Cnut the great horrible history

King Cnut was a Viking who ruled England from 1016 until 1035. He marriedEmma of Normandy, the widow of the previous Saxon king. As well as being king of England, he became king of Denmark and Norway, creating a North Sea Empire.

There are some key dates in the of King Cnut:

• ❖ Cnut originally came to England with his father, Sweyn Forkbeard, who defeated the English king Aethelred the Unready in 1013.
• ❖ Sweyn's invasion might have been prompted by the St Brice's Day Massacre of 1002, when Aethelred the Unready ordered the murder of all Danes living in England.

• ❖ However, Sweyn Forkbeard only lived for a short while after defeating Aethelred, dying in 1014. Aethelred resumed English throne.

  Cnut the great horrible history of the world

• ❖ Cnut succeeded Sweyn as king of Denmark, and now had a 'right' to English throne, too. So he invaded England again in 1016.
• ❖ He fought against Aethelred's son