# Sweyn dies and Æthelred returns (1014)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1014-sweyn-dies-and-aethelred-returns
Categories: ruler-change

Sweyn's sudden death allowed Æthelred to return from exile. Within the broader Vikings & Unification period, Scandinavian invasion and settlement transformed the political map while Wessex and its allies built the institutions of a unified English kingdom. This event is placed at AD 1014 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The restoration proved brief as Sweyn's son Cnut renewed the struggle for England.

## Why it matters
The restoration proved brief as Sweyn's son Cnut renewed the struggle for England.

Ruler at the time: [Sweyn Forkbeard](https://english-history.com/rulers/sweyn-forkbeard)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Sweyn dies and Æthelred returns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Sweyn+dies+and+%C3%86thelred+returns&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Sweyn dies and Æthelred returns](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Sweyn+dies+and+%C3%86thelred+returns)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%281000%E2%80%931499%29)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Viking Britain topic search](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Viking%20Britain)