Editing Edward the Confessor (section)

==Later reign==
[[File:Edward the Confessor Penny.jpg|thumb|left|[[Penny]] of Edward the Confessor]]

Until the mid-1050s Edward was able to structure his earldoms to prevent the Godwins from becoming dominant. Godwin died in 1053, and although Harold succeeded to his earldom of Wessex, none of his other brothers were earls at this date. His house was then weaker than it had been since Edward's succession, but a succession of deaths from 1055 to 1057 completely changed the control of earldoms. In 1055, Siward died, but his son was considered too young to command [[Kingdom of Northumbria|Northumbria]], and Harold's brother, [[Tostig Godwinson|Tostig]], was appointed. In 1057, Leofric and Ralph died, and Leofric's son [[Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia|Ælfgar]] succeeded as Earl of Mercia, while Harold's brother [[Gyrth Godwinson|Gyrth]] succeeded Ælfgar as Earl of East Anglia. The fourth surviving Godwin brother, [[Leofwine Godwinson|Leofwine]], was given an earldom in the south-east carved out of Harold's territory, and Harold received Ralph's territory in compensation. Thus by 1057, the Godwin brothers controlled all of England subordinately apart from [[Mercia]]. It is not known whether Edward approved of this transformation or whether he had to accept it, but from this time he seems to have begun to withdraw from active politics, devoting himself to hunting, which he pursued each day after attending church.{{sfn|Barlow|2006}}{{sfn|Baxter|2009|pp=103–104}}

In the 1050s, Edward pursued an aggressive and generally successful policy in dealing with [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]]. [[Malcolm III of Scotland|Malcolm Canmore]] was an exile at Edward's court after his father, [[Duncan I of Scotland|Duncan I]], was killed in battle in 1040, against men led by [[Macbeth, King of Scotland|Macbeth]] who seized the Scottish throne. In 1054, Edward sent Siward to invade Scotland. He defeated Macbeth, and Malcolm, who had accompanied the expedition, gained control of southern Scotland. By 1058, Malcolm had killed Macbeth in battle and had taken the Scottish throne. In 1059, he visited Edward, but in 1061, he started raiding Northumbria with the aim of adding it to his territory.{{sfn|Barlow|2006}}{{sfn|Barrow|2008}}

In 1053, Edward ordered the assassination of the south Welsh prince [[Rhys ap Rhydderch]] in reprisal for a raid on England, and Rhys's head was delivered to him.{{sfn|Barlow|2006}} In 1055, [[Gruffydd ap Llywelyn]] established himself as the ruler of Wales, and allied himself with Ælfgar of Mercia, who had been outlawed for treason. They defeated Earl Ralph at Hereford, and Harold had to collect forces from nearly all of England to drive the invaders back into Wales. Peace was concluded with the reinstatement of Ælfgar, who was able to succeed as Earl of Mercia on his father's death in 1057. Gruffydd swore an oath to be a faithful under-king of Edward. Ælfgar likely died in 1062, and his young son [[Edwin, Earl of Mercia|Edwin]] was allowed to succeed as Earl of Mercia, but Harold then launched a surprise attack on Gruffydd. He escaped, but when Harold and Tostig attacked again the following year, he retreated and was killed by Welsh enemies. Edward and Harold were then able to impose [[vassal]]age on some Welsh princes.{{sfn|Walker|2004}}{{sfn|Williams|2004c}}

[[File:BayeuxTapestryScene25.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75|[[Harold Godwinson]] meeting Edward shortly before Edward's death, as depicted in [[Bayeux Tapestry tituli#25|scene 25 of the Bayeux Tapestry]]]]

In October 1065, Harold's brother, Tostig, Earl of Northumbria, was hunting with the king when his [[thegn]]s in [[Northumbrian Revolt of 1065|Northumbria rebelled against his rule]], which they claimed was oppressive, and killed some 200 of his followers. They nominated [[Morcar]], the brother of Edwin of Mercia, as earl and invited the brothers to join them in marching south. They met Harold at Northampton, and Tostig accused Harold before the king of conspiring with the rebels. Tostig seems to have been a favourite with the king and queen, who demanded that the revolt be suppressed, but neither Harold nor anyone else would fight to support Tostig. Edward was forced to submit to his banishment, and the humiliation may have caused a series of strokes which led to his death.{{sfn|Barlow|2006}}{{sfn|Aird|2004}} He was too weak to attend the consecration of his new church at [[Westminster]], which had been substantially completed in 1065, on 28 December.<ref name="HA" />{{sfn|Fernie|2009|pp=139–143}}

Edward probably entrusted the kingdom to Harold and Edith shortly before he died at Westminster on 5 January 1066. On 6 January he was buried in [[Westminster Abbey]], and Harold was crowned on the same day.{{sfn|Barlow|2006}}