aethelfleds: Æthelflæd and Her Family Æthelflæd - Daughter of King Alfred&nb
aethelfleds: Æthelflæd and Her Family Æthelflæd - Daughter of King Alfred “The Great” of Wessex and Ealhswith of Mercia. Became Lady of Mercia through her marriage to Lord Æthelred of Mercia circa 886. Ruled Mercia independently during her husband’s illness and after his death in 911 until her own death in 918. Began the reconquest of the Danelaw and founded many cities which are still inhabited to this day. Æthelred - Became Lord of Mercia in 879 as King Alfred’s vassal. With his wife he began the building of burhs across Mercia. Together they transformed Mercia into a fortified kingdom and their main cities of Gloucester and Worcester into cultural centers. Æthelred was involved in most of the military conflicts with the Vikings from the 880′s until his health declined around 906. Ælfwynn - Only known child of Æthelflæd and Æthelred, born in the late 880′s or early 890′s. Not much is known of her save that she succeeded her mother as Lady of the Mercians in 918. This is the one of the only cases of a daughter succeeding a mother in western history. Her reign only lasted around six months, as she was deposed by her maternal uncle King Edward the Elder, who claimed Mercia for Wessex. She disappears from the record after this. Athelstan - Æthelflæd’s nephew, son of her brother Edward. Athelstan became her foster son at a young age, perhaps as young as four years old. He was educated at her court and received his first lessons in kingship from his aunt and uncle. In 924, Athelstan succeeded his father Edward and essentially picked up where his aunt left off by taking the last Viking stronghold at York. He became King of the English and is now regarded as the first King of England. -- source link