Edward the Confessor, King of England from 1042 to 1066, was less successful as a king than as a religious figure. He was a weak king who left his country prey to the rivalries of his opponents and thus ultimately to the Norman Conquest. King Edward is said to have healed sufferers already during his lifetime. After his death, his tomb became a site of pilgrimage to both Normans and English. He was sanctified and became England's national and royal saint. This penny shows him armored, with a pointed helmet and a sword.