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Alfred’s kingdom was thus in a precarious position. Alfred began battling the Danes in 870, months before he acceded to the throne. He lost more battles than he won but put up enough resistance to be left alone for several years. In 876, however, a large Viking force under the Danish king Guthrum began to make attacks on Wessex.
The house became dominant in southern England after the accession of King Ecgberht in 802. Alfred the Great saved England from Viking conquest in the late ninth century and his grandson Æthelstan became first king of England in 927. The disastrous reign of Æthelred the Unready ended in Danish conquest in 1014.
Vikings take Chippenham in surprise attack; Alfred driven into exile. 878. Alfred mobilizes his forces and defeats Vikings at the Battle of Eddington. c. 880 - c. 886. Alfred implements his famous reforms of military, law, education, and infrastructure of Britain . 886. Alfred takes London from the Vikings; is recognized as king outside of Wessex.
Jun 28, 2024 · Churchill himself wrote that Alfred was “the greatest Englishman who ever lived.”. Alfred was born in Wantage, Berkshire, in 849, the fifth son of the Wessex king, Aethelwulf. When 4 years old, he accompanied his father to Rome, where legend has it the boy was anointed king by Pope Leo IV. After the death of Aethelwulf and short successive ...
One of the most famous Anglo-Saxon kings was Alfred, one of the only kings in British history to be called 'Great'. His father was king of Wessex, but by the end of Alfred's reign his coins ...
In 868 AD, Alfred married Ealhswith, the daughter of a Mercian nobleman. The pair had five children together. When the Great Heathen Army arrived, Alfred’s next oldest brother, Aethelred, was King of Wessex. The same year Alfred wed Ealhswith he began his military career, as he was recorded fighting alongside his brother against the Vikings.
"One day it is my hope that all kingdoms will become one. United by one God. The birth of an England, the idea of a single kingdom called England has to begi...
- 8 min
- 34K
- RM Film
