Story Highlights
- Historical event
- 3 April 1043
- On this day in 1043 St. Edward the Confessor was crowned king in the cathedral in the English town of Winchester. At the time, Winchester was more important than London (the center of government in England was moved to London during the Norman period).
Saint Edward the Confessor was crowned the King of England on this day in 1043. He was canonized (declared a saint) in the Catholic Church.
The Anglican Church also recognized him as a saint. Interestingly, St. Edward the Confessor is not the only English monarch who became a saint of the Catholic Church. For example, Saint Eduard the Martyr from the 10th century is also a saint.
Edward the Confessor was the man of Anglo-Saxon origin, and he reigned before the Norman Conquest of England.
St. Edward the Confessor was crowned king in the cathedral in the English town of Winchester. At the time, Winchester was more important than London (the center of government in England was moved to London during the Norman period).
It is interesting to note that today’s official British crown, which is used for coronations, is called the St. Edward`s Crown. The crown weighs about 2.2 kilograms, and it was used for the coronation of today`s Queen Elizabeth II, and for the coronations of her father and grandfather.
Indeed, the jewel which allegedly belonged to St. Edward the Confessor is the crown jewel of another important British crown, which is known as the Imperial State Crown. It is known as St. Edward’s Sapphire, because he allegedly wore a sapphire ring. Otherwise, he is the patron saint of difficult marriages.
