King Harthacnut was the only son of Cnut the Great and Emma of Normandy. He was usurped to the throne of England by his half-brother, Harold I Harefoot, who dies a few years later. Harthacnut has him exhumed, beheaded and cast into a marsh! His short reign was most notable for tax increases during poor harvests, civil unrest and dying while toasting the health of a bride.

King Harold I Harefoot was the eldest son of Cnut the Great and Aelfgifu of Northampton. He inherited the throne while his brother, the preferred heir Harthacnut, was away in Denmark. During his reign, Harold struggled for power, clashing with the church. He died while his brother was preparing to invade England, to take back his rightful throne.

King Cnut the Great was the second son of Sweyn Forkbeard and Gunnhilde of Poland. He served in his father’s army as a teenager in England, gaining valuable experience that would later serve him well. Cnut was an excellent leader, with both the ferocity of a powerful warlord and the maturity of a great king. His determination and military might enabled him and his family to become kings of England and Scandinavia, in one of the great dynasties of the time. But, as with many before him, his power and empire would not last.

King Sweyn Forkbeard was the son of Harald Bluetooth and Gyrid, and proclaimed king of England for just 40 days from Christmas 1013-February 1014. He was never crowned. A vicious and dangerous Viking, Sweyn led a life of violence, not only against his father, but also the English. His brutality and revenge for his sister’s murder, enabled him to captured London, forcing Aethelred II to flee. But his reign did not last long, as he died a few weeks later falling of his horse at Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.