Edward the Confessor was king of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. Son of Æthelred II, he spent many years in exile in Normandy before returning to claim the throne. His reign was comparatively peaceful, characterised by strong ties with the Church and an emphasis on lawful governance rather than military expansion.

Edward is closely associated with Westminster Abbey, which he refounded and endowed, making it both a royal mausoleum and a centre of royal authority. After his death, Edward was venerated as a saint, and his cult played an important role in English political culture, especially in the period following the Norman Conquest. Later rulers invoked his memory to legitimise their own authority by association with a sanctified Anglo-Saxon past.

In medieval art, Edward the Confessor is typically depicted as a crowned king, often shown granting charters, holding a ring, or connected with Westminster. His image functions as a visual shorthand for sanctity, justice, and the lawful possession of land and authority.