From 1066 by Frank McLynn

1. From 1066 by Frank McLynn “…Edward died on 5th January 1066, after receiving the last rites from Archbishop Stigand, and was buried at Westminster the next day. The witan met on 5 January and confirmed Harold as king; Edwin and Morcar were among those voting for him. It is said that a few voices were raised in favour of Edgar the Atheling and someone even mentioned William but the assembly…overwhelmingly voted for Harold.” From The Godwins by Frank Barlow “In 1054 Edward sent Bishop Ealdred of Worcester to Germany presumably to try to find [Edward the Exile, father of Edgar ‘the aetheling’] but he returned from a long voyage empty handed.” From The Godwins by Frank Barlow “None of the [major] sources mentions Edgar Atheling, whose father, Edward ‘the Exile’, King Edward’s half-nephew, had been enticed from Hungary in 1057, apparently to be adopted as heir and, aged about fourteen, was seemingly living at court.”

2. From The Battle of Hastings by Jim Bradbury “Many others were concerned that Edgar was simply too young to cope with the problems which loomed for the successor…even by 1066 he was only fifteen, had not received an earldom or been given estates of great value, and so had no significant following.” From The Godwins by Frank Barlow “The one recent precedent for a child king, Edward the Martyr, Aethelred’s half-brother and predecessor, murdered in 978, was not encouraging. Edgar the Atheling was not the son of a king. But he was the only ‘legitimate’ claimant.” From Edward the Confessor by Frank Barlow “…but what damned Edward in the eyes of his kinsmen was his youth [when Harthacnut died and a new king was needed]. We have to remember the case of Edgar Atheling in 1066.”

3. From Edward the Confessor by Frank Barlow “Even if [earls Edwin and Morcar] had preferred Edgar the aetheling as king, it would have been suicidal for them to champion Edgar against Harold. He had been given no earldom; he is not known to have held large estates.” From Edward the Confessor by Frank Barlow “…he was regarded as throne-worthy, for after Hastings the bishops and surviving earls recognised him as king.” From Edward the Confessor by Frank Barlow “It is by no means impossible that Edward regarded his great-nephew, Edgar, as the heir presumptive and tried to manage the other candidates so that the boy would at least have his chance.”