Aelfgifu was the consort of Canute. They had two sons, Swein Alfivason (also known as Swein Knutsson) and Harold Harefoot. Although Canute married Emma of Normandy in 1017, Aelfgifu remained an important person and was made regent of Norway in 1030 when Canute removed Olaf Haraldson from power. Through misrule and attempts to take too much power, both Aelfgifu and Swein were expelled from Norway in 1034 or 1035. After Canute's death in 1035, Aelfgifu supported her other son, Harold Harefoot, in his bid to become the English king. She acted as Harold's key political supporter, helping him become King of England in 1037, despite opposition from Queen Emma and her son, Harthacnut. The exact date of her death is not known, but she is believed to have died around 1040, possibly after Harold's death. Biography
Biography
Please note that the TimeRef website is currently being redesigned.
Aelfgifu (of Northampton)
| Born | circa 990 | Born At | |
| Died | 1040 | Buried At |
| Born | circa 990 / |
| Died | 1040 / |
Aelfgifu was the consort of Canute. They had two sons, Swein Alfivason (also known as Swein Knutsson) and Harold Harefoot. Although Canute married Emma of Normandy in 1017, Aelfgifu remained an important person and was made regent of Norway in 1030 when Canute removed Olaf Haraldson from power. Through misrule and attempts to take too much power, both Aelfgifu and Swein were expelled from Norway in 1034 or 1035. After Canute's death in 1035, Aelfgifu supported her other son, Harold Harefoot, in his bid to become the English king. She acted as Harold's key political supporter, helping him become King of England in 1037, despite opposition from Queen Emma and her son, Harthacnut. The exact date of her death is not known, but she is believed to have died around 1040, possibly after Harold's death. Related Episodes
Viking Invasions (click here)
Viking Invasions (click here)
Family Tree Details
Aelfgifu (of Northampton) (b.990? - d.1040)
+Canute (King of England 1016-1035) (b.995? - d.1035)
= Swein
= Harold (Harefoot, King of England 1037-1040) (b.1015? - d.1040)
+Canute (King of England 1016-1035) (b.995? - d.1035)
= Swein
= Harold (Harefoot, King of England 1037-1040) (b.1015? - d.1040)
Aelfgifu (of Northampton) (b.990? - d.1040)
+Canute (King of England 1016-1035) (b.995? - d.1035)
= Swein
= Harold (Harefoot, King of England 1037-1040) (b.1015? - d.1040)
See Also
People
Timeline
1030(Age: 40yrs)
Aelfgifu became regent of Norway ruling in place of her son Swein who had been appointed king of Norway by Canute after the defeat of Olaf Haraldson.
1037(Age: 47yrs)
Harold Harefoot was proclaimed king of England and Emma was exiled to Bruges. Earl Godwin may have given Harold his support.
1040(Age: 50yrs)
Mar 17
Harold died at Oxford leaving the English throne open for Hathacanute to claim.
On this day in history:
3D Virtual Reconstructions
Transport yourself back up to a thousand years and explore historical buildings as they may have appeared in the past. Built using the popular game development tool Unity 3D, these reconstructions will run in the most of the popular web browsers on your desktop or laptop computer.
Page Navigation
