Lost Papal Letter Suggests Roman Politics Influenced Norman Conquest of England

A recently re-examined fragment of a lost papal letter is shedding new light on the motivations behind William the Conqueror's 1066 invasion of England, suggesting Pope Alexander II's support may have been driven by a fierce power struggle within the Roman Catholic Church.

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1066 was not decided solely on the battlefield at Hastings. The outcome may have been influenced by decisions made nearly a thousand miles away in Rome.

Previously, the Norman conquest was largely understood as a consequence of the succession crisis that erupted after King Edward the Confessor's death, leading to rival claims for the English throne. However, new interpretations of the papal letter fragments, found in Vatican archives, indicate that the conflict for papal supremacy in the 1060s played a crucial role. England's support for a rival papal faction may have convinced Pope Alexander II to back William's invasion, according to the research.

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Harold's policy towards the papacy may have ultimately played into the hands of his enemies, lending William's opportunistic invasion the legitimacy of a just war.

Tom Licence, a professor of medieval history and literature at the University of East Anglia, explained that the outcome of 1066 might have been influenced by decisions made in Rome. "Harold's policy towards the papacy may have ultimately played into the hands of his enemies, lending William's opportunistic invasion the legitimacy of a just war," Licence stated. The papal letter itself contains phrases historians previously found obscure, referring to England being under Saint Peter's protection until people "driven by the pride of their father Satan" led the English astray.

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The entire papal register of letters is lost. But some have been preserved in the form of transcripts or fragments. Two fragments of this letter have been preserved in collections of papal rescripts.

Researchers now believe these phrases are best understood within the context of the schism that divided Western Christianity in the early 1060s. In 1061, two rival popes, Alexander II and Bishop Cadalus of Parma (who became Honorius II), were elected. Their struggle for control of Rome saw Honorius gain support from the Holy Roman Empire and elsewhere in Northern Europe. This intense papal rivalry, the study suggests, provided a backdrop and potential motive for Alexander II's endorsement of William's invasion, adding a complex layer of Roman politics to the historical narrative of the Norman conquest.

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In 1061, rival factions elected two popes, Alexander II and Bishop Cadalus of Parma, who became known as Honorius II. For several years the two popes and their supporters fought for control of Rome, with Honorius having strong support from the Holy Roman Empire and gaining support elsewhere in Northern Europe.