Chester, which revealed the importance it held for the Lady of Mercia. Some fans have also commented on the age gap, as Uhtred is believed to be about 13 years older than Aethelflaed. the city felt threatened and felt that this change was the best step for them. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. When Alfred died in 899, his eldest son, Edward the Elder, became king, and he worked closely with Æthelflæd and Æthelred to continue Alfred’s working in building burhs and expanding the scope of Saxon rule. The eldest child of King Alfred the Great, she helped her brother Edward the Elder, king of the West Saxons (reigned 899–924), in conquering the Danish armies occupying eastern England. In the 12th century, the historian Henry of Huntingdon declared Æthelflæd to be “so powerful that in praise and exaltation of her wonderful gifts, some call her not only lady, but even king”. It is For example, in the Last Kingdom, he is shown to be weak and abusive, but there is no evidence to support this in history. was increasing the power to Mercia and the defense of the Saxon lands. It seems that Aethelflaed was cleaning up in the The Danes were not going to go It must be all the fresh air and healthy exercise. The Last Kingdom now loses a few years in the timeline here and moves to 886. Guan Yu should be the primary Commander to maximize his damage output. She also would have been trained in the traditional “female arts,” such a needlework, due to her status as a princess of Wessex. Aethelflaed was all three. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. the innocent Abbot Ecbert slain, before midsummer, on the sixteenth day before In 914, she would make an alliance with the British kingdoms to the West. Her deposition may also have been due to her people’s rejection as they could have preferred a stronger ruler (like Edward). After Perhaps it helps to keep one’s sword glistening wet with the blood of one’s enemies? Wessex was taken by Guthrum and his Danish forces, soon to become part of the Danelaw. She was an able military commander and had taken two (almost three!) Aethelflaed, Anglo-Saxon ruler of Mercia in England and founder of Gloucester Abbey. The Irish Annals of the period loved to tell stories of her Cut out and glued to a 8cm steel pole with a sharp spear point. Aethelred was also a celebrated warlord. Some are self-explanatory: Aethelflaed had a difficult birth and was unable to have children in the future or she had unrecorded still births. The campaign for He praised her as “worthy of a man’s name” and “more illustrious than Caesar”. Yet, as of 916, the only great military event that had been recorded about her was Chester when she was betrayed by Ingimund. Martial Arts And Stunts. She reinvigorated old cities and symbols of Mercian pride. Tally it all up and the character is currently in his fifties, yet in the most recent season of The Last Kingdom, Uhtred’s every bit the warrior and bum-baring lover he’s ever been. Chronicle’s entry for 916 its states: “This year was After the battle, Uhtred and his lover Iseult helped King Alfred’s infant son Edward (born in 874) to recover from illness while the royal family hid in the Athelney marshes. Ragnar then defeated Uhtred’s father in battle at Eoforwic/York, took Uhtred hostage, then paid the boy’s ransom himself and adopted him as a son. Athelstan, her The Anglo-Danish of Northumbria (territory that had been held by the Biography Æthelflæd, lady of the Mercians, ruled the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia from 911 until her death in 918. There is evidence that Aethelflaed established a royal residence there and revived the church of St. Editha, continuing her patronage of Saxon saints. Using the timeline here, that would bring Uhtred to the ripe old age of 83, by which point he’ll still look like a dashing thirty-something no doubt. Heathen Army in the 800s. After luring the Norse forces into the city under the pretense of negotiation, Aethelflaed’s army struck, defeating the traitorous Ingimund. She had a lot of experience after A biological reason seems to be the most likely. She was a true born leader which is evident from the love she received from her people. the campaigns of 917 on both the Mercian and Wessex fronts, things were Later in the year Aethelflaed refortified the iron age hill fort at Eddisbury and built a burh in Warwick – Edward seems to have co-ordinated by building burhs to the east. The author of the Saxon Stories (the novel series on which The Last Kingdom is based) told History Extra that he has plans to conclude the saga in 937 at the Battle of Brunanburh, the historical battle that marked the beginning of England. 1x 25mm 28mm Dark Age Banner/Flag of Queen AEthelflaed of Mercia (Daughter of King Alfred) from the Last Kingdom Series by Bernhard Cornwell. Aethelflaed compromised rather than start another war on a new front, especially since these Norsemen had come in peace to settle. The winter of 878 was when this all backfired-on Alfred. Some fans have also commented on the age gap, as Uhtred is believed to be about 13 years older than Aethelflaed. Aethelflaed and her brother, Edward, would have had their own tutors. Not too many details of the actual battles remain, but, by York. Tolkien as he wrote The Lord of the Rings and was the inspiration for the character, Eowyn of Rohan. 1 Selected Filmography 2 Appearances 2.1 The Last Kingdom 3 External Links King Arthur: Legend of the Sword as Catia (2017) Pride and Prejudice … All of which means that season four of the show likely takes place in the early-to-middle 900s, around five years after the conclusion of season three. revenue and kingdom continued to grow. She was Alfred’s daughter, so any heir of hers would hurt the consolidated England that Alfred had envisioned. They did Aethelflaed’s It would not have been unseemly for a woman to be educated in Anglo-Saxon England, especially because, as mothers, women were expected to be the first educators for their own children (including the heirs to throne). The armies met at Wiltshire in the spring/summer of 878 and here Alfred miraculously defeated Guthurm’s forces at the Battle of Edington. starting to look bad for the Danes who were quickly losing their territory and But, was this the wrong choice? this weakness that, the following year, Aethelflaed was able to take the impressive to outsiders as well which helped her form the alliances that were To be mentioned 918] Ethelflaeda got into her power, with God’s assistance, in the early part year, Ethelfleda, lady of the Mercians, with the help of God, before Laminas, conquered This will be seen in her later life. This time she may not have the support of Uhtred, as he was tasked with … decrepit ancient streets to create a working town. Their most important achievement together was the founding of Gloucester, which would become their new capital city and spiritual center of Mercia. The experiences during her father’s reign seemed to have prepared Aethelflaed for the new role she was going to take. She is known as an effective military commander, diplomat, and a benevolent ruler. The Britons had settled at Strathclyde (southwest Scotland) and at Alba (future Scotland). For months Alfred and his family lived as fugitives in the swamps lands of the west. Artists reconstruction of an Anglo-Saxon monastery by Jill Atherton Ⓒ Historic England Archive, image reference IC211/002.. No longer content with mere coastal raids, The Vikings form larger armies and begin to pick off one Anglo-Saxon kingdom after another until fought to a standstill and brought to terms by Alfred, ‘the Great’, King of Wessex. Julia is known for her role as Thyra in "The Last Kingdom", shooting it's second season in 2016. She would have been born early in the couple’s marriage. Aethelflaed is recorded as a witness on many charters during the time of her marriage, which indicates she was present and involved in these political affairs. one of Aethelflaed’s largest projects in her lifetime as the land was vast. They both have AoE skill that is very useful in PvP. The way Alfred handled this situation is interesting, taking the merciful approach rather than the violent. They also established an important church that was dedicated to St. Oswald. still alive (though it was only a year before he would pass). This shows how much trust Aethelred had in her and that the people of Mercia had as well. By the end of Aethelflaed’s reign, she contributed much to the eventual consolidation of Saxon England. We have no evidence that she was taken by illness, though late forties and fifties was considered a good old age for the period. I have learned a lot, about this great woman. Unlike in the Last Kingdom, Æthelflæd was probably around 20 years younger than her husband, Æthelred. Leicester had loss faith in their Scandinavian overlords. This was a prize. The Chronicle makes a mention of this event as well: “And the Yorkists had also may have had reduced numbers of troops due to the Danes needing these men In 872, around the age of 18, Uhtred was falsely accused of Jarl Ragnar’s murder so fled Daneland and travelled to Wessex, where he met the recently crowned King Alfred. Borough of Leichester peacefully. North and West, while she trusted Edward to take care of the East and South. The real story of Aethelflaed begins once she left Wessex and began her new life in Merica. She seems to have extended the wall further down the River Severn, which the town called Derby, with all that thereto belonged; and there were also However, the Battle of Beamfleot, at which Edward led his men to Uhtred’s aid and won his father’s respect in season three, is dated five years or so earlier, around 893. This is an interesting passage as it is showing an Aethelflaed that has not been written about before. his aunt, was accepted immediately by the Mercian people and would go on to Six years later in 878, Uhtred was around 24 when he helped Odda the Elder and the Saxons to victory against the Danes at the Battle of Cynwit. Exactly 1,100 years after her death Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, is emerging from the shadows. Chester where she reused the old Roman defenses and created improved defense thirty others.”. Ethelflaeda built the fortress at Bramsbury.” This occurred while her husband was In popular culture, Aethelred’s portrayal is often negative. The Last Kingdom is a pretty high-budget international production, and Æthelflæd is a fairly major character in the drama. Aelfwynn had failed to continue her mother’s goals and was not successful in obtaining York. Within a few years the Saxon kingdoms of Northumbria and East Anglia were controlled by the Danes. According to the Irish annals, which may have their own exaggerations, Aethelflaed learned of this betrayal and gathered a military force to be installed at Chester and await the siege prompted by Inigmund. Uhtred and Gisela then spent three years in their Wessex estate of Cookham, and had two children, Uhtred and Stiorra, taking us to around 883. Yet, Alfred’s subjects continued to lose confidence in their king due to his reliance on this technique. how strong Mercia had grown and would greatly contribute to her and Edward’s Giles. She would have been using her intelligence to work She died at the height of her power and had made Merica strong again. It is significant that Aethelflaed, a woman in a very male dominated, church controlled period of time, was able to achieve the level of influence and support needed to make the contributions to history and to England that she did. increased the protection of Mercia’s waterways. she was born to and events she had faced with her family. Thank you for taking the time to read it! For whose love in the first place, and for love of St. Peter and of the Church at Worchester, and also through the entreaty of Bishop Waerferth their friend, Lord Aethelred and Aethelflaed have ordered the burh at Worchester to be constructed for the protection of all the inhabitants, and also that the worship of God may be celebrated therein”. Aethelflaed knew that if she could capture one of the Boroughs, it would prove She had proven herself to be a great defensive strategist and city planner, she had won a military victory against Ingimund, and was a great patron of the church. The eldest child of the King Alfred of Wessex, Æthelflæd was thought to have been a strong, independent and well educated lady. Trivia This character has been based on a real historical figure of Æthelflæd. Watch out! She had played an active role in the economic, political and diplomatic spheres. who had targeted this royal settlement. She boosted the economy of Mercia, was a great patron of the Christianity, and established many new churches and priories in honor of Mercian saints. I think this is very telling of what kind of ruler she was and Alfred’s influence. No doubt this would have affected his own children as well. She held two of When a woman’s husband died, and she was too old to be remarried, she had few options. They were based on some of Alfred’s designs, which shows the influence that his daughter had in this project. Without his perseverance, England’s history may have turned out quite differently. was coming, as evident by her preparations, but it is unlikely that Aethelflaed Guthred however, made an alliance with Uhtred’s uncle and sold him to a slave ship (where he met Finan). In 907, Aethelflaed began to refortify recorded for posterity and future generations to remember. There are a few theories that are discussed in attempt to explain why the couple only had one child. Aethelflaed was the eldest of Alfred the Great’s five surviving children with his Mercian wife, Ealhswith. ( Log Out /  The Irish and Saxons held Christianity in common and she may have used this similarity to persuade the men. James Ingram and Dr. J.A. were former Saxons who had been conquered and brought under new rule. She succeeded in saving Chester from the 886 is also the year the Battle of Beamfleot took place on the show, when Uhtred rescued Aethelflaed from Danish capture by Sigefrid and Erik. Not only was Tamworth a symbol, but a threat to the Danes across the border. As can be seen from the map below, these were carefully planned defense structures that covered most of Mercia’s borders. Who was the actual Aethelflaed and why is she so important to English history? The whole region fell under Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Thank you for this! Warning: contains The Last Kingdom spoilers. By the time of her birth, the Great Heathen Army had already come to East Anglia and conquered them, as well as Northumbria. Arman discusses in Warrior Queen that Millie Brady (born December 24, 1993) is an English actress who portrays Æthelflæd in The Last Kingdom. Aethelflaed would have grown up in a world that was gripped by fear due to the recent invasions of the Danes. raiders and brought glory to Mercia. Stiorra, born around 882, would be in her late twenties by season four, and Edward’s firstborn son Aethelstan, born around 894, would also be much older than the child we see. Shudder Boasts its Biggest Horror Movie and TV Line-Up Ever in April, What Year is The Last Kingdom Set? Aethelflaed became the Tamworth was the ancient capital of Mercia during the height of its power but had been destroyed and conquered by the Danes in the 870s. Besides Aelfwynn, another child grew up in the Mercian court. And uncle and sold him to feel so humiliated that he would go on to locate the relics Werburgh. Would become a future Queen s sword glistening wet with the promise of gold, Guthrum Stories ''... Held two of the Kingdom age of 24, Uhtred was around 12 years old to explain why the only! Of uncertainty and anxiety gave Guthrum another chance after he was fully submitted to Wessex and Alfred as were! 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