Edward's Promise to William

Suppose Edward the Confessor promised the throne to William (OTL Will said he did and only other normans under his pay were part of that conversation) and did so in front of all William's counts, his court, and three of the English Earls. No church officials are invovled Three questions

Does it make William's claim right (by primogeniture, he's still wrong)?

Does it make it easier for William to get recruits (he needed the Pope's banner, Breton mercs and his vassals to boost numbers)?

Would the Earls present (assume they don't rebel against Harold but survive post Hastings) sit out in the Harrying of the North?
 
Suppose Edward the Confessor promised the throne to William (OTL Will said he did and only other normans under his pay were part of that conversation) and did so in front of all William's counts, his court, and three of the English Earls. No church officials are invovled Three questions

Does it make William's claim right (by primogeniture, he's still wrong)?

Does it make it easier for William to get recruits (he needed the Pope's banner, Breton mercs and his vassals to boost numbers)?

Would the Earls present (assume they don't rebel against Harold but survive post Hastings) sit out in the Harrying of the North?
William doesn't have any right to the throne by primogeniture.By primogeniture,the throne belongs to Edgar Aetheling.

I don't think the guy promising the throne to anyone makes William's claim legit.The decision lies with the Witenagemot.
 
Yeah I know primogeniture it belongs to Edgar, but I was wondering if the promise made his claim legit. English historians say the promise was (probably) made, but with only William's inner circle plus some of Edward's that failed to live to his death, it's questionable if it happened. In this case, it's pretty unambiguous it happened
 
Yeah I know primogeniture it belongs to Edgar, but I was wondering if the promise made his claim legit. English historians say the promise was (probably) made, but with only William's inner circle plus some of Edward's that failed to live to his death, it's questionable if it happened. In this case, it's pretty unambiguous it happened
What the guy did by the end of his life was pretty ambiguous.He definitely tried to set up Edgar's father as heir.From a logical point of view,I have no idea why he would promise the William the throne.
 
The supposed promise was before at the end when he was trying to set up Edgar as the hier. Anyways, the WI makes the promise pretty darn visible among the nobles, rather than a "well, all these dead guys heard it"
 
The supposed promise was before at the end when he was trying to set up Edgar as the hier. Anyways, the WI makes the promise pretty darn visible among the nobles, rather than a "well, all these dead guys heard it"
I think the English nobles are still gonna go screw that SOB,we are getting a native king.From what I can tell,it's not like Edward the Confessor was a well respected king anyway.Guy pretty much lost a lot of his power to the Godwinsons.
 
The Old English kings didn't follow primogeniture. They had "publicly" announced heirs who were usually, but not always, their eldest surviving sons. Said heirs being confirmed by the Witan.
 
Whilst 'power was right' legally Edward had no authority to appoint anyone as his heir. As his preferred heir yes but legitimacy came from the acclamation of the Witangemot. Who obviously would know on which side their bread was buttered hence The Bastard was legitimately King of England even if it was through an army standing outside Westminster when Edgar was ditched and William acclaimed.
 
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