The English kingdom under Cnut's rule becomes the center of government for an empire that also includes Denmark and Norway.

Cnut is succeeded by his sons, but in 1042 the native dynasty is restored with the accession of Edward the Confessor.

Edward's failure to produce an heir causes a furious conflict over the succession on his death in 1066.

His struggles for power against Godwin, Earl of Wessex, the claims of Cnut's Scandinavian successors, and the ambitions of the Normans whom Edward has introduced to English politics to bolster his own position causes each to vie for control Edward's reign.