Harald III

(1015-1066) was King of Norway from 1046 to 1066. When he was fifteen years old Harald fought in the Battle of Stiklestad together with his half-brother Olaf Haraldsson (later Saint Olaf). Olaf sought to reclaim the Norwegian throne, which he had lost to the Danish king Cnut the Great two years prior. Olaf and Harald were defeated by forces loyal to Cnut, and Harald was forced in exile. He spent around fifteen years in exile as a mercenary in Kievan Rus’ and in the Byzantine Empire.In his absence the Norwegian throne was restored from the Danes to Olaf’s illegitimate son Magnus the Good, who was unwilling to fight his uncle and agreed to share the kingship with Harald, since Harald in turn would share his wealth with him. The co-rule ended abruptly the next year as Magnus died. Harald thus became the sole ruler of Norway. He also claimed the Danish throne, and spent nearly every year until 1064 raiding the Danish coast. Although the campaigns were successful, he was never able to conquer Denmark. In 1066, Tostig Godwinson, brother of the newly chosen English king Harold Godwinson, pledged his allegiance to Harald and invited him to claim the English throne. Harald went along and entered Northern England in September 1066, raided the coast and defeated English regional forces. Although initially successful, Harald was defeated and killed in an attack by Harold Godwinson’s forces in the Battle of Stamford Bridge. Modern historians have often considered Harald’s death at Stamford Bridge, as the end of the Viking Age. Harald is also commonly held to have been the last great Viking king, or even the last great Viking.