mma of Normandy was the daughter of Richard I, the Duke of Normandy. Emma married Aethelred the King of the English in November of 1002. This was at the time when England was under constant attack from Viking raiders. The English had to pay the Vikings sums of money, known as Danegeld, to keep the Vikings from invading. The marriage to Emma was an attempt by Aethelred to strengthen his position against the Vikings with support from the Normans. In the same year, on St. Brice's Day, Aethelred had all the Danes who were living in England killed.
Invasion
This did nothing to prevent the Viking raids which continued until 1013 when the Viking Sweyn Forkbeard invaded England and took control of the country. Emma was forced to leave England by the invasion from Denmark and flee to Normandy along with her sons Edward ( the Confessor) and Alfred. King Aethelred escaped shortly afterwards. After the death of Sweyn Forkbeard in 1014 Aethelred returned to England to reclaim the English throne. But it was contested by Canute, Sweyn's son. In 1016 Canute arrived in England to confront King Aethelred. The English king died the same month and the council choose Canute as the next king of England.
Wife of Canute
In 1017 Emma married Canute securing ties between the Danes and the Normans. Together they had a son called Harthacanute. When Canute died in 1035 the English throne was claimed by Harthacanute and Harold Harefoot, the son of Canute by his first wife Aelfgifu. Harthacanute was in Denmark at the time and Harold claimed the throne for himself forcing Emma into exile in Bruges.
Emma's son Edward had been in exile in Normandy since 1013 and returned in 1041 when he was chosen as the successor to the English throne after Harthacanute. Edward became King of England in 1042 when Harthacanute died. Emma joined forces with Magnus of Norway in attempt to take the English throne for herself but failed and was stripped of her lands and wealth. When she died in 1052 Emma was buried at Winchester.
