Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleVishwam SankaranWednesday 12 August 2026 08:31 BSTBritain sends thank-you message to France on white cliffs of Dover as Bayeux Tapestry arrives in dead of nightA newly examined letter from Pope Alexander II reveals that a power struggle between rival popes in Rome helped shape the 1066 Norman Conquest of England.The discovery suggests that England supported rival papal candidate Honorius II, prompting Pope Alexander II to give religious backing to William the Conqueror's invasion.Professor Tom Licence of the University of East Anglia identified excerpts of the lost letter within medieval canon law collections in the Vatican archives.The findings reframe the Battle of Hastings from a simple English succession dispute into part of a wider European religious conflict.The letter explains why Pope Alexander II sanctioned the violent overthrow of King Harold Godwinson, providing political legitimacy to the invasion.In fullLost letter from pope could rewrite story of the 1066 Battle of HastingsMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in