UEA Historian Reframes the Norman Conquest as Part of a Wider European Church Conflict

UEA Historian Reframes the Norman Conquest as Part of a Wider European Church Conflict

(IN BRIEF) New research from the University of East Anglia argues that a lost papal letter may change how historians understand the Norman Conquest of 1066. The study, published by Yale University Press in Harold: Warrior King by Professor Tom Licence, suggests that King Harold’s position may have been weakened before the Battle of Hastings because England backed the wrong side in a conflict between two rival popes. Previously overlooked excerpts from a letter by Pope Alexander II, preserved in the Vatican archives, indicate that papal support for William of Normandy’s invasion may have been shaped by wider political and religious conflict in Rome. The research places 1066 in a broader European context, involving the papacy, the Holy Roman Empire and competing medieval power blocs, rather than treating the conquest only as a dynastic struggle for the English throne.

(PRESS RELEASE) NORWICH, 11-Aug-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — New research from the University of East Anglia suggests that a lost letter from the Pope could reshape long-standing interpretations of the events leading to the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Excerpts from the letter, preserved in the Vatican archives, indicate that a political and religious power struggle in Rome may have played an important role in the circumstances that led to William of Normandy’s invasion of England.

The research argues that King Harold may have weakened his claim to the English crown before the Battle of Hastings by aligning England with the wrong side in a bitter dispute between rival popes.

The findings suggest that the outcome of 1066 may have been influenced not only by military events in England, but also by wider conflicts within the medieval Church and political decisions taken in Rome.

The research has been published by Yale University Press in a new book, Harold: Warrior King, written by Professor Tom Licence, a historian at UEA.

The publication comes as the British Museum prepares to open a major exhibition featuring the Bayeux Tapestry, one of the best-known surviving artefacts associated with the Norman Conquest.

A divided papacy in the 1060s

During the early 1060s, Western Christendom was divided by a dispute in which two rival popes claimed authority.

According to Professor Licence’s research, England’s support for one side in this conflict may have helped persuade Pope Alexander II to support William of Normandy’s invasion.

The findings suggest that England’s position in the papal dispute may have had far-reaching consequences for Harold and for the future of the English crown.

Professor Licence, from UEA’s School of History and Art History, said 1066 should not be understood only as an outcome decided on the battlefield at Hastings.

He said the events may also have been shaped by decisions made nearly a thousand miles away in Rome.

For centuries, the Norman Conquest has largely been interpreted as a dynastic conflict triggered by the death of Edward the Confessor and rival claims to the English throne.

Professor Licence now argues that a contemporary letter from Pope Alexander II points to a broader political and religious struggle extending across medieval Europe.

He said Harold’s policy toward the papacy may have strengthened the position of his opponents by helping to give William’s invasion the legitimacy of a just war.

New evidence from Vatican sources

The new interpretation is based on previously overlooked excerpts from a lost papal letter preserved in a medieval canon law collection in the Vatican.

Professor Licence said the Pope’s full register of letters has been lost, but that some documents survive as copies or excerpts.

Two excerpts from the letter in question survive in collections of papal rescripts.

Written by Pope Alexander II after William’s accession, the letter reflects on England’s relationship with the papacy before the conquest.

In one passage, Alexander claimed that England had been under the protection of St Peter until people influenced by pride associated with Satan led the English away from what he called the path of truth.

Professor Licence said historians had previously noted these remarks but had often treated them as unexplained references.

He argues that they can only be fully understood in the context of the fierce dispute that divided Western Christendom in the early 1060s.

In 1061, rival factions elected two competing popes: Alexander II and Bishop Cadalus of Parma, who became known as Honorius II.

For several years, the two popes and their supporters competed for control of Rome.

Honorius retained powerful support from the Holy Roman Empire and also attracted backing elsewhere in northern Europe.

According to Professor Licence, the language used in Alexander’s letter reflects the religious and political rhetoric directed against Honorius and his supporters during the schism.

Rather than only condemning Harold as an oath-breaker, Alexander may have been accusing England of abandoning his cause and supporting his rival.

Professor Licence said that, in the eyes of Alexander’s supporters, the conflict was not merely a battle over a crown but a struggle against those they regarded as followers of Satan.

Reconsidering papal support for William

Professor Licence believes England’s change of alignment may have occurred after Harold came to power in January 1066.

He said historians have traditionally explained papal support for William through Harold’s disputed claim to the throne and allegations that Harold had broken an oath.

However, the evidence suggests Pope Alexander II may have had political reasons of his own for backing the Norman invasion.

If Harold had aligned England with Alexander’s opponents, it would help explain why the pope was prepared to support the overthrow of a crowned king.

Viewed from Rome, the conquest may therefore have appeared not simply as a succession dispute, but as part of a broader struggle over the future direction of the Church in Europe.

Professor Licence argues that this interpretation helps address a long-standing historical question: why would a pope support the violent removal of an anointed king?

A wider European context for 1066

The research suggests that the Norman Conquest may have been shaped as much by the politics of Rome as by the fighting at Hastings.

Rather than supporting William solely because of Harold’s disputed claim, Pope Alexander II may have been influenced by a larger political and religious conflict across Europe.

England’s possible support for a rival papal faction could have contributed to the Pope’s decision to legitimise the Norman invasion.

The findings place 1066 within a wider European contest involving the papacy, the Holy Roman Empire and competing power blocs across medieval Europe.

Professor David Fergusson, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, said Professor Licence’s research offers a fresh perspective on the wider political forces that contributed to the events of 1066.

He said the work illustrates the complex relationship between church and monarchy in the period and makes a significant contribution to understanding the role of the medieval Church in European history.

Professor Rory Naismith, Professor of Early Medieval English History at the University of Cambridge, said the research highlights that the Norman Conquest involved more than the English and the Normans.

He said the events were connected to developments across Europe and that Rome had long been central to England’s religious identity.

Professor Naismith added that Professor Licence’s work demonstrates the value of bringing neglected sources back into historical discussion.

Through the new book, Harold: Warrior King, the University of East Anglia research presents a new interpretation of the political, religious and diplomatic pressures that may have shaped one of the defining turning points in English and European history.

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SOURCE: University of East Anglia