Godwin himself began to meditate some decisive measures, when, suddenly, Hardicanute died.
Godwin immediately took the field at the head of all his forces, and organized a general movement throughout the kingdom for calling Edward, Alfred's brother, to the throne.

This insurrection was triumphantly successful.

The Danish forces that undertook to resist it were driven to the northward.

The leaders were slain or put to flight.
A remnant of them escaped to the sea-shore, where they embarked on board such vessels as they could find, and left England forever; and this was the final termination of the political authority of the Danes over the realm of England--the consummation and end of Alfred's military labors and schemes, coming surely at last, though deferred for two centuries after his decease.
What follows belongs rather to the history of William the Conqueror than to that of Alfred, for Godwin invited Edward, Emma's Norman son, to come and assume the crown; and his coming, together with that of the many Norman attendants that accompanied or followed him, led, in the end, to the Norman invasion and conquest.

Godwin might probably have made himself king if he had chosen to do so.