Saxon Question: Harold's heir?

Theoretical here on a Harold victorious TL I've been working on (Apologies to Crown of the Confessor but it should be quite different.)

When Harold conks it, who's his actual heir? Saxon inheritance was mildly iffy but should it be Godwin, his first born son by his common-law wife? Harold Jr (Or whatever his OTL name would be) the son of his second, more legitimate wife? Or Edward the Æthling, the heir to the House of Wessex?

I don't think you had a single clear law there, critically with each pretender having his own set of customs backing him.

First, elder child could have precendence on inheritance.
But primogeniture was far from systematical, and would work if the successors manage to settle their differences (As in, not as Harold and his brothers). Furthermore, AS inheritance usually implied the division of the father possessions.

Harold's successor (if a Godwinsson) would have to relinquish a good part of his father holdings and wealth to other successors, but would probably keep the kingship if it's not disputed by other lineages.
I would tend to think that the difference of spouses social status would have little to do eventually : it doesn't mean that the sons of the second spouse couldn't have the upper hand and inherit kingship, but it wouldn't because of this only (it could be a factor into choosing them over the others, though)

If Godwinsson are too divided and/or too disputed, another pretender could arise, critically from royal lines : Edgar Aethling, a son or gandson of Leofric, a son-in-law of Harold, etc.

It all depends of the situation at Harold's death, eventually.

If it's stable enough, I would go with one of his sons, regardless of the mother (but it may go towards a succession conflict).

England's monarchy was elective back then. With a victorious Harold Godwinson and a stable England, the House of Godwin's chances of remaining the rulers of England were good. Although if some powerful earls were unhappy with the House of Godwin, they could back Edgar the Aetherling's claim since he was the nephew of Edward the Confessor.

PistolSO said:

England's monarchy was elective back then. With a victorious Harold Godwinson and a stable England, the House of Godwin's chances of remaining the rulers of England were good. Although if some powerful earls were unhappy with the House of Godwin, they could back Edgar the Aetherling's claim since he was the nephew of Edward the Confessor.

Click to expand...

yeah, the Witenagemot was the deciding force for who became king; primogeniture was instated by William IOTL, iirc. on my part, i had Edmund Godwinson, Harold's son, become king after him and then Edgar, since by then Edgar was older and gained more of a reputation--iirc the main reason he wasn't seriously considered for the throne in 1066 was because he was pretty young at the time even though he was the most legitimate claimant.