Knut the Great

The date of Cnut's birth is based on sagas or poems that deal the various battles that his father Svein I and he were involved. He apparently accompanied his father on the Viking invasion of the city of Norwich in 1003/04. [wikipedia.com]

A description of Cnut can be found within the 13th-century Knýtlinga saga:

Knut was exceptionally tall and strong, and the handsomest of men, all except for his nose, that was thin, high-set, and rather hooked. He had a fair complexion none-the-less, and a fine, thick head of hair. His eyes were better than those of other men, both the handsomer and the keener of their sight.

—Knytlinga Saga

1015, summer - Cnut set sail to invade England with an army of perhaps 10,000 Vikings in 200 ships. The army was gathered from all the Scandinavian countries. The next fourteen months of battles were fought mostly against the armies of Edmund Ironside, the eldest son of Aethelred.

Cnut the Great Viking ships at Roskilde, Denmark
photo courtesy of wikipedia.org photo Elroy Christenson 2016

The Peterborough manuscript of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle stated:

[T]here were so many kinds of shields, that you could have believed that troops of all nations were present. ... Gold shone on the prows, silver also flashed on the variously shaped ships. ... For who could look upon the lions of the foe, terrible with the brightness of gold, who upon the men of metal, menacing with golden face, ... who upon the bulls on the ships threatening death, their horns shining with gold, without feeling any fear for the king of such a force? Furthermore, in this great expedition there was present no slave, no man freed from slavery, no low-born man, no man weakened by age; for all were noble, all strong with the might of mature age, all sufficiently fit for any type of fighting, all of such great fleetness, that they scorned the speed of horsemen. [wikipedia on Cnut]

Edmund Ironside and Cnute in the Battle of Assandun.
courtesy of wikipedia.com

Cnuts forces moved north across Mercia and was met by Edmund Ironsides English troops. Cnut attempted to put London under seige but Edmund escaped before Knut could close the circle.

"Rather than meet on a battlefield, Edmund and Cnut came face to face on an island in the Severn near Deerhurst, named Ola's Island, Edmund being rowed over from the west bank and Cnut from the east. Henry of Huntingdon even suggested that the two men fought a duel. But in the end the two men agreed to cease their fight and negotiate a compromise. ... The retention of Wessex by Edmund was an important concession. It meant that Wessex stayed in the hands of the bloodline of Cerdic, the semi-mythical founder dating back to the sixth century. Wessex alone had remained constantly in the hands of the family whilst all other regions - East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria for example - had passed into foreign hands some time previously. The pride of the West Saxons was at least maintained." [Bartlett. King Cnut. footnote49]

1015 - Edmund signs a peace treaty with Cnut deciding to allow Cnut the land north of London with Edmund keeping London and parts south. Unfortunately Edmund Ironside dies 30 November 1016.

1016, November - Cnut becomes undisputed King of England.

He consolidates his position by marrying, Emma de Normandie, the widow of Aethelred II King of England.

Ulf joined the alliance of Olav II King of Norway and Anund King of Sweden to oppose his brother-in-law King Knud/Canute.[FMG -Danish Kings]

The Chronicon Roskildense records that "duci Ulf" was killed "in ecclesia Roskildensi" where his widow buried him.[FMG -Danish Kings] The story has been retold so that Ulf is killed in the Roskilde Cathedral while the priest, who had been a friend of Knute afterwards would not allow Knute to enter church without the forgiveness of the sin.
Saxo Grammaticus records that he was killed on the orders of King Knud whom he had allegedly insulted[FMG -Danish Kings] - perhaps also by his disloyalty.

Ulf was the father of Sweyn II Estridson, and thus the ancestor of Danish royal house which would rule Denmark 1047-1375. [FMG -Danish Kings]

1018 - He succeeded his brother as Knud I "den Storre / The Great" King of Denmark.
1019 - He leaves England to make his claim on the Danish crown.

1025 - He is defeated at the Holy River by Olaf King of Norway and Amund King of Sweden.
1028 - He expelled Olav King of Norway, declaring himself, Knud King of Norway.
1031 - He defeats the Scots lead by Malcolm II King of Scotland.

1035, Nov 12 at Shaftesbury, Dorset - After Knud/Cnut's death his sons divide his empire. Harold Harefoot takes over Mercia and Northumbria with Harthacanute the King of Wessex. Hardicanute takes a trip to Denmark upon his return into England he discovers that his brother has died and that he is now also King of all of England.

about 1036 - Gunhild is accused of adultery. She had to prove her innocence by combat, after her champions victory she disdained the success and withdrew to a convent to become a nun. She died during her husbands expedition to Italy. [FMG - Danish Kings]

1037 - Harold was recognized as King of England in 1037, Emma is expelled from England and took refuge in Bruges.
1040 - Harthacnut, her son, joined her in Bruges. After Harold's death she tried to reclaim the throne for Magnus King of Norway but lost to King Edward. Spent her remaining years in Winchester.

Source:
        Bartlett, W. B., King Cnut and the Viking Conquest of England 1016, Amberley Publishing Limited, The Hill, Stroud, Gloucetershire, GL. 2016
        Christenson, Elroy at web page reference
        FMG - Foundation for Medieval Genealogy- Danish and English Kings
                http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/DENMARK.htm#_Toc196361191
        Jones, Gwyn. A History of the Vikings, Revised Ed. Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, England. 1984
        Nationalmuseet, Jellingprojektet
         Roskell, R. C., L. Clark, C. Rawcliffe, ed. The History of Parliament, the House of Commons 1388-1421, ed. , 1993
        Sturlason, Snorre. Heimskringla; eler, Norgeskongesagaer, af... v.1-2 wikipedia.com
        wikitree.com
        wikipedia graphics

Children with Aelfifu Aelfhemsdotter and Cnute (not recognized by the church)
Svein Knutssen appointed King of Norway, by Knut but overthrown by his own people in 1034, expelled to Denmark.	b. 1015	d. 1036 Denmark	1m. Aelfied III 2m. Aelflaed (Aldredsdottir) Sprakling 3m. Unknown (Fifronsdatter) Ulfsson
Harald Knutssen "Harefoot" (King of Mercia and Northumbria, reigned1035-40)	b. 1016/17 Northhampton	d. 17 Mar 1040 Oxford buried: Abbey Church of St Peter Westminister, London probably later removed to St Clement Danse, Strand, London	m. unknown one childe Asmund "Free-booter (killed in battle 1063]

Children with Emma of Normandie with Aetheired the Unready (1002-1014
Edward, King of England also St. Edward the Confessor ruled from 1042-1066	b. 1003 Islip, Oxfordshire , England	d. 5 Jan 1066 London, Eng. at the Battle of Hastings by William the Conqueror's army	m. Edith of Wessex
Goda of England or Godgifu, Countess of Boulogne	b. 1004	d. abt 1047	1m. Drogo of Mantes (three sons) 2m. Eustace II Count of Boulogne 1035 (childless)

Children with Emma of Normandie with Cnut the Great (1016-1035)
Harthacnut / Hardeknud (King of Denmark and England, reigned 1040-42)	b. 1018 England	d. 8 Jun 1042 Lambeth buried: Winchester Cathedral	He dies either of hitting his head while drunk at a party or He was poisoned accidentally.
Gunhild (Aethelfryth) Knutsdottir became a nun	b. 1020 Denmark	d. 18 Jul 1038 Italy (age 18) buried: Limburg Klosterkirche	m. Heinrich II King of Germany, Duke of Bavaria, son of Emperor Konrad II and Gisiall of Swabia