Emma of Normandy

Norman princess and mother of Edward the Confessor

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Lived 987–1052, aged 65France

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Era
987–1052
Aged 65

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

She married two enemy kings in succession — one Saxon, one Viking — and held power across three kingdoms for more than three decades while England changed hands by force.

Biography

About

Emma, daughter of Norman ruler Richard the Fearless, became Queen of England in 1002 when she married the Anglo-Saxon King Æthelred the Unready. After Æthelred died in 1016, she married his conqueror: the Danish King Cnut the Great, who had seized the English throne. Through that second marriage she was Queen of England from 1017, Queen of Denmark from 1018, and Queen of Norway from 1028 until Cnut's death in 1035. When Cnut died, Emma acted as regent for their son Harthacnut while he remained in Denmark, navigating a power struggle with Harold Harefoot. She remained active in politics through…

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