Saturday morning and Britain has entered a 10 day period of mourning. I thought I might entertain blog readers with snippits of Royal History in these 10 days. While researching one thing I found another which will bubble about unless I let it out immediately.

England once had a King called Sweyn Forkbeard!

Crowned in Gainsborough on Christmas Day 1013 he was dead five weeks later. He was the first Viking King of England.

How did I not know this when I was 10 and unnaturally nerdy. Why has it taken until now. How could I not have noticed on my poster of the Kings and Queens. Sweyn was the father of East Anglian, Poster King Canute and still I had never heard of him when I was growing up there. I demand a refund on my state education, or my free library subscription.

Googling lets me know that I am late to this particular party.

Sweyn Forkbeard is big in Camden where he fronts up a male grooming company. He has cleaned up his act somewhat in their tagline.

Their publicity suggests that he was known for his lustrous hair and beard, even in battle. Other evidence suggests that even by contemporary standards he was a cruel and brutal man.

I am rather preferring the fragrant and well groomed image of Camden Sweyn to Gainsborough Sweyn. A man whose only weapons are big pair of scissors and a fistful of shaving balm.

10 days of this nonsense, you have been warned.

https://www.sweynforkbeard.co.uk/sweyn-forkbeard

Link to fabulous male grooming, should you ever be in Camden.