How did King and Conqueror's King Edward really die?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers from King and Conqueror.

King Edward, also know as the Confessor, features heavily in the new BBC series, King and Conqueror. The brother-in-law of Harold Godwinson and relative of William the Conqueror, is seen as a reluctant King who believes God speaks to him.

He is married to Harold's sister and initially had a strong relationship with the Godwins. However, Edward named William as his successor, leaving Harold angry. In the series, Edward's wife, Queen Gunhild is shown trying to seduce him as they bathe together, in the hopes of becoming pregnant with his child.

However, her plan to guarantee an heir to the throne fails when Edward appears to have a fit and she is forced to call for help. Edward fails to recover and on his deathbed, Harold claims Edward has named him successor.

There is very little information about how King Edward died in real life. However, most reports claim he was unwell in 1065 and died from natural causes in 1066.

This depiction is slightly different from what appears as his cause of death in the drama but showrunner James Norton explained they did take some artistic licence with the story.

He shared: "There were obviously artistic licenses that we had to take, particularly in terms of the timeline, because you often have to condense chapters with historical dramas like this. It was also about finding specificity and nuance.

"We know about the broad brush strokes of Stamford Bridge and the Battle of Hastings, but you don't really get much about an individual from the Bayeux Tapestry and the wider historical facts. The meat and substance is always found in the domestic space."

The BBC synopsis for the series reads: "King & Conqueror is the story of a clash that defined the future of a country - and a continent - for a thousand years, the roots of which stretch back decades and extend out through a pair of interconnected family dynasties, struggling for power across two countries and a raging sea.

"Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy were two men destined to meet at the Battle of Hastings in 1066; two allies with no design on the English throne, who found themselves forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of its crown."

King and Conqueror airs on BBC One at 9pm and all episodes are on BBC iPlayer.