He was received with great joy, and crowned king with splendid ceremonies and great show, in the ancient cathedral at Winchester.

He felt under great obligations to Godwin, to whose instrumentality he was wholly indebted for this sudden and most brilliant change in his fortunes; and partly impelled by this feeling of gratitude, and partly allured by Edith's extraordinary charms, he proposed to make Edith his wife.

Godwin made no objection.

In fact, his enemies say that he made a positive stipulation for this match before allowing the measures for Edward's elevation to the throne to proceed too far.

However this may be, Godwin found himself, after Edward's accession, raised to the highest pitch of honor and power.
From being a young herdsman's son, driving the cows to pasture in a wood, he had become the prime minister, as it were, of the whole realm, his four sons being great commanding generals in the army, and his daughter the queen.
The current of life did not flow smoothly with him, after all.