Ælfgifu of Mercia

Depiction by William Hamilton (1793)

Name: Ælfgifu of Mercia

Birth name: Ælfġifu of Mercna rīċe

Born: ???, Mercia, Kingdom of England

Father: *Unknown*

Mother: Æthelgifu

House: *Unknown*

Nationality: English

Religion: Catholicism 

Consort of: Eadwig 'All-Fair'

Reign: c. 955 - c. 958 (3 years)

Coronation: N/A

Predecessor: Æthelflæd of Damerham

Successor: Æthelflæd Eneda of East Anglia 'The White Duck' *disputed*

Died: ??? (aged *unknown*), Kingdom of England

Cause: *Unknown*

Burial: Old Minster

Motto: N/A 

Spouse(s):

• King Eadwig of the English 'All-Fair' (m. c. 955 - c. 958) 

Children:

• N/A 

Appearance:
Unknown.
 
Character:
She was reported to have been very generous.
 
Biography:
Not much is known about her background other than her mother being listed as a noblewoman named Æthelgifu. She was closely related to her husband, so may have shared a large degree of his ancestry, but her father remains unknown. 
 
Her early life is also unknown, though she may have grown up in Mercia. 
 
King Eadwig married her in order to solidify his claim to the throne of England, especially against his brother, Edgar. However, their marriage was soon annulled a few years later due to the issue of them being too closely related, likely encouraged by those who favoured Edgar as king. 
 
It's unclear what happened to her after this, though she may have been banished from court. But there is also evidence that Edgar looked after her upon his rise to the throne. 
 
It is not known when she died, or the cause of her death.
 
Rule:
She was a supporter of the Benedictine reforms.

 

Trivia: 

• According to legend, Ælfgifu, Eadwig, and her mother, all took part in a ménage à trois during Eadwig's coronation ceremony, in which Eadwig had to be dragged away.

 

Quotes:

 

N/A

 

 

Sources & Further Reading:

Firth, M. (2017). King Eadwig, St Dunstan, and the Ménage à Trois – Propaganda in the Early English Court. The Postgrad Chronicles. https://thepostgradchronicles.org/2017/04/03/king-eadwig-st-dunstan-and-the-menage-a-trois-propaganda-in-the-anglo-saxon-court/ 

King Eadwig ‘All-Fair’ and the Coronation Scandal. (2016). History... The Interesting Bits! https://historytheinterestingbits.com/2016/09/24/king-eadwig-all-fair-and-the-coronation-scandal/ 

William Hamilton - Edwy and Elgiva, A Scene from Saxon History - BF.1986.13 - Museum of Fine Arts.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2018). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_Hamilton_-_Edwy_and_Elgiva,_A_Scene_from_Saxon_History_-_BF.1986.13_-_Museum_of_Fine_Arts.jpg