Y7 Normans L2 - Claims to the throne

• History
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Y7 Normans L2 - Claims to the throne

Who had the greatest claim to the throne?

Answer the following questions:

Which civilisation were the Normans descended from?

1. Romans
2. Celts
3. Greeks
4. Vikings

What was the primary religion of the Normans?

1. Pagan
2. Christian
3. Sikh
4. Norse

In which country is Normandy located?

1. Italy
2. France
3. Spain
4. Germany

Who was the first leader of the Normans?

1. William the Conqueror
2. Harald Hardrada
3. Alfred the Great
4. Rollo

Death of the King

In January 1066, Edward the Confessor, King of England died. He was 62 years old and left no children behind. 

There was no clear heir to the throne!

This means the country was unsure of who the next king of England should be

Heir - a person with the legal right to take over the throne on the death of a king or queen

Witan - the Anglo-Saxon council who had the right to choose the next king of England

Why would having no clear heir to the throne be an issue?

Claimant 1 - Edgar Atheling

Claimant 2 - Harold Godwinson

Claimant 3 - Harald Hardrada

Claimant 4 - William, duke of Normandy

Task - while watching the video fill in your table

For each claimant you need to consider:

- Strengths: Why is their claim good?

- Weaknesses: What issues are there with their claim?

Who was the Norwegian king who also had a claim to the English throne in 1066?

1. Harthacnut
2. Sweyn II of Denmark
3. Cnut the Great
4. Harald Hardrada

Why did Harold Godwinson have a claim to the throne?

1. He was nominated as the heir by the previous king.
2. He was a famous explorer.

Why did Harald Hardrada have a claim to the throne?

1. He claimed that a pact made with a previous king was not honored.
2. He was the son of a nobleman.

Why did Edgar Atheling have a claim to the throne?

1. He was the closest male heir to the throne.
2. He was a military leader.

Why did William have a claim to the throne?

1. He was a distant relative of King Edward.
2. He was a commoner.
3. He was a military general.
4. He was the son of a nobleman.

Who was the claimant to the English throne in 1066, leading to the Norman Conquest?

1. Harthacnut
2. William the Conqueror
3. Edgar the Ætheling
4. Harold Godwinson

Who had the greatest claim to the throne?

Harold Godwinson

Edgar the Atheling.

Harald Hardrada

William, duke of Normandy

Maybe, there were multiple legitimate claimants.

Who had the greatest claim to the throne of England? (Write a paragraph to explain your answer)

Who had the weakest claim to the English throne? Explain your answer.