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Ealdgytha Svannehalsc.1025 - c.1086 |
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Ealdgytha, whose nickname, Svannehals, means Swan-neck and was said to refer to her long neck, was considered one of the most beautiful women in England. She was Harold's mistress long before he became king and in recent years, claims have been made that she and Harold were married at some point under Danish custom, although in 1066, Harold married Edith, the former wife of Gruffydd ap Llewelyn. Ealdgytha is believed to have been the mother of all of Harold's children, Godwin, Edmund, Magnus, Gunhild, and Gytha. In After Hastings, Ealdgytha is the love of Harold's life and ignores his official marriage to Edith. She advises Harold and has an influence on him that allows her to say things to him that even Aethelwine and Leofwine aren't able to say. At the same time, she believes that if she tries to advises Harold on matters too frequently, she'll lose her ability to change his mind when it is most necessary, so she picks her battles carefully. Although best known throughout England for her beauty, Ealdgytha has a cunning mind and before the Norman Conquest is believed to have been one of the wealthiest landowners in England. According to tradition, following the battle of Hastings, Ealdgytha walked among the dead until she found the mutilated corpse of Harold and identified him, allowing him to have a royal burial at Waltham Abbey. Ealdgytha lived until around 1086. |
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