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St. Edward the Confessor: The King Who Became a Saint
St. Edward, the Confessor, was the last Anglo-Saxon king of England. Born in 1005, his father was King Ethelred "the Unready" and his mother Emma, daughter of Duke Richard I of Normandy. He was born into a complicated family and much of his life was consumed with family disputes and politics of the time.
Exiled
The resurgence of Viking raids caused the exile of Edward and his siblings in 1013. He was sent to Normandy, while fighting continued in England. When his father died in 1016, his half-brother, Edmund became king of England. Edmund's reign was short-lived and the Danish king, Canute, became king of England. Edward's mother, Emma married Canute a year later with the provision that any children born of their marriage would take precedence over children from either her or Canute's first marriage. With Canute, Emma had a son named Harthacnut, who was named heir to England over her sons with Ethelred. Chronicles state that Edward never forgave her for abandoning him and his right to the throne.
Edward grew up in the ducal courts of Normandy supported by his mother's relatives. There are no records that show he received any financial aid from his mother during this time. When Canute died in 1035, his son Harold Harefoot was put on the throne because Harthacnut was deemed too young to rule. After Harold's death, Harthacnut came to the throne and invited Edward to co-rule England with him. In 1042, Harthacnut died and Edward was pronounced King of England. He was crowned at Winchester Cathedral on Easter Day, 1043.
Promoted peace
Edward was a powerless king. He did not speak English and he surrounded himself with nobles from Normandy. To promote peace in his kingdom, he was forced to marry Edith, daughter of the most powerful lord in England, Godwinson. Edward was reportedly so pious that he refused to consummate the marriage and lived in chastity for his whole life. He demonstrated his faith in the face of the temptations of the world through abstinence. For this reason, he was called the "Confessor," a man who suffers for his faith in a manner short of martyrdom.
Candidate for sainthood
Edward's most lasting personal achievement was the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey. The huge new church was the first of its kind in England. It was dedicated on the Dec. 28, 1065, just in time for Edward's own burial on Jan. 6, 1066. Immediately after his death, stories of miracles he worked in his lifetime began to circulate and the monks of Westminster promoted these stories. Edward's childlessness was cited as evidence of his self-denial and his works displayed a sense of holiness acquired near the end of his life. Edward was presented as a candidate for sainthood and officially declared a saint by Pope Alexander III in 1161. On Oct. 13, 1163, his body was transferred to a new shrine in Westminster Abbey and Oct. 13 is currently celebrated as his feast day.
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