Cnut crowned King of England

1017

The Danish prince, consolidating his grip, divided England into four earldoms, killed or banished surviving members of the old house of Wessex, and married Ethelred's widow Emma of Normandy. He would rule for nearly two decades with surprising wisdom, gradually turning himself into an English king. His laws, issued in the name of English tradition, showed a conqueror shrewd enough to govern through local custom.