Ælfflæd (wife of Edward the Elder) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ælfflæd |
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|---|---|
| Tenure | c. 899 – c. 919 |
| Spouse | Edward the Elder |
| Issue |
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| Father | Æthelhelm |
Ælfflæd lived in the early 900s. She was the second wife of Edward the Elder, who was the King of England.
Contents
About Ælfflæd
Ælfflæd was the daughter of a powerful nobleman named Æthelhelm. He was likely Æthelhelm of Wiltshire, who passed away in 897.
King Edward's first marriage ended around 899 or 901. By 901, Ælfflæd was known as the king's wife. We know this because her name appeared on an important document from that time. This document called her conjux regis, which means 'king's wife'.
In 1827, a special tomb was opened in Durham Cathedral. Inside, people found a beautiful stole and maniple. These are pieces of cloth worn by church leaders. Inscriptions on them showed that Ælfflæd had ordered them to be made. She had them made for Bishop Frithestan of Winchester. Later, King Æthelstan gave these items to the tomb.
Her Children
Ælfflæd had two sons and several daughters with King Edward.
Her sons were:
- Ælfweard: He might have been king for a short time after his father died in 924. But he passed away within a month.
- Edwin: He died in 933.
Her daughters included:
- Eadgifu: She married Charles the Simple, who was the King of West Francia.
- Eadhild: She married Hugh the Great, a powerful duke in Francia.
- Eadgyth: She married Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, a very important ruler.
- Eadflæd: She became a nun at Wilton Abbey.
- Æthelhild: She also became a religious woman at Wilton.
Around 967, a nun named Hrotsvitha wrote about the great deeds of Emperor Otto I. She mentioned that Eadgyth's mother, Ælfflæd, came from a noble family.
Later Life
King Edward later married his third wife, Eadgifu. Their son, Edmund I, was born around 920 or 921. This means Ælfflæd's marriage to King Edward ended sometime in the late 910s.
After her marriage ended, Ælfflæd chose a religious life. She did not join a regular monastery but lived a religious life while keeping her own lands. She was buried at Wilton Abbey with her daughters, Eadflæd and Æthelhild.
Sources
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