King and Conqueror cast: Full list of actors in BBC historical drama
The journey to the Battle of Hastings begins on BBC One and iPlayer this weekend.
The violent history of medieval Britain is vividly recreated in BBC drama King and Conqueror, which traces the long-spanning relationship between eventual English king Harold Godwinson (James Norton) and William of Normandy (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).
The series builds up to the famous Battle of Hastings, which took place in 1066 and changed the course of British history forever, while attempting to understand the notable individuals that brought it about.
As the cast discuss below, certain figures are better documented than others, with the women of the era being particularly sidelined in historical accounts favouring kings and warlords.
As a result, King and Conqueror co-stars Emily Beecham (The Pursuit of Love) and Clémence Poésy (Daryl Dixon) had greater scope for experimentation than Norton and Coster-Waldau.
Executive producer Kitty Kaletsky credits them with bringing "intimacy and sophistication" to the series.
She said: "The intensity and ruthlessness in Clémence’s version of Matilda felt fresh, and really influenced the way [Michael Robert Johnson, lead writer] kept writing the series.
"And similarly, the softly spoken ferocity Emily brought was a new version of Edith that we hadn't anticipated, and brought such life to the screen. The four of them had a huge amount of fun during filming."
She added: "They formed a real bond, both as individual couples and as a foursome, and that just trickled down. As a result of that dynamic, the whole cast became incredibly close."
If you're intrigued to know more about the characters of the period, read on for your introduction to the King and Conqueror cast.
King and Conqueror cast: Full list of actors in BBC drama
Here's a full list of the King and Conqueror cast – read on for more details on the key characters and the actors playing them, including where you might have seen them before.
- James Norton as Harold Godwinson
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William the Conqueror
- Clémence Poésy as Matilda
- Emily Beecham as Edith
- Luther Ford as Tostig
- Ingvar Sigurdsson as Fitzosbern
- Eddie Marsan as King Edward
- Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma
- Jean-Marc Barr as Henry I of France
- Geoff Bell as Godwin
- Elliot Cowan as Sweyn
- Bo Bragason as Queen Gunhild
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- Bjarne Henriksen as Earl Siward
- Oliver Masucci as Baldwin
- Clare Holman as Gytha
- Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas
- Joakim Nätterqvist as Thorolf
- Elander Moore as Morcar
- Indy Lewis as Margaret
- Ines Asserson as Judith
- Sveinn Ólafur Gunnarsson as Hardrada
- Léo Legrand as Odo
- Þorsteinn Bachmann as Baron of Brittany
- Louise Kim Salter as Agnes
James Norton as Harold Godwinson
Who is Harold? Harold is the future king of England, whose life is curiously intertwined with that of William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy.
"We know they became friends," explained Norton, speaking of Harold and William's dynamic. "They were kindred spirits in this new generation of leaders in Europe, and the fact that they fought alongside each other, brothers in arms, in Normandy, gives us a lot in terms of how close they had become, and then how this reversed by the time they got to the Battle of Hastings."
He added: "Nikolaj brought so much complexity to that role, and as a result, I think that the show feels balanced. We didn't want one hero or one villain, we wanted the audience to be split and we wanted people to sit on the sofa and have someone on Team Harold and someone on Team William."
What else has James Norton been in? Norton is best known for roles in television dramas Grantchester, Happy Valley and McMafia. He also starred in the BBC's adaptation of War & Peace in 2016, plus factual drama The Trial of Christine Keeler. On the big screen, he's recently bagged roles in Greta Gerwig's Little Women, Netflix's Joy and biopic Bob Marley: One Love.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William the Conqueror
Who is William the Conqueror? William is the Duke of Normandy, who famously conquered England after defeating Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. The series delves into how their relationship was anything but adversarial at an earlier point in history, with their ultimate confrontation being a cruel twist of fate.
"It's such a compelling story about these two men who, at first, you think that could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship, and then it becomes something quite different," explained Coster-Waldau.
"I didn't know anything about this history, and once I started doing my research and reading about it, I was really surprised by how different Europe looked back then and how the influence of the Normans, the Vikings, how great that was at that time."
What else has Nikolaj Coster-Waldau been in? The Danish actor became a global star with his portrayal of Jaime Lannister in HBO's hit fantasy series Game of Thrones. More recently, he appeared opposite Jennifer Garner in hit Apple TV+ drama The Last Thing He Told Me.
Clémence Poésy as Matilda
Who is Matilda? Matilda is William's wife. They have a loving and caring relationship, and he values her advice.
As Poésy described: "It's interesting and playful to explore these figures who are so unknown. It's very hard to figure out what the truth was, but we took the suggestion of Matilda as the more political side, and William as the warrior and the conqueror.
"She's the one who knows about politics because she’s grown up in these families. What if it was a perfect union of both their strengths that has allowed for him to rule the way he did?"
What else has Clémence Poésy been in? Poésy is still known for her portrayal of Fleur Delacour in the Harry Potter film series, appearing in The Goblet of Fire and The Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2. Later projects have included Sky's European crime drama The Tunnel, Christopher Nolan blockbuster Tenet, Apple TV+ period piece The Essex Serpent and zombie spin-off The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.
Emily Beecham as Edith
Who is Edith? Edith is the wife of Harold Godwinson.
Beecham said: "The information on Edith was a bit limited and contradictory. 'Edith the Fair', 'Edith Swan-Neck', there are various names for her. Who was Edith to Harold was what I had to figure out.
"Her marriage to Harold wasn't recognised by the church because they were married in the Danish style, which put her in a very vulnerable position. Coupled with Harold's hungry ambition, I think it made for the turbulent drama that we all like on our screens and not in our real life!"
What else has Emily Beecham been in? Beecham earned acclaim in the title role of 2017 indie film Daphne, which led to further roles in Disney's Cruella, Guy Ritchie's The Covenant, BBC One's The Pursuit of Love and Netflix's 1899.
Luther Ford as Tostig
Who is Tostig? Tostig is the brother of Harold Godwinson.
What else has Luther Ford been in? Ford burst onto the scene as a young Prince Harry in the final season of The Crown, while he also played Hector in fellow Netflix hit Black Doves.
Eddie Marsan as King Edward
Who is King Edward? Also known as Edward the Confessor, he is the last king of the House of Wessex.
What else has Eddie Marsan been in? Marsan is one of the UK's most recognisable working actors, with a wide array of credits including Ray Donovan, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe, Supacell and Heartstopper. On the big screen, he's popped up in blockbusters Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre.
Juliet Stevenson as Lady Emma
Who is Lady Emma? Lady Emma is King Edward's mother, who holds great influence over him.
What else has Juliet Stevenson been in? Stevenson made a name for herself in 1991 with comedy flick Truly, Madly, Deeply, which earned her a BAFTA nomination. Since then, her credits have included The Politician's Wife, The Village, Atlantis and The Long Call. Earlier this year, she was seen as prison governor Charity Taylor in A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story.
Geoff Bell as Godwin
Who is Godwin? Godwin is Harold's father.
What else has Geoff Bell been in? You may recognise Bell from recent appearances in MobLand, His Dark Materials and Mr Bigstuff, starring Danny Dyer. The two actors also worked together in this year's comedy flick Marching Powder.
Bo Bragason as Queen Gunhild
Who is Gunhild? Gunhild is the daughter of Harold and Edith.
What else has Bo Bragason been in? Bragason has previously appeared in Three Girls, Renegade Nell and The Jetty, but her biggest role to date is likely to be Zelda in Nintendo and Sony's upcoming The Legend of Zelda film.
Oliver Masucci as Baldwin
Who is Baldwin? Baldwin is a Norman associate of William.
What else has Oliver Masucci been in? The German actor is probably best known in the UK for his role in acclaimed Netflix sci-fi series Dark. He also appeared in the third and (likely) final Fantastic Beasts film The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Clare Holman as Gytha
Who is Gytha? Gytha is the mother of Harold Godwinson, and wife to Godwin.
What else has Clare Holman been in? Holman is probably best known for playing Dr Laura Hobson in legendary detective drama Inspector Morse and its spin-off, Lewis. More recently, she's appeared in the BBC's acclaimed Sherwood as well as Netflix original series Treason, starring Charlie Cox.
Jason Forbes as Thane Thomas
Who is Thane Thomas? One of Harold's closest and most trusted allies.
What else has Jason Forbes been in? Forbes has recently appeared in Netflix sci-fi thriller 3 Body Problem and Paramount+ period drama A Gentleman in Moscow. He also impersonated such public figures as Idris Elba and Lewis Hamilton on the recent BritBox revival of Spitting Image.
Indy Lewis as Margaret
Who is Margaret? The sister of Morcar, Earl of Mercia, who has lived a sheltered life in the kingdom.
What else has Indy Lewis been in? Lewis is probably best known for roles in the BBC's Industry and Prime Video's House of David.
King and Conqueror is coming to BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday 24th August 2025.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
