Eadgifu of Kent facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eadgifu of Kent |
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Fifteenth century picture of Eadgifu in Canterbury Cathedral
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| Consort of the King of the Anglo-Saxons | |
| Tenure | c. 919 – 17 July 924 |
| Born | c. 902/903 |
| Died | c. 968 (aged 64–66) |
| Spouse | Edward the Elder |
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| Father | Sigehelm |
Eadgifu of Kent (also known as Edgiva or Ediva) was an important queen in early English history. She was born around 902 or 903 and lived until about 968. Eadgifu was the third wife of Edward the Elder, who was the King of Wessex. Wessex was a powerful kingdom in England long ago.
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Life of Queen Eadgifu
Eadgifu was the daughter of Sigehelm, a powerful leader in Kent. He was called an Ealdorman, which was like a chief or governor. Sadly, her father died in a battle in 902.
Marriage to King Edward
Eadgifu married King Edward the Elder around the year 919. She became the mother of four children. Her two sons both became kings of England later on. They were King Edmund I and King Eadred. She also had two daughters, Eadburh and another daughter named Eadgifu.
Eadgifu lived many years after her husband, King Edward, passed away. She was still alive during the time her grandson, King Edgar, ruled England.
A Land Dispute
Eadgifu once had a problem with some land. Her father had given land in a place called Cooling to a man named Goda. This was a promise for a loan. Eadgifu said her father had paid back the loan. She also said the land was now hers.
However, Goda disagreed and would not give the land back. Six years after her father died, Eadgifu finally got the land. Her friends helped her convince King Edward. The King told Goda he would lose his own property if he did not return the land.
King Edward then took away Goda's lands and gave the official papers, called charters, to Eadgifu. But Eadgifu was kind. She gave most of the lands back to Goda. She kept the charters, though. Her marriage to King Edward happened sometime after this event.
Life After Edward's Death
After King Edward died, his son Æthelstan became king. King Æthelstan asked Eadgifu to give the charters back to Goda. It is thought that King Æthelstan might not have gotten along well with his stepmother, Eadgifu.
Eadgifu was not often seen at court when King Æthelstan was ruling. But she became very important again when her own sons, Edmund and Eadred, became kings. She was a witness on many of their official documents, called charters. In one document from 953, she was called famula Dei. This means "servant of God." It might mean she had made religious promises. She still lived on her own lands, though.
Challenges and Later Years
In 955, her younger son, King Eadred, died. Her oldest grandson, Eadwig, then became king. King Eadwig took away some of Eadgifu's lands. This might have been because she supported his younger brother, Edgar, in a disagreement between them.
When Edgar became king after Eadwig's death in 959, Eadgifu got some of her lands back. King Edgar also gave her many generous gifts. However, she never became as important at court as she had been before. The last time she is mentioned in a document is in 966.
Eadgifu was known for supporting religious leaders. She also gave money and gifts to churches.
See also
