Editing Danelaw (section)

==Cnut and his successors==
[[File:Cnut lands.svg|upright=1.35|thumb|right|[[Cnut the Great]]'s domains]]
The Danes did not give up their designs on England. From 1016 to 1035, [[Cnut the Great]] ruled over a unified English kingdom, itself the product of a resurgent Wessex, as part of his [[North Sea Empire]], together with Denmark, Norway and part of Sweden. Cnut was succeeded in England on his death by his son [[Harold Harefoot]], until he died in 1040, after which another of Cnut's sons, [[Harthacnut (1020–1042)|Harthacnut]], took the throne. Since Harthacnut was already on the Danish throne, this reunited the North Sea Empire. Harthacnut lived only another two years, and from his death in 1042 until 1066 the monarchy reverted to the English line in the form of [[Edward the Confessor]].

Edward died in January 1066 without an obvious successor, and an English nobleman, [[Harold II of England|Harold Godwinson]], took the throne. Later that year, two rival claimants to the throne led invasions of England in short succession. First, [[Harald III of Norway|Harald Hardrada]] of Norway took York in September, but was defeated by Harold at the [[Battle of Stamford Bridge]], in [[Yorkshire]]. Then, three weeks later, [[William I of England|William of Normandy]] defeated Harold at the [[Battle of Hastings]], in [[Sussex]], and in December he accepted the submission of [[Edgar the Ætheling]], last in the line of Anglo-Saxon royal succession, at [[Berkhamsted]].

The Danelaw appeared in legislation as late as the early 12th century with the ''[[Leges Henrici Primi]]'', where it is referred to as one of the laws together with those of Wessex and Mercia into which England was divided.