Æthelflæd of Damerham facts for kids

Æthelflæd of Damerham was an important queen in early English history. She was the second wife of King Edmund I. She became Queen of the English around 944. Her time as queen lasted until King Edmund's death in 946.

Discovering Queen Æthelflæd

Her Family Background

Æthelflæd was the daughter of a powerful leader named Ælfgar. He was likely the ealdorman of Essex. An ealdorman was a high-ranking official. They managed a shire or province for the king. We do not know her mother's name.

Æthelflæd had at least one brother. She also had a sister named Ælfflæd. Ælfflæd married Byrhtnoth. Byrhtnoth probably took over as ealdorman of Essex after their father. Byrhtnoth was a famous warrior. He died in a big battle called the Battle of Maldon in 991.

Æthelflæd and Ælfflæd inherited their father's wealth. This happened after his death, sometime between 946 and 951.

Life as Queen

Æthelflæd married King Edmund I. This happened after his first wife, Ælfgifu, died in 944. Ælfgifu was the mother of future kings Eadwig and Edgar.

Æthelflæd and King Edmund did not have any children together. King Edmund was killed in 946. This made Æthelflæd a wealthy widow.

Her Later Life and Will

Records from Ely Cathedral suggest Æthelflæd married again. She, her sister, and her brother-in-law gave many gifts to Ely Cathedral. These records say she married an ealdorman named Æthelstan. This was probably Æthelstan Rota. However, some historians disagree about this second marriage.

Æthelflæd's will still exists today. A will is a document that says what a person wants to happen to their property after they die. Her will helps us know when she died. She likely died between 962 and 991.

In her will, Æthelflæd left gifts to many important places. These included Ely Cathedral, Glastonbury Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral, and Bury St. Edmunds Abbey. She also supported her family's monastery at Stoke-by-Nayland.