History UsefulNotes / TheHouseOfWessex

Alfred is the only monarch in British history afforded the accolade "The Great". There are three main reasons for Alfred’s fame: (1) his successful defence of his kingdom against the Vikings; (2) the relatively large number of sources which survive from his reign; and (3) the desire in later centuries to find Anglo-Saxon origins for the English constitution, Church, empire and character. These three aspects coalesce so that his very real achievements have become part of a myth. It is a process that began in his lifetime and reached its height in the millenary celebrations of his death in 1901.

The Anglo-Saxon line, as noted below, was interrupted for two decades by Viking conquerors, but was re-established by Edward the Confessor. The Confessor is said to have willed his throne to his brother-in-law, King Harold II Godwinson, who was killed at the Battle at Hastings, when the native Saxon House of Wessex was displaced by Edward the Confessor’s first cousin once-removed, [[UsefulNotes/{{TheHouseOfNormandy}} William, Duke of Normandy]], later William I of England and thereafter known as the Conqueror.

< Prior to the arrival of the Saxons we’re going back to [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire Roman Britain]]. See also UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms for detail on the Briton tribes whom the Saxons displaced, and UsefulNotes/{{Boudica}} and Myth/KingArthur for details on one of Britain’s most famous, even earlier monarchs.\\\

->'''Consorts''': (1) Ecgwynn of Wessex (2) [=Ælfflæd=] of Wiltshire; (3) Eadgifu of Kent

< Prior to the arrival of the Saxons we’re going back to [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire Roman Britain]]. See also UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms for detail on the Briton tribes whom the Saxons displaced, and UsefulNotes/{{Boudica}} for detail on one of Britain’s most famous, even earlier monarchs.\\\

Egbert (Ecgherht) was the first monarch to establish a stable and extensive rule over all of Anglo-Saxon England. After returning from exile at the court of Charlemagne in 802, he regained his kingdom of Wessex. Following his conquest of Mercia in 827, he controlled all of England south of the Humber. After further victories in Northumberland and North Wales, he is recognised by the title Bretwalda (Anglo-Saxon, “ruler of the British”). A year before he died aged almost 70, he defeated a combined force of Danes and Cornish at Hingston Down in Cornwall. He is buried at Winchester in Hampshire. Even though he was very old for the time period (In fact, he was the longest lived member of his dynasty), Egbert's death must've been sudden, because he was in contact with his ally, the Holy Roman Emperor, to arrange safe passage for a pilgrimage to Rome, but he died before he could go.

There is a famous story proclaiming Cnut’s vanity, first recorded by Henry of Huntingdon in his twelfth-century ''Chronicle of the History of England'', in which flattering courtiers convinced him he could hold back the tide of the ocean. The story is called ''Cnut and the Waves'' as is how he is best remembered today. While history has remembered him as an almost humorous figure the medieval historian, Norman Cantor stated that Cnut was “the most effective king in Anglo-Saxon history.” The size of his North Sea Empire (Norway, England, and his native Denmark) should be a stark reminder of his success as a conqueror and ruler.

Cnut (sometimes spelled ‘Canute’, for...[[CountryMatters reasons]]) became king of all England following the death of Edmund II. The son of Sweyn Forkbeard, he ruled well and gained favour with his English subjects by sending most of his army back to Denmark. In 1017, Cnut married Emma of Normandy, the widow of [=Æthelred=] II and divided England into the four earldoms of East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex.

Cnut (sometimes spelled ‘Canute’) became king of all England following the death of Edmund II. The son of Sweyn Forkbeard, he ruled well and gained favour with his English subjects by sending most of his army back to Denmark. In 1017, Cnut married Emma of Normandy, the widow of [=Æthelred=] II and divided England into the four earldoms of East Anglia, Mercia, Northumbria and Wessex.

Egbert (Ecgherht) was the first monarch to establish a stable and extensive rule over all of Anglo-Saxon England. After returning from exile at the court of Charlemagne in 802, he regained his kingdom of Wessex. Following his conquest of Mercia in 827, he controlled all of England south of the Humber. After further victories in Northumberland and North Wales, he is recognised by the title Bretwalda (Anglo-Saxon, “ruler of the British”). A year before he died aged almost 70, he defeated a combined force of Danes and Cornish at Hingston Down in Cornwall. He is buried at Winchester in Hampshire.

!!'''[=Æthelflæd=], Lady of the Mercians'''

* ''Series/TheLastKingdom'' is a British TV series produced by Creator/TheBBC based on ''Literature/TheSaxonStories'', an on-going series of HistoricalFiction novels by Creator/BernardCornwell, starring Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a fictional exiled Northumbrian lord and vassal of Creator/DavidDawson's UsefulNotes/AlfredTheGreat. Many of the those listed above feature prominently; Alfred’s wife Aelswith, Edward the Elder, [=Æthelflæd=] and [=Æthelred=] of Mercia, and many more.

* ''Series/TheLastKingdom'' is a British TV series produced by Creator/TheBBC based on ''Literature/TheSaxonStories'', an on-going series of HistoricalFiction novels by Creator/BernardCornwell, starring Alexander Dreymon as Uhtred of Bebbanburg and Creator/DavidDawson as UsefulNotes/AlfredTheGreat. Many of the those listed above feature prominently; Alfred’s wife Aelswith, Edward the Elder, [=Æthelflæd=] and [=Æthelred=] of Mercia, and many more.

The youngest son of Edmund I, Edgar had been in dispute with his brother concerning succession to the throne for some years. Following Eadwig’s mysterious death, Edgar immediately recalled Dunstan from exile, making him Archbishop of Canterbury as well as his personal adviser. Following his carefully planned (by Dunstan) coronation in Bath in 973, Edgar marched his army to Chester, to be met by six kings of Britain. The kings, including the King of Scots, King of Strathclyde, and various princes of Wales, are said to have signalled their allegiance to Edgar by rowing him in his state barge across the River Dee.

** ''Literature/TheSaxonStories'' is an ongoing series of novels about Alfred the Great and his uneasy ally Uhtred who is raised as a Viking.

[=Æthelflæd=], has been described as 'our greatest woman-general', was the eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, and his queen, Ealhswith.

When her husband died, [=Æthelflæd=] became the only sole female ruler in Europe. She expanded Mercia’s domains and built new forts to protect them against the Danes. In 917 she captured Derby and soon also forced the Danes of York to surrender. After her death in 918 her only daughter succeeded her as Lady of the Mercians.

Succeeded his father Alfred the Great. Edward is often referred to with his byname "The Elder', which was not used in his lifetime but was a byname added after his death to distinguish him from Edward the Martyr. He retook southeast England and the Midlands from the Danes, and following the death of his sister Aethelflaed of Mercia, he united the kingdoms of Wessex and Mercia. In 923, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles record that the Scottish King Constantine II recognises Edward as “father and lord”. The following year, Edward is killed in a battle against the Welsh near Chester. His body is returned to Winchester for burial.

The eldest son of Edmund I, Eadwig was about 16 when he was crowned king at Kingston-upon-Thames in southeast London. Legend has it that his coronation had to be delayed to allow Bishop Dunstan to prise Eadwig from his bed, and from between the arms of his “strumpet” and the strumpets’ mother. Perhaps unimpressed by the interruption, Eadwig had Dunstan exiled to France. Eadwig died in Gloucester when he was just 20, the circumstances of his death are not recorded.

The youngest son of Edmund I, Edgar had been in dispute with his brother concerning succession to the throne for some years. Following Eadwig’s mysterious death, Edgar immediately recalled Dunstan from exile, making him Archbishop of Canterbury as well as his personal adviser. Following his carefully planned (by Dunstan) coronation in Bath in 973, Edgar marched his army to Chester, to be met by six kings of Britain. The kings, including the King of Scots, King of Strathclyde and various princes of Wales, are said to have signalled their allegiance to Edgar by rowing him in his state barge across the River Dee.

There is a famous story proclaiming Cnut’s vanity, first recorded by Henry of Huntingdon in his twelfth-century ''Chronicle of the History of England'', in which flattering courtiers convinced him he could hold back the tide of the ocean. The story is called ''Cnut and the Waves'' as is how he is best remembered today. While history has remembered him as an almost humorous figure the medieval historian, Norman Cantor stated that Cnut was “the most effective king in Anglo-Saxon history.” The size of his North Sea Empire (Norway, England and his native Denmark) should be a stark reminder of his success as a conqueror and ruler.

Despite having no royal bloodline, Harold Godwinson, son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, was elected king by the Witan (a council of high ranking nobles and religious leaders), following the death of Edward the Confessor. The election result failed to meet with the approval of one William, Duke of Normandy. William -- a blood-relative of Edward’s via his mother Emma, who was William’s great-aunt therefore making them first cousins once-removed -- who claimed Edward had promised the throne to him several years earlier.[[note]]There's a strong chance this promise actually happened, given Edward's own Norman upbringing and the fact that he and William had been quite close.[[/note]] Harold defeated an invading Norwegian army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, then marched south to confront William of Normandy who had landed his forces in Sussex. The death of Harold at the Battle Of Hastings meant the end of the English Anglo-Saxon kings and the beginning of [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman rule]].

On paper, there was one final Anglo-Saxon King of England. After Harold's death, the Witan promptly elected the grandson of King Edmund Ironside, Edgar [=Ætheling=], to be the new king. Edgar was the last remaining male member of the House of Wessex and thus considered the only plausible option since they were unwilling to accept William's claim. Edgar was never actually crowned and since William didn't care about the Witan's permission, he never actually ruled England. He briefly tried to retake the throne with the aid of his brother-in-law King Malcolm III of Scotland, but after this failed Malcolm convinced him to give up on becoming king.

* The novelist Creator/BernardCornwell has written several books set around this time period;
** ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'' trilogy (''The Winter King'', ''Enemy of God'' and ''Excalibur: A Novel of Arthur'') which is about Myth/KingArthur attempting to set up a kingdom by being threatened by invasion from the Anglo-Saxons.
** ''Literature/TheSaxonStories'' which is an ongoing series of novels about Alfred the Great and his uneasy ally Uhtred who is raised as a viking.

* The House of Wessex appears in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla'' with the dynasty's most famous member King Alfred the Great as the main antagonist since he wants to defend his kingdom from Viking invaders. Aside from Alfred, his wife Lady Aethelswith and his daughter Aethelflead also show up in the story.

< Prior to the arrival of the Saxons we’re going back to [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire Roman Britain]]. See also UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms for detail on the Briton tribes that the Saxons displaced, and UsefulNotes/{{Boudica}} for detail on one of Britain’s most famous, even earlier monarchs.\\\

Despite having no royal bloodline, Harold Godwinson, son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, was elected king by the Witan (a council of high ranking nobles and religious leaders), following the death of Edward the Confessor. The election result failed to meet with the approval of one William, Duke of Normandy William -- a blood-relative of Edward’s via his mother Emma, who was William’s great-aunt therefore making them first cousins once-removed -- who claimed Edward had promised the throne to him several years earlier.[[note]]There's a strong chance this promise actually happened, given Edward's own Norman upbringing and the fact that he and William had been quite close.[[/note]] Harold defeated an invading Norwegian army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, then marched south to confront William of Normandy who had landed his forces in Sussex. The death of Harold at the Battle Of Hastings meant the end of the English Anglo-Saxon kings and the beginning of [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman rule]].

> After these guys, we're into the UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy

* The House of Wessex appears in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla'' with the dynasty's most famous member King Alfred the Great as the main antagonist since he wants to defend his kingdom from Viking invaders. Aside from Alfred, his entire family show up in the story which includes Lady Aethelswith and Aethelflead.

< Prior to the arrival of the Saxons we’re going back to [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire Roman Britain]]. See also UsefulNotes/CelticKingdoms for detail on the Britons the Saxons displaced, and UsefulNotes/{{Boudica}} for detail on one of Britain’s most famous, even earlier monarchs.\\\

> After these guys, we're into the [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman Dynasty]]

* The House of Wessex appears in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla'' with the dynasty's most famous member King Alfred the Great as the main antagonist since he wants to defend his kingdom from Viking invaders.

->'''Parents''': Elesa of Saxony (father)

Despite having no royal bloodline, Harold Godwinson, son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, was elected king by the Witan (a council of high ranking nobles and religious leaders), following the death of Edward the Confessor. The election result failed to meet with the approval of one William, Duke of Normandy, who claimed that Edward, his first cousin once-removed, had promised the throne to him several years earlier.[[note]]There's a strong chance this promise actually happened, given Edward's own Norman upbringing and the fact that he and William had been quite close.[[/note]] Harold defeated an invading Norwegian army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, then marched south to confront William of Normandy who had landed his forces in Sussex. The death of Harold at the Battle Of Hastings meant the end of the English Anglo-Saxon kings and the beginning of [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman rule]].

A word on pronunciation; the Anglo-Saxons had a predilection for some pretty intimidating-looking, tongue-warping names, though a good starting point is to know that the prefix “[=Æth=]” is pronounced “eth” to rhyme with “Beth”. You’ll see a lot of [=Æthel=]-something-or-other, which means "noble", and is common prefix in high-status Anglo-Saxon names; [=Æthelred =] — “Eth-uhl-red” — for example means "noble counsel", [=Æthelflæd=] — “Eth-uhl-fled” — means “noble beauty” and [=Ælfflæd=] — “Elf-fled” — means “beautiful elf”.

On paper, there was one final Anglo-Saxon King of England. After Harold's death, the Witan promptly elected the grandson of the previous king, Edmund Ironside, Edgar [=Ætheling=], to be the new king. Edgar was the last remaining male member of the House of Wessex and thus considered the only plausible option since they were unwilling to accept William's claim. Edgar was never actually crowned and since William didn't care about the Witan's permission, he never actually ruled England. He briefly tried to retake the throne with the aid of his brother-in-law King Malcolm III of Scotland, but after this failed Malcolm convinced him to give up on becoming king.

On paper, there was one final Anglo-Saxon King of England. After Harold's death, the Witan promptly elected the grandson of Edmund Ironside, Edgar [=Ætheling=], to be the new king. Edgar was the last remaining male member of the House of Wessex and thus considered the only plausible option since they were unwilling to accept William's claim. Edgar was never actually crowned and since William didn't care about the Witan's permission, he never actually ruled England. He briefly tried to retake the throne with the aid of his brother-in-law King Malcolm III of Scotland, but after this failed Malcolm convinced him to give up on becoming king.

Son of [=Æthelred=] II and brother of Edmund Ironside. Following the death of Harthacnut, Edward restored the rule of the House of Wessex to the English throne. A deeply pious and religious man (hence his byname), he presided over the rebuilding of Westminster Abbey, leaving much of the running of the country to Earl Godwin and his son Harold. Edward died childless, eight days after the building work on Westminster Abbey had finished. With no natural successor, England was faced with a power struggle for control of the throne.

Despite having no royal bloodline, Harold Godwinson, son of Godwin, Earl of Wessex, was elected king by the Witan (a council of high ranking nobles and religious leaders), following the death of Edward the Confessor. The election result failed to meet with the approval of one William, Duke of Normandy, who claimed that Edward, his first cousin once-removed, had promised the throne to him several years earlier. Harold defeated an invading Norwegian army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, then marched south to confront William of Normandy who had landed his forces in Sussex. The death of Harold at the Battle Of Hastings meant the end of the English Anglo-Saxon kings and the beginning of [[UsefulNotes/TheHouseOfNormandy Norman rule]].