# Godwin family is temporarily exiled (1051)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/1051-godwin-family-is-temporarily-exiled

Edward the Confessor forced Earl Godwin and his family into exile after a political confrontation. 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 1051 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. Their return the next year showed the extraordinary power of the English aristocracy over the crown.

## Why it matters
Their return the next year showed the extraordinary power of the English aristocracy over the crown.

Ruler at the time: [Edward the Confessor](https://english-history.com/rulers/edward-the-confessor)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Godwin family is temporarily exiled](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Godwin+family+is+temporarily+exiled&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Godwin family is temporarily exiled](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Godwin+family+is+temporarily+exiled)
- [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)