University of East Anglia historian links 1066 conquest to papal power struggle

New research by University of East Anglia historian Professor Tom Licence suggests that a lost papal letter could rewrite the history of the 1066 Norman Conquest. Findings published by Yale University Press in the book ‘Harold: Warrior King’ indicate that the outcome of the Battle of Hastings may have been heavily influenced by political and religious conflicts in Rome rather than just dynastic struggles in England.

Analysis of excerpts from a letter by Pope Alexander II, preserved in the Vatican archives, reveals that Western Christendom was divided by two rival popes during the 1060s. The research suggests that King Harold Godwinson may have forfeited his political standing by supporting the wrong papal faction. This allegiance may have persuaded Pope Alexander II to back William of Normandy’s invasion, providing the Duke of Normandy with the legitimacy of a ‘just war.’

The discovery coincides with the British Museum’s upcoming exhibition of the Bayeux Tapestry. Professor Licence noted that the events of 1066 were shaped by decisions made nearly a thousand miles away in Rome, suggesting the conquest was part of a much wider European political struggle.