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A lost letter from a pope could rewrite the story of one of history’s most famous battles — nearly 1,000 years after it was fought.
The University of East Anglia announced the new research, which sheds light on the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, in August.
Professor Tom Licence was examining historical records when he came across previously overlooked excerpts from a lost papal letter that was preserved in the Vatican archives, he said.
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The letter suggests Pope Alexander II may have backed William the Conqueror’s invasion of England because the English had sided with his rival — offering a new explanation for the events that led to the Battle of Hastings.
In the letter, Alexander described England as being led astray by an “evil head” and used striking religious language that Licence said branded the English as “followers of Satan.”
New research could reshape historians’ understanding of the Norman Conquest of England and the events surrounding the Battle of Hastings in 1066. (Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The Battle of Hastings, one of the most consequential battles in English history, has traditionally been viewed as a fight over who had the rightful claim to the English throne: King Harold II or William of Normandy.
It has not typically been viewed as part of a broader political and religious struggle involving the papacy, but Licence said the events of 1066 may have been closely tied to a bitter power struggle between Pope Alexander II and his rival, the antipope Honorius II.
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Licence’s research suggests England may have sided with Honorius, potentially giving Alexander another reason to support the Norman invasion.
Licence told Fox News Digital he wasn’t personally surprised by the connection he made.
The Battle of Hastings has traditionally been understood as a struggle between King Harold II and William of Normandy over the English throne. (Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
“Which papal faction England was aligning with at any given time is always in the back of my mind,” the professor said.
“I suspect, however, that most historians working on the Norman Conquest are not looking at Rome that closely,” he added.
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Honorius II may not be a familiar name to many — but Licence said he remained a “serious contender” in the papal power struggle, even after his position weakened in 1064.
“In fact, it looked like [Honorius II] was going to make a comeback in 1065,” he said.
“Sometimes it just takes someone to come along and join the dots.”
“Read in that context, the letter from Pope Alexander about England being led astray under an ‘evil head’ made sense at last. It was never clear to historians in the past what Alexander was referring to.”
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Licence said he was “confident” that the English moved away from backing Alexander II, which would have amounted to “a withdrawal of support.”
“It’s less clear to me that England openly declared support for Honorius,” he said.
Pope Alexander II, seen left, may have backed William the Conqueror’s invasion of England as England leaned toward his papal rival, the antipope Honorius II, seen right. (DeAgostini/Getty Images; Icas94 / De Agostini Picture Library via Getty Images)
“Alexander’s rhetoric about the English being led from the path of truth by an ‘evil head’ — and calling them ‘followers of Satan’ — suggests, at the very least, that they were leaning that way.”
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He said that specializing in both fields allowed him to make the connection.
“Sometimes it just takes someone to come along and join the dots,” he said.
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“Most scholars working on the Norman Conquest aren’t specialists in ecclesiastical history, and they may not, in any case, be looking closely at papal politics.”
Licence said his findings change the understanding of Alexander’s role in the events of 1066.
Pope Alexander II may have backed William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066 partly because of a wider papal power struggle, new research suggests. (iStock)
“This discovery therefore changes how we think about Alexander’s motives in 1066,” he said.
“He wanted regime change in England.”
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The findings are detailed in Licence’s new book, “Harold: Warrior King.”