Professor Tom Licence identifies a lost papal letter that may explain Pope Alexander II's support for the Norman Conquest of England.
Professor Tom Licence discovered a lost papal letter in the Vatican archives that provides a new explanation for the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. The letter, written by Pope Alexander II, suggests that the Pope may have supported William the Conqueror's invasion of England because the English had sided with his rival, the antipope Honorius II.
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Professor Tom Licence noted that the letter describes England as being led astray by an 'evil head' and brands the English as 'followers of Satan.' This religious language indicates that England was leaning toward Honorius II, which gave Alexander II a reason to back the Norman invasion. Traditionally, historians have viewed the Battle of Hastings as a struggle between King Harold II and William of Normandy over the right to the English throne. This new research suggests the events of 1066 were tied to a broader political and religious power struggle between the Pope and his rival. Professor Tom Licence stated that while most scholars of the Norman Conquest are not specialists in ecclesiastical history, his findings change how historians understand Alexander II's motives for seeking a regime change in England.