Tag Archives: harold harefoot

King Cnut’s Awkward Family Gathering? A Look at the Thorney Abbey Liber Vitae

Did Cnut the Great attend a large gathering with each rival side of his royal family — including both of his wives?

The Death and Exhumation of Harold Harefoot

Perhaps no royal body suffered a fate worse than that of Harold I, otherwise known as Harold Harefoot. Harold died on this day (March 17th) in 1040. His body was exhumed several months after his death and, depending on which source you consult, was thrown into a fen, thrown into the Thames, publicly beheaded, or some combination of these.