If the English petitioned the Emperor for support in retaking England in exchange for a sort of tributary vassalage to the Romans, could they have succeeded? I think the idea of a Saxon-Varangian-Greek expeditionary force landing on the shores of Cornwall and driving the Normans into the sea makes for a pretty cool timeline myself. If they arrived in the late 11th century, then it is pretty opportune since William II was fighting off rebellions throughout the 1080’s and 1090’s and actively campaigning across the Channel in Normandy.
If the English had succeeded and retaken the island for themselves, what would it look like? I would imagine they would attempt to expel all of the Norman lords from their lands and reinstate some of the surviving Anglo-Saxon nobility. Many of these nobles had died at Hastings, so perhaps you would find some of the Greeks being given land in England as well? The Anglo-Saxons would have an interesting relationship with the East as a result of this, perhaps when’s Alexios makes his famous appeal to the Christian world for aid, the English send a large expedition of their own. The religious factor would be interesting too, because pre-Conquest the English were undecided about the Great Schism and hadn’t really fallen in line with the Pope yet. That’s one of the reasons the pope alledgly granted William the Papal Banner for his invasion. So basically, would the returning English have a chance of acknowledging the eastern Patriarch if the Pope asserts authority in England?
Alexios actually supporting some English exiles taking a land he only knew of through traders and talk is probably a bit implausible, but you could argue that gaining allies in the west to help out the generally friendless Eastern Empire would be beneficial and that this investment could pay back in the future. Anyway, anyone have any thoughts on the scenario?