Search results
Jun 15, 2023 · Despite the lack of dramatic events, historian Judith Green characterised his rule as the ‘apogee of Old English kingship’, signifying its importance as a high point in the era of Anglo-Saxon rule.
King Edgar came to power in 959, uniting a fractured England and introducing a period of calm and stability, something unheard of in medieval kingship. He was born in 943 to King Edmund I and his first wife, Aelgifu of Shaftesbury. Together the couple had three children, two boys, Eadwig and Edgar as well as a daughter.
People also ask
Was King Edgar a good king?
How many kings did Edgar the peaceful have?
Was Edgar the peaceful a warrior king?
How many children did King Edgar have?
- Æthelstan
- Edmund I
- Eadred
- Eadwig
- Edgar The Peaceful
- Edward The Martyr
- Æthelred The Unready
- Edmund Ironside
- Canute
- Harold Harefoot
Æthelstanruled first as King of the Anglo-Saxons, before becoming the first King of England after conquering York and therefore unifying the kingdom for the first time. During his reign, Æthelstan centralised government to a greater degree and built working relationships with the rulers of Wales and Scotland, who acknowledged his authority. He also...
Although Æthelstan had unified the kingdoms of England to become the first king of all England, on his death England became partially fragmented again, with Viking rule in York and north-east Merciaresuming: something of an initial set back. Fortunately in 942, he was able to re-establish his authority in Mercia, and by 944 he had regained control ...
Relatively little is known about Eadred’s reign: his crowning achievement was to bring the kingdom of Northumbria firmly under the control of the English crown, expelling the Norwegian ruler Eric the Bloodaxe from the region in the process. He never married, and is thought to have suffered from severe digestive problems. On his death in 955, his ne...
Eadwig became king aged just 15: despite, or perhaps because of, his youth, he feuded with his nobles and clergy, including the powerful archbishops Dunstan and Oda. Some accounts suggest these feuds developed because of Eadwig’s inappropriate sexual relationships. His reign became gradually less stable, with nobles loyal to Oda switching their all...
One of the most stable and successful periods presided over by the Anglo-Saxon kings was during Edgar’s reign. He consolidated political unity and ruled firmly but fairly, taking advice from leading nobles and trusted counselors like Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury. By the end of his reign, it seemed unlikely England would remain anything other t...
Edward inherited the throne after a leadership tussle with his half-brother Æthelred: their father, Edgar the Peaceful, hadn’t officially acknowledged either son as his legitimate heir, leading to a power struggle after his death. After several months of struggle, Edward was chosen as king and crowned, but factionalism had weakened his authority, a...
Æthelred became king aged 12 after his older half-brother was assassinated. His nickname, the Unready, was something of a word-play: his name literally means ‘well advised’ but the Old English unræd, meaning poorly advised, was similar in lexical terms. Despite making important reforms to coinage, his reign was scarred by conflict with the Danes, w...
Reigning for a mere 7 months, Edmund II inherited a war from him his father, Æthelred the Unready against Canute, leader of the Danes. The country was divided into those who had supported the Danes and those who hadn’t, and Canute’s attempts to take the English throne were far from over. Edmund fought 5 battles against the Danes during his brief re...
Often referred to as Cnut the Great, Canute was a Danish prince. He won the throne of England in 1016, and succeeded his father to the Danish throne in 1018, uniting the two crowns. Whilst there were some cultural similarities which united the two countries, sheer force allowed Canute to maintain his power. He claimed the crown of Norway in 1028 an...
The oldest son of Canute but not his designated heir, Harold Harefoot was elected regent of England on his father’s death as his half-brother, and the true heir, Harthacnut, was stuck in Denmark. Two years into his regency, with Harthacnut still not returned to England, Harold was eventually proclaimed king with the support of several powerful earl...
- Sarah Roller
Edgar’s reign was in many respects the apogee of Old English kingship, in its claims to overkingship of its neighbours in Britain, in the intensification of royal rule over England south of the Tees, in flourishing economic activity, especially in eastern England, and in the revival of Benedictine monasticism.
Born: AD 943. King of Mercia & Northumbria. King of England. Died: 8th July AD 975. King Edgar was the youngest child of King Edmund the Magnificent and St. Aelfgitha. As a boy, he was fostered by Athelstan Half-King, the Ealdorman of East Anglia, and his wife, Aelfwin.
Oct 3, 2023 · Edgar († July 8, 975 in Winchester) was king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria from 957 to 959. After the death of his elder brother Eadwig, he became king of all England from 959 until his death.
Nov 30, 2015 · King Edgar ('the Peaceful') was the second son of Edmund I and Aelfgifu of Shaftesbury, and king of England from 959-975 and of Mercia from 957-959. An excellent ruler, Edgar achieved peace, stability and prosperity across his kingdom, and faced no invasions from the Vikings.
