoot

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Quick Facts

Byname:: Harold Harefoot

Died:: March 17, 1040, Oxford, England

Also Known As:: Harold Harefoot

Title / Office:: king (1035-1040), England

Notable Family Members:: father Canute I

See all related content

Harold I (died March 17, 1040, Oxford, England) was the king of England from 1035 to 1040, and the son of Aelgifu and Canute, the Danish king of England from 1016 to 1035.

Harold was made regent of England after Canute’s death. Hardecanute, Canute’s son by Emma and claimant to the English throne, was not chosen because he was occupied with affairs in Denmark, where he became king. In 1036 Harold was responsible for the brutal murder of another royal claimant, Alfred the Aetheling, son of King Ethelred the Unready (Ethelred II; reigned 978–1016). Harold then proclaimed himself king and banished Hardecanute’s mother. He protected his realm from Welsh and Scottish invaders, and on his death Hardecanute ascended the throne.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.