12 NOVEMBER 1035
King Cnut dies at Shaftesbury
The most successful Viking king of England meets his end
In 1016, following decades of conflict between Danes and the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred the Unready, a Viking ruler sat securely on the English throne. Unlike his father, Swein Forkbeard, Cnut was recognised by the pope as the legitimate and undisputed king. He consolidated his position by marrying Emma, Æthelred's widow and the sister of Richard II of Normandy. That was clearly a diplomatic union, maintaining peace with the power across the Channel as well as cementing Cnut's status in England, but was also reputedly a truly affectionate relationship.
Cnut's reign was a marked success. Dubbed “the most effective king in Anglo-Saxon history” by the historian Norman Cantor, Cnut latterly declared
