Both Claiments Dead at Hastings?

What would happen if both Harold and William had both been killed at Hastings, if I recall correctly wasn't there a point where it was thought William was dead, and well Harold died anyway.

If both had died, and the battle stalemated, what would happen next? I have no knowledge of the other claiments to the throne. Another Godwineson? Another Norman, or Norwegian?
 
So Harald, Harold and Guillaume all die? England gets a reputation for being cursed and no king wants to go there while Edgar probably takes over like he did for a bit IOTL.
 
Off the top of my head: The norman army was more of a coalition, half bribed and half bullied, before William had lands to hand out. So i say, either a new leader jumps in and takes over the coalition and the conquest continues, or more likely, the invasion force breaks up into warbands. In the second case, the warbands hire themselves out to the various saxon claimants that eventually emerge.
 
it wouldn't be so much of a problem for the English - one of the Witans main roles was to choose the new king upon the death of the old one and to rule the country in the mean time. Therefore the Witan would probably select Edgar to be King.

The Normans have a bigger problem. They don't really have a formalised method of succession beyond the successor having to be a son of the prior Duke. This means that all the sons of William, including any bastards he may have could become Duke. Unless one is significantly more powerful than the others this means Civil War

The Norman army in England will probably fall apart. Norman units will probably return to Normandy to join in fighting over the succession. Non Norman units will either return to their homelands or turn mercenary. Staying in England will probably not be an option. Even with Harold dead the English are going to get stronger as time goes on and have some serious payback on their minds
 
Could they go back to Normandy? Didn't the bastard make forts from the ships or something?
 

terence

Banned
Queen Gyrtha

it wouldn't be so much of a problem for the English - one of the Witans main roles was to choose the new king upon the death of the old one and to rule the country in the mean time. Therefore the Witan would probably select Edgar to be King.

The Witan DID elect Edgar king after the Battle, but before William reached London--they just as quickly dropped him as the Normans advanced forced him to submit to William. Edgar was only 14 years old.
As William kept Edgar alive, treated him royally and used him for several diplomatic missions, he was probably heading off inferior claims from more dangerous Scandinavian claimants. He already had Harold's surviving brother in prison.

If both William and Harold had fallen at Hastings, one could imagine Edgar being elected with Morcar as the power behind the throne--or even Harold's mother Gyrtha, who led resistance to William in the West Country.
 
I wonder if Odo was powerfull enough to hold the army and the Duchy together?

Holding the army together is a foregone conclusion. Most of the troops aren't actually norman, and are either mercenaries or basically included as a peace offering to William. Odo may get the remnants of the norman forces home, but the bulk of the army will be lost, either in battle or through desertions.

The oldest surviving child of William at the time is Robert Curthose, who IOTL succeeded to the dukedom of Normandy upon his father's death. He is twelve. Richard and William Rufus are also alive, ages 11 and 10 (no Beauclerc ITTL). Are any of them capable of keeping the duchy independent, either as its own entity or as a nominal vassal to somebody (France, Anjou, flanders...)?
 
Could they go back to Normandy? Didn't the bastard make forts from the ships or something?

If they can't get back to Normandy then they 'suddenly' all remember how much they always wanted to be English and have a very successful life of grovelling after Edgar the Atheling.
 

Thande

Donor
If they can't get back to Normandy then they 'suddenly' all remember how much they always wanted to be English and have a very successful life of grovelling after Edgar the Atheling.

That would be interesting. Referencing the mercenary troops referenced above, how about Edgar gets rid of them by sending them to conquer the Welsh or the Scots and tells them they can keep any lands they conquer - which they then do? Anglo-Saxon England and Norman Scotland?
 
That would be interesting. Referencing the mercenary troops referenced above, how about Edgar gets rid of them by sending them to conquer the Welsh or the Scots and tells them they can keep any lands they conquer - which they then do? Anglo-Saxon England and Norman Scotland?

Who do you think sets himself up in control of Norman scotland? William is obviously dead; I think that Odo, assuming that he survives, probably makes for Normandy, although his conquering scotland would be intriguing. Who is left, Norman or otherwise?
 
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