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| Depiction in the Genealogical Roll of the Kings of England (c. 1300s) |
Birth name: Ēadmund Æþeling of Ƿestseaxna rīċe
Born: c. 990, Singleton, Sussex, Kingdom of England
Father: King Æthelred of the English 'The Unready'
Mother: Lady Ælfgifu of York
House: Wessex
Nationality: English
Religion: Catholicism
Claim: Child of Æthelred 'The Unready'
Reign: 23 April 1016 - 30 November 1016 (6 months)
Coronation: N/A
Predecessor: Æthelred 'The Unready'
Successor: Cnut 'The Great'
Died: 30 November 1016 (aged 26), Oxford, Wessex, Kingdom of England
Cause: Murder by stabbing *disputed*
Burial: Glastonbury Abbey
Motto: N/A
Spouse(s):
- Lady Ealdgyth of East Anglia (m. c. 1015 - 1016)
Children:
- With Lady Ealdgyth of East Anglia
- Edward Ætheling 'The Exile' (c. 1015 - 1057)
- Edmund Ætheling (c. 1016 - 1057)
Appearance:
All that is known about Edmund's appearance is that he was remarkably tall.
Character:
Edmund was an immensely brave and talented warrior, and was noted to be the total opposite of his more weak and corrupt father. This, combined with his strong will, was what earned him the nickname of 'Ironside'.
He was a charismatic leader, able to rally troops in his battles against the Vikings, and refused to ever surrender - though he was not too stubborn to the point where he refused peaceful settlements.
Edmund was close to his brother, and wisely distrusted his step-mother and younger half-siblings, who often favoured their own interests.
Furthermore, he possessed a strong sense of conviction and what it meant to be a king, as he rebelled against his father's corruption and cowardice, and even refused to escape with him when England briefly fell to the Vikings in 1013.
Even Edmund's enemies held great respect for him.
Biography:
It is not known exactly when Edmund was born, but it is thought to be some time around the year 990. He was the third of eight or ten children born to King Æthelred the Unready of the English, and his first wife, Lady Ælfgifu of York.
He would be predominantly raised by his grandmother, the former Queen, Ælfthryth of Devon, and likely received a military and religious based education.
His youth consisted of frequent Viking invasions, as well as rebellions against his father, who was not a popular monarch. His mother died around the year 1002, and Edmund became close with his older brother, Æthelstan. This closeness was further encouraged by their father remarrying Lady Emma of Normandy, whose ambition they were often suspicious of, especially after the birth of their three half-siblings. Emma clearly favoured her own children, and thus, they posed a great political and personal threat to Edmund and his full siblings.
In 1013, King Sweyn of Denmark launched a full invasion of England, and was able to capture the kingdom and declare himself the new king. Æthelred, Emma, and his younger siblings were forced to flee, but both Edmund and Æthelstan chose to stay rather than run away. It was probably around this time that Edmund gained his first full-scale battle experience.
However, Sweyn's reign would only last for five weeks due to his sudden death after falling from his horse in 1014. Sweyn's son, Cnut, was largely regarded as the next King of the English, but Æthelred took advantage of the chaos and was able to once again seize the throne after Cnut's defeat and subsequent fleeing back to Denmark.
Unfortunately, Edmund's closest brother and ally would die around the same time, and Edmund inherited a vast amount of land from him, as well as three swords. With his elder brother's death, Edmund was now technically the next in line for the throne of England, and appears to have been recognised as such, as he became the leading Ætheling.
Around the year 1015, Edmund fell in love with a woman named Ealdgyth, the widow of a former Thegn who had been his ally and executed in a plot supported by Edmund's father. Æthelred did not approve of the match and sent Ealdgyth away to a nunnery. Edmund responded by riding to the monastery and abducting her, and the two of them were married, despite Edmund's father having forbidden him from doing so. Through his marriage to Ealdgyth, Edmund was also able to strengthen his support in Mercia, especially due to the threat that his step-mother and younger half-brothers still posed to his position.
Both Edmund and Ealdgyth would go on to have two sons together, born in quick succession.
By this point, Edmund appears to have completely turned against his father, who once again remained unpopular within the kingdom. He marched north from Mercia and into Northumbria and seized lands there from his father's allies. Edmund even committed treason by beginning to refer to himself as the king, though upon realising that he may have taken things too far, began simply referring to himself as the son of the king instead.
With all the chaos caused by Edmund's rebellions, Cnut was able to take advantage and launched an invasion on England. Both Edmund's and Cnut's armies and influence would clash in Mercia, as Cnut had seized control of much of Wessex by this point. Meanwhile, Æthelred remained ill and bedridden, unable to do anything against the new Viking invasion.
Cnut's army continued to pillage lands, and Edmund attempted to raise support from his new Mercian stronghold, but proper organisation was lacking, as Æthelred and his forces were unable to join them, and Edmund lacked the authority to effectively lead them. Plus, Edmund's army likely knew that they were greatly outnumbered by Cnut's forces.
Edmund and Æthelred were eventually able to reach a truce with each other and joined forces against the common enemy, the Vikings. Edmund carried out his father's summon requests and was able to persuade him to travel north with as many men as he could gather. But before their two armies could meet, Æthelred once again fled due to his fear that his own men would betray him. This once again left any opposition towards Cnut in chaos.
Edmund would also be further betrayed by his brother-in-law, who surrendered to Cnut, only to be executed. Edmund rushed back to London to see his father, but by this point, it was clear that Æthelred was dying. Edmund would remain by his father's side while he passed away in 1016, and it appears that father and son had made peace with each other.
Upon his father's death, the people of London quickly elected Edmund as their new king, however, other powerful nobles across the Kingdom of England elected Cnut instead. Technically, Edmund became King Edmund II of the English, and he may have received a coronation, but this is disputed.
Unlike his father, Edmund quickly rallied against Cnut's invading forces and was able to get the Anglo-Saxon population to submit to him as king. Cnut laid an unsuccessful siege of London while Edmund had already travelled to Somerset to further raise his army.
Both Edmund and Cnut would finally meet on the battlefield at Penselwood after Cnut called off his siege of London. The outcomes of this battle are not known for certain, though it is largely regarded that Edmund came out as the victor. This was then followed by the deadlier and much bloodier Battle of Sherston, which resulted in Edmund's victory. This caused any remaining Anglo-Saxons within Wessex who were in opposition to Edmund to fully submit to him in recognition of his strength and bravery. This allowed Edmund to raise even more troops in his resistant efforts against Cnut.
After this, Cnut once again attempted to lay siege to London, but Edmund was able to raise another army and come to the city's rescue. He launched a surprise attack which forced Danish forces to flee, and Edmund quickly gave chase. Edmund was able to come face-to-face with Cnut once again, and the two of them fought, with Edmund once again emerging victorious. However, his victory would be short lived, as many members of his army drowned in the river Thames in the ensuing chaos.
Cnut once again began pillaging and plundering the lands in Mercia after this incident, and after the death of many of his men, Edmund had to raise even more soldiers. The two armies met again in the Battle of Assandun, which lasted from noon until midnight. Edmund initially had the high ground, but made the mistake of charging downhill towards Cnut's troops, thus losing him the potential advantage. A previous traitor, Eadric, whom Edmund had let back into his ranks, once again betrayed him, either through malicious actions or cowardice, which left Edmund with depleted numbers.
Edmund was defeated and weakened, but he refused to surrender or give up. He may have suffered another defeat in the Forest of Dean.
After months of fighting, Edmund and Cnut finally met up to discuss a truce, in which it was agreed that the Kingdom of England would be partitioned between them. Cnut would rule Mercia and Northumbria, while Edmund would rule Wessex. England had been left largely devastated by the conflict, and both sides appeared to have desired to end the fighting. The two men also agreed to recognise each other as their respective heirs, and should one die before the other, they would inherit each other's side of the now split kingdom.
However, Edmund would not reign in peace for long. Within just a month, Edmund suddenly died of unknown causes.
Due to his young age and circumstances, many believe that he was murdered, with one popular and disputed theory claiming that he had been stabbed through the buttocks by an assassin hiding in his toilet.
Rule:
Edmund's reign was very short, only being king for six months, and the majority of that time was spent on active military campaigns.
He is remembered fondly for his extraordinary bravery and military accomplishments, especially regarding warding off Viking conquest. Edmund was able to successfully rally people to his cause, and even his enemies held great respect for him.
In terms of administration, Edmund did not get much of a chance to demonstrate any possible skills in this role.
All that is known about Edmund's appearance is that he was remarkably tall.
Character:
Edmund was an immensely brave and talented warrior, and was noted to be the total opposite of his more weak and corrupt father. This, combined with his strong will, was what earned him the nickname of 'Ironside'.
He was a charismatic leader, able to rally troops in his battles against the Vikings, and refused to ever surrender - though he was not too stubborn to the point where he refused peaceful settlements.
Edmund was close to his brother, and wisely distrusted his step-mother and younger half-siblings, who often favoured their own interests.
Furthermore, he possessed a strong sense of conviction and what it meant to be a king, as he rebelled against his father's corruption and cowardice, and even refused to escape with him when England briefly fell to the Vikings in 1013.
Even Edmund's enemies held great respect for him.
Biography:
It is not known exactly when Edmund was born, but it is thought to be some time around the year 990. He was the third of eight or ten children born to King Æthelred the Unready of the English, and his first wife, Lady Ælfgifu of York.
He would be predominantly raised by his grandmother, the former Queen, Ælfthryth of Devon, and likely received a military and religious based education.
His youth consisted of frequent Viking invasions, as well as rebellions against his father, who was not a popular monarch. His mother died around the year 1002, and Edmund became close with his older brother, Æthelstan. This closeness was further encouraged by their father remarrying Lady Emma of Normandy, whose ambition they were often suspicious of, especially after the birth of their three half-siblings. Emma clearly favoured her own children, and thus, they posed a great political and personal threat to Edmund and his full siblings.
In 1013, King Sweyn of Denmark launched a full invasion of England, and was able to capture the kingdom and declare himself the new king. Æthelred, Emma, and his younger siblings were forced to flee, but both Edmund and Æthelstan chose to stay rather than run away. It was probably around this time that Edmund gained his first full-scale battle experience.
However, Sweyn's reign would only last for five weeks due to his sudden death after falling from his horse in 1014. Sweyn's son, Cnut, was largely regarded as the next King of the English, but Æthelred took advantage of the chaos and was able to once again seize the throne after Cnut's defeat and subsequent fleeing back to Denmark.
Unfortunately, Edmund's closest brother and ally would die around the same time, and Edmund inherited a vast amount of land from him, as well as three swords. With his elder brother's death, Edmund was now technically the next in line for the throne of England, and appears to have been recognised as such, as he became the leading Ætheling.
Around the year 1015, Edmund fell in love with a woman named Ealdgyth, the widow of a former Thegn who had been his ally and executed in a plot supported by Edmund's father. Æthelred did not approve of the match and sent Ealdgyth away to a nunnery. Edmund responded by riding to the monastery and abducting her, and the two of them were married, despite Edmund's father having forbidden him from doing so. Through his marriage to Ealdgyth, Edmund was also able to strengthen his support in Mercia, especially due to the threat that his step-mother and younger half-brothers still posed to his position.
Both Edmund and Ealdgyth would go on to have two sons together, born in quick succession.
By this point, Edmund appears to have completely turned against his father, who once again remained unpopular within the kingdom. He marched north from Mercia and into Northumbria and seized lands there from his father's allies. Edmund even committed treason by beginning to refer to himself as the king, though upon realising that he may have taken things too far, began simply referring to himself as the son of the king instead.
With all the chaos caused by Edmund's rebellions, Cnut was able to take advantage and launched an invasion on England. Both Edmund's and Cnut's armies and influence would clash in Mercia, as Cnut had seized control of much of Wessex by this point. Meanwhile, Æthelred remained ill and bedridden, unable to do anything against the new Viking invasion.
Cnut's army continued to pillage lands, and Edmund attempted to raise support from his new Mercian stronghold, but proper organisation was lacking, as Æthelred and his forces were unable to join them, and Edmund lacked the authority to effectively lead them. Plus, Edmund's army likely knew that they were greatly outnumbered by Cnut's forces.
Edmund and Æthelred were eventually able to reach a truce with each other and joined forces against the common enemy, the Vikings. Edmund carried out his father's summon requests and was able to persuade him to travel north with as many men as he could gather. But before their two armies could meet, Æthelred once again fled due to his fear that his own men would betray him. This once again left any opposition towards Cnut in chaos.
Edmund would also be further betrayed by his brother-in-law, who surrendered to Cnut, only to be executed. Edmund rushed back to London to see his father, but by this point, it was clear that Æthelred was dying. Edmund would remain by his father's side while he passed away in 1016, and it appears that father and son had made peace with each other.
Upon his father's death, the people of London quickly elected Edmund as their new king, however, other powerful nobles across the Kingdom of England elected Cnut instead. Technically, Edmund became King Edmund II of the English, and he may have received a coronation, but this is disputed.
Unlike his father, Edmund quickly rallied against Cnut's invading forces and was able to get the Anglo-Saxon population to submit to him as king. Cnut laid an unsuccessful siege of London while Edmund had already travelled to Somerset to further raise his army.
Both Edmund and Cnut would finally meet on the battlefield at Penselwood after Cnut called off his siege of London. The outcomes of this battle are not known for certain, though it is largely regarded that Edmund came out as the victor. This was then followed by the deadlier and much bloodier Battle of Sherston, which resulted in Edmund's victory. This caused any remaining Anglo-Saxons within Wessex who were in opposition to Edmund to fully submit to him in recognition of his strength and bravery. This allowed Edmund to raise even more troops in his resistant efforts against Cnut.
After this, Cnut once again attempted to lay siege to London, but Edmund was able to raise another army and come to the city's rescue. He launched a surprise attack which forced Danish forces to flee, and Edmund quickly gave chase. Edmund was able to come face-to-face with Cnut once again, and the two of them fought, with Edmund once again emerging victorious. However, his victory would be short lived, as many members of his army drowned in the river Thames in the ensuing chaos.
Cnut once again began pillaging and plundering the lands in Mercia after this incident, and after the death of many of his men, Edmund had to raise even more soldiers. The two armies met again in the Battle of Assandun, which lasted from noon until midnight. Edmund initially had the high ground, but made the mistake of charging downhill towards Cnut's troops, thus losing him the potential advantage. A previous traitor, Eadric, whom Edmund had let back into his ranks, once again betrayed him, either through malicious actions or cowardice, which left Edmund with depleted numbers.
Edmund was defeated and weakened, but he refused to surrender or give up. He may have suffered another defeat in the Forest of Dean.
After months of fighting, Edmund and Cnut finally met up to discuss a truce, in which it was agreed that the Kingdom of England would be partitioned between them. Cnut would rule Mercia and Northumbria, while Edmund would rule Wessex. England had been left largely devastated by the conflict, and both sides appeared to have desired to end the fighting. The two men also agreed to recognise each other as their respective heirs, and should one die before the other, they would inherit each other's side of the now split kingdom.
However, Edmund would not reign in peace for long. Within just a month, Edmund suddenly died of unknown causes.
Due to his young age and circumstances, many believe that he was murdered, with one popular and disputed theory claiming that he had been stabbed through the buttocks by an assassin hiding in his toilet.
Rule:
Edmund's reign was very short, only being king for six months, and the majority of that time was spent on active military campaigns.
He is remembered fondly for his extraordinary bravery and military accomplishments, especially regarding warding off Viking conquest. Edmund was able to successfully rally people to his cause, and even his enemies held great respect for him.
In terms of administration, Edmund did not get much of a chance to demonstrate any possible skills in this role.
Trivia:
- On the fifteenth anniversary of his death, his rival, Cnut, laid a cloak of peacock feathers by his tomb, likely in respect and recognition of Edmund's skills and bravery.
Quotes:
N/A
Timeline of Reign:
| 1016: Siege of London - Cnut frequently lays unsuccessful sieges of the city of London.
| 1016: Battle of Penselwood - English defeat the Vikings.
| 1016: Battle of Sherston - English defeat the Vikings.
| 1016: Submission of Wessex - Most Wessex nobles finally acknowledge Edmund as their king.
| 1016: Cnut and Edmund face-to-face fight - Cnut defeated but Edmund's army drowns during fight.
| 1016: Battle of Assundun - Vikings defeat the English.
| 1016: Partition of England - Cnut and Edmund reach peace agreement; England split between them.
Sources & Further Reading:
Brain, J. (2022). Edmund Ironside. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Edmund-Ironside/
Edmund II | King of England. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edmund-II
Edmund Ironside - MS Royal 14 B VI.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2013). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmund_Ironside_-_MS_Royal_14_B_VI.jpg
Gold, S. (2023). Edmund Ironside: The Resolute Anglo-Saxon King who stood against Cnut the Great - Discovery UK. Discovery UK. https://www.discoveryuk.com/monarchs-and-rulers/edmund-ironside-the-resolute-anglo-saxon-king-who-stood-against-cnut-the-great/
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