Ealhswith was the wife of King Alfred the Great and the mother of Aethelflaed, the Lady of the Mercians, and Edward the Elder. Her offspring would continue what her husband and the House of Wessex began.
Family and Ancestry
- Ealhswith had deep roots in Mercia, which was an important kingdom in Anglo-Saxon England.
- Ealhswith was born in Mercia to the nobleman Aethelred Mucel, the Ealdorman of the Gaini.
- Her mother was Eadburh, who was also a member of the Mercian royal family.
- It is also believed that she was a descendant of King Coenwulf of Mercia.
Marriage to Alfred the Great
- Ealhswith was married to Alfred in 868.
- At the time of her marriage, Alfred's brother Aethelred was king, and Alfred was considered his heir
- The marriage was a political marriage that would help unite Wessex and Mercia, who had been at odds with each other since King Egbert.
- King Aethelred died in 871, and Alfred became king, and she became queen of Wessex.
- Although queen was were position, it was not her title. King Alfred did not want to give her the title due to the conduct of the former queen Eadburh.
Legacy
- King Alfred became one of the greatest kings in English history, and his children Eahlswith became exceptional leaders who would unite England further.
- When Alfred died, he left her three estates: Edington, Lambourn, and Wantage. Each of these locations held personal significance to Alfred as they were landmarks in his life.
- In 899, Ealhswith founded the convent of St. Mary's Abbey, Winchester, known as the Nunnaminster.
- She died December 5, 902, and was buried in King Edward's new Benedictine abbey.
- She would be remembered by 10th-century historians as "the true and dear lady of the English"