So, what was King Harold doing while his kingdom was being invaded then? He was dashing back from Waltham Abbey to London! Despite this being the eleventh century communication was much better than we might imagine. In an earlier chapter I showed Coenred, acting as an eorl’s man and in the absence of the High-Theign who was still away hunting, sending messengers to Harold to warn him of this serious turn of events.

All of the accounts that I have read of Harold’s character portray him as a very active man. His recent illness appears to have been something of an anomaly, which is probably why it is mentioned. He was a very experienced politician who had also fought in several wars. To my mind, Harold was perfectly qualified to be King of England. In this chapter he the news of the Viking invasion admirably with one possible exception; he overestimates the ability of the eorls, Edwin and Morcar when it comes to doing the right thing!

Below is a PDF file of the chapter under discussion. Please, click on the link and enjoy.