A lost letter from a medieval pope casts the 1066 Norman Conquest as a fight against ‘followers of Satan,’ according to new research.
The letter suggests Pope Alexander II backed William of Normandy’s invasion partly because England had sided with his rival, not only because Harold had broken an oath. Researchers from the University of East Anglia say Harold may have lost his standing in Rome months before he died at the Battle of Hastings.
The findings appear in “Harold: Warrior King,” a new book by Tom Licence, a history professor at the University of East Anglia. Yale University Press published the book, which arrives as the British Museum opens an exhibition centered on the Bayeux Tapestry.
Historians have generally described the conquest as a family dispute following the death of King Edward the Confessor. Licence argues it was also shaped by a wider religious and political conflict spreading across Europe.
Lost letter reveals pope’s warning against satan’s followers
The 1060s were marked by a split in the Catholic Church. In 1061, rival factions elected two popes, Alexander II and Bishop Cadalus of Parma, who took the name Honorius II. Support split along political lines for years, with the Holy Roman Empire and much of northern Europe siding with Honorius, Licence said.
Licence’s findings rest on a letter, long lost until fragments surfaced in Vatican church records, in which Pope Alexander described England as having fallen under people he wrote were “filled with the pride of their father Satan.”
Licence said earlier historians noticed the passage but treated it as a minor puzzle. He said it only makes sense against the backdrop of the papal split. Rather than blaming Harold alone for breaking a promise, Alexander appeared to accuse England of siding with his rival.
Why a pope backed the overthrow of an anointed king
Licence said the shift in Rome’s position likely came after Harold took the throne in January 1066. He said the finding helps answer a long-standing question about why a pope would back the overthrow of an already anointed king.
Historians have traditionally cited Harold’s disputed claim and accusations of oath-breaking. Licence said Alexander may also have had his own political motives tied to the power struggle in Rome.
David Fergusson, a professor of divinity at the University of Cambridge, said the research offers new insight into the politics behind 1066. He said it highlights how closely church and monarchy were linked at the time.
Rory Naismith, a professor of early medieval English history at Cambridge, said the conquest was never limited to England and Normandy alone. He said England’s religious ties to Rome ran deep long before 1066, and that Licence’s research shows the value of revisiting long-overlooked sources.
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