Edward was the son of King Æthelred II, known as “the Unready,” and Emma of Normandy. His father's nickname is a play on the Old English word unræd, meaning "ill counsel" or "bad advice." It was a pointed contrast with Æthelred's name, which meant “noble counsel.” Æthelred's reign was marked by political instability and repeated Danish invasions, and these upheavals would profoundly shape his son Edward's early life.
Because Danish forces drove the royal family into exile in Normandy, Edward spent much of his youth away from England. Several Danish kings subsequently ruled the country. Following the death of Harthacnut, Edward's half-brother, he returned to England and was crowned king in 1042.
Some historians have regarded Edward as a weak ruler, but such a judgment neglects the particular strengths of his kingship. He governed in a difficult political environment, balancing the competing interests of powerful nobles while seeking to preserve peace and stability. His reign lasted more than twenty years, a remarkable achievement in an age when rival claimants and foreign powers continually threatened the security of the kingdom.
St. Edward's greatness, however, rests not simply upon his political accomplishments. He took his Catholic faith seriously and sought to order his life according to Christian principles. Prayer and public worship were central to his daily life, and he encouraged the religious practice of his people. He supported the Church, and fostered the building and maintenance of churches throughout his kingdom.
His reputation for holiness was closely connected with his concern for the poor and his willingness to hear the grievances of his subjects. He understood that royal authority was not merely a privilege to be enjoyed but a responsibility to be exercised in the service of others. His example reminds us that Christian leadership is measured not only by power or achievement, but also by justice, mercy, humility, and fidelity to God.
St. Edward had hoped to make a pilgrimage to Rome to pray at the tomb of St. Peter, but his advisers feared that his prolonged absence might endanger the stability of the kingdom. Instead, he devoted the resources intended for the pilgrimage to charitable works and to the building of a great abbey church in honor of St. Peter at Westminster. This foundation became Westminster Abbey, one of England's most celebrated churches and, in time, the traditional coronation church and burial place of English monarchs. The abbey Edward founded was later replaced by the magnificent Gothic church begun in the thirteenth century, much of which still stands today.
Edward married Edith, the daughter of the powerful Earl Godwin, but their marriage produced no children. He died on January 5, 1066, and was buried in the abbey church he had founded. His death marked the end of a reign that had preserved a measure of peace and stability in England, although the succession dispute that followed would soon bring the Anglo-Saxon period to a close.
St. Edward was canonized by Pope Alexander III in 1161. His enduring place in the memory of the Church rests upon the conviction that holiness is possible in every state of life, even in the exercise of royal power. He is remembered as a king who sought to govern with justice, to worship God faithfully, and to care for those entrusted to his protection.
O God, who hast crowned thy blessed Confessor King Edward with eternal glory: grant that we who venerate him on earth may be found worthy to reign with him in heaven; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.