Wulfnoth Godwinson

Wulfnoth Godwinson was the sixth son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, and a younger brother of Harold II of England. In 1051, he was taken as a hostage by Edward the Confessor as a guarantee of his father’s loyalty during a period of political tension which resulted in Godwin’s exile. Despite Godwin’s return and the fleeing of Norman supporters, Wulfnoth remained in captivity, initially taken to Normandy by Archbishop Robert of Jumièges.

Harold’s failed attempt to secure Wulfnoth’s release in 1064 or 1065 marked a significant event in his life. Wulfnoth’s imprisonment continued even after William the Conqueror’s accession to the English throne, and he remained a prisoner for 43 years, making him the longest English royal prisoner. He lived in captivity in both Normandy and England and died in Winchester in 1094.