Edward the Confessor Interesting Facts

1 After death, his body did not decay

Edward’s body was examined 46 years after his death in 1102 and was still in good condition. He was said to have been working miracles after his death and was made a saint in 1161.

2 He was buried twice

After his cannonisation in 1161, he was reburied in 1269 in a special shrine at Westminster Abbey.

3 His father-in-law, Earl Godwin, choked to death on a lie

Godwin was suspected of orchestrating the murder of Edward’s brother Alfred when he returned to England following King Canute’s death. It is said that Godwin swore a holy oath that he had nothing to do with the crime. A communion wafer subsequently became lodged in his throat and killed him.

4 Edward didn’t live to see the completion of his great work

Edward commissioned the building of Westminster Abbey in 1052. He became very illl, eventually suffering a series of strokes, and was not able to attend the consecration of the Abbey in 1065. It was eventually completed in 1090.

5 He was nicknamed ‘the Confessor’ because he wasn’t murdered

Edward was made a saint without having had to die for his faith. That is why he was named Edward the Confessor rather than Edward the Martyr.

6 He was Patron Saint of England before Saint George

The shift from a patron saint that represented religion to one associated with chivalry and warfare began during the Crusades. St George’s story of rescuing a maiden from a dragon was more in keeping with the times.

7 Big Drinking Session

Hardicanute, Edward's half brother, recalled Edward to England in 1040, the year he had succeeded Ethelred the Unready. Hardicanute died after a drinking party in 1042 - after which Edward became king of England