Who Was The Real King Harold? | King Harold: Fact Or Fiction | Timeline

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I love how Tony Robinson actually goes to the places where all of this happened. Makes the documentary so much better.

Famous Greek saying: “count no man happy until he is dead.” Harold was the greatest soldier of his age. Proved it time and time again but lost a single battle — unfortunately the last one

I agree King Harold should be honoured.. We should learn more about him in our History lessons at School. Thank you for this very interesting documentary.

It's clear to see how much Tony Robinson loved making this series. He loves it and therefore so do we. Thanks Tony!

Why are YouTube ads louder than the original videos. Actually these ads make me hate the products being advertised...

I think Tony's closing comments on this documentary are so stirring and spot on. This is a really good demonstration of how our history informs our understanding of the present. Thank you for this.

I've been watching a lot of Tony Robinson documentaries lately and I've noticed something: He almost always mentions that something happened "on an industrial scale."

Harold was awesome, and he's been mostly forgotten, and that's a shame. I'm going to set up my Godwin dynasty on CK3.

Excellent documentary, I've been fascinated by the history of Saxon England, and Harold in particular, but I still learned more from watching this. 1000 years on, this was still possibly the most dramatic and momentous sequence of events this country has ever seen, and because it resulted in the conquest, probably had a more profound, momentous and lasting effect on this nation than just about any other episode in our recorded history. It's sad that after a millennium, the earth now gives up so few clues about what happened that day, and history is written (or sewn onto cloth) by the victor to suit his purposes, much like the Tudors after the defeat of Richard III. It's a sobering thought that not a single aristocratic family in England can trace its noble lineage back further than the Norman conquest, because an entire layer of English society, the Saxon nobility, was totally wiped out; many slaughtered on the battlefield and in the battle's aftermath, or systematically dispossessed in the following weeks. I believe one Saxon earl did retain his title and lands for another year or two until he too was dispossessed by the Normans. It was literally out with the old, in with the new; the peasants feeding the pigs were still the same, but the lord in the castle collecting their taxes was new. And Tony was right, we are still living with the legacy of a rigid class system that has its roots in the Norman conquest. The nobility has become more diffuse over the centuries, with names of Celtic origin and some that are harder to identify, but just look how many of them still bear the prefix "De" or "Fitz" and you realise how comprehensive the influx of Normans was, all those years ago.

Wonderful conclusion by Prof. Smyth at the 46:57 mark. May he rest in peace.

Such an excellent communicator, he really brings the past alive.

Fascinating! Never knew the "Back story" which brings the history alive. You can choose your friends, but you're stuck with family.

"An Aristocratic elite who spoke a different language and were completely cut off from the people they were ruling. And a thousand years later, that social gulf is still taking a long time to bridge."

There should be a mournful and moving monument to the late and much lamented King Harold.

Harold is an interesting character and I’ve always enjoyed reading about him. I feel like he typically gets associated with losing Hastings along with his life and that is it but in reality the whole story is fascinating up until his end.

Superb documentary & the conclusion at the end is brilliant and so true. Long live King Harold.

Why hasn’t there been a tv series made about Harold Hardrada , William the conquerer, and Harold Godwinson. Such an interesting time and they all that they different kind of rise to power. Hardrada In the service of the Byzantine empire and his rise to become commander of the Varangian guard. That would be a huge tv show . If they ever made it.

Good luck making the current Norman rulers erect a memorial for Harold. Great documentary and the gentleman has told the tale very well plus no annoying background music.

Tony Robinson's documentaries are always interesting to watch ^^