Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (8 page)

Read Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy Online

Authors: Alison Weir

Tags: #Biography & Autobiography, #Royalty, #History, #General, #Historical, #Reference, #Genealogy & Heraldry, #Non Fiction

S
IBLINGS
: (

see here
, under
Edmund I
).

KING EDGAR

Known as ‘the Peaceable’, he was born in 942/4. He took over the government of Northumbria and Mercia from his brother King Edwy in 958, and was styled King of those realms from that date. He succeeded Edwy on 1 October, 959, but was not crowned until 11 May, 973, as St Dunstan, the Archbishop of Canterbury, would not agree to crown Edgar until he amended his way of life. The coronation, which took place in Bath Abbey, followed the new form of service devised by St Dunstan and based on European models. This is the form of Coronation Rite used, with modifications, in the 20th century.

Edgar married firstly
, in
c
.961/2 (although no record exists as to where):

Ethelfleda

Known as ‘the Fair’, she was the daughter of Ealdorman Ordmaer by his wife Ealda. Later sources allege that she was divorced by Edgar in
c
.964, so that he could marry his second wife, but this is probably a fabrication, and it is likely that Ethelfleda died in
c
.962/4, probably by 965 (although one unreliable source gives the date of her death as 972/3). She was buried in Wilton Abbey, Wiltshire, where she is said to have retired after her alleged divorce.

Issue of marriage:

1
King Edward the Martyr
(
see here
).

Edgar married secondly
, in
c
.964/5 (perhaps earlier) (although no record exists as to where):

Elfrida

Alternatively known as Alstrita or Elstrudis, she was the daughter of Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon. She was born in
c
.945 at Lydford
Castle, Devon. She married firstly, in
c.
962/3, Ethelwald, Ealdorman of East Anglia (
d.
963), and had issue:

1 Edgar.

2 (?) Ethelfleda (963?–1016?), Abbess of Romsey. She may have been Ethelwald’s daughter by his first wife, although one account says she was his posthumous child.

Elfrida is said to have had an adulterous affair with King Edgar whilst still married to Ethelwald, and some sources allege that Ethelwald was murdered on Edgar’s orders. Elfrida was crowned with her husband on 11 May, 973, at Bath Abbey: this was the first instance of the coronation of a Queen of England. She became a nun in
c.
986 at Wherwell Abbey, Hampshire, where she died, possibly on 17 November, 1002 (?); she was alive in 999, but had died before the end of 1002. She was probably buried in Wherwell Abbey.

Issue of marriage:

1
Edmund

He was born in
c.
965, and died in 970/72. He was buried in Romsey Abbey, Hampshire.

2
Ethelred II
(
see here
).

King Edgar also had the following
illegitimate issue
:

By St Wulfrida (
c.
945–1000), Abbess of Wilton,

1 St Edith (962?–984), Abbess of Barking and Nunnaminster.

KING EDGAR

He died on 8 July, 975, at Winchester, and was buried in Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset.

He was succeeded by his son Edward.

King Edward the Martyr

F
ATHER
:
King Edgar
(

see here
).

M
OTHER
:
Ethelfleda
(

see here
, under
Edgar
).

S
IBLINGS
:
Edward did not have any full brothers or sisters.

KING EDWARD

Known as ‘the Martyr’, he was born in
c
.962/3. He succeeded his father as King of England on 8 July, 975, and was crowned at Kingston-upon-Thames that same year (the date is unspecified). He was murdered on 18 March, 978 (not 979, as is sometimes stated), at Corfe Castle, Dorset, probably on the orders of his stepmother, Elfrida of Devon. He was buried in Wareham Abbey, Dorset; later on, his remains were moved to Shaftesbury Abbey, Dorset.

He was succeeded by his half-brother Ethelred.

Ethelred II

F
ATHER
:
King Edgar
(

see here
).

M
OTHER
:
Elfrida of Devon
(

see here
, under
Edgar
).

S
IBLINGS
: (

see here
, under
Edgar
).