Edward the Confessor succeeded by Harold Godwinson, who was defeated and killed in the same year by the Normans under William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings. Edgar the Ætheling, who was of the House of Wessex, was proclaimed king after the Battle of Hastings in 1066, but never ruled and was deposed after about eight weeks. Historians disagree about Edward's fairly long (24-year) reign. His nickname reflects the traditional image of him as unworldly and pious. Confessor reflects his reputation as a saint who did not suffer martyrdom, as opposed to King Edward the Martyr. Some portray Edward the Confessor's reign
Iste confessor pius, prudens, humilis, pudicus, 3 Cuius ob præstans meritum frequenter, 4 Noster hinc illi chorus obsequentem 5 Sit salus illi, decus, atque virtus, Iste confessor Domini sacratus <poem> 1 Iste Confessor Domini sacratus, 2 Qui pius, prudens, humilis, pudicus, 3 Ad sacrum cuius tumulum frequenter, 4 Unde nunc noster chorus in honorem 5 Sit salus illi, decus, atque virtus, </poem> Due to differences between the Latin versions of the hymn, and due to the demands of rendering the original Latin into metrical English which was suitable for singing, the translations below are thematically accurate, rather than literal translations. This is