Who was the first Danish monarch to rule over England?

Okay, let's talk about Cnut and his brief but significant reign in England. Before the Norman Conquest, England saw a period of Danish rule. This happened because of ongoing Viking raids and settlements that had been occurring for centuries. By the early 11th century, the English kingdom was weakened by internal conflicts, making it vulnerable. Cnut, also known as Canute the Great, was a powerful Viking leader who seized the English throne in 1016 after a series of battles with the English King Edmund Ironside. What's interesting is that Cnut didn't just become King of England; he also ruled Denmark and Norway, creating a vast North Sea empire. He was a shrewd ruler who understood the importance of English laws and customs, and he generally ruled fairly, which helped him maintain power. While Edward the Confessor, Harold Godwinson, and William the Conqueror are all important figures in English history, they came later. Cnut was the first Danish monarch to successfully rule England, marking a significant chapter in the pre-Norman history of the country.