Ælfthryth of Devon

Depiction in A Chronicle of England: B.C. 55 - A.D. 1485 (1864)

Name: Lady Ælfthryth of Devon

Birth name: Ælfþryþ of Defenasċīre

Born: c. 945, Wessex, Kingdom of England

Father: Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon

Mother: *Unknown*

House: Devon

Nationality: English

Religion: Catholicism 

Consort of: Edgar I 'The Peaceful'

Reign: c. 964 - 08 July 975 (11 years)

Coronation: 11 May 973

Predecessor: Wulfthryth of Wilton *disputed*

Successor: Ælfgifu of York 

Died: 17 November 1000 (aged 55), Wherwell, Wessex, Kingdom of England

Cause: *Unknown*

Burial: *Unknown*

Motto: N/A 

Spouse(s):

• Æthelwald, Ealdorman of East Anglia (m. ??? - 964)
• King Edgar I of the English 'The Peaceful' (m. 964 - 975) 

Children:

• With King Edgar I of the English 
• Edmund Ætheling (c. 964 - c. 970)
• King Æthelred of the English 'The Unready' (c. 966 - 1016) 

Appearance:
She was reported to have been very beautiful.
 
Character:
She often played the role of mediator throughout her life and took an interest in legal cases. 

However, she was also viewed as a wicked step-mother towards her husband's children from his previous marriage. It is even possible she was a murderer, playing a role in the homicide of King Edward the Martyr, so that her own child could inherit the throne, though the extent of her role in his death has never officially been proven. 

Despite this, she was deeply religious, and played an active role in raising her children and grandchildren.
 
Biography:
Ælfthryth was born some time around the year 945 in the Kingdom of England. Her father was Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon, while her mother was likely a Wessex princess whose name remains unknown. She was likely the second of three children, though this is not known for certain. 

Nothing is also known about her early life, but her father was a close advisor to her future husband, King Edgar of England, and her beauty was reported to him once it became clear he was looking for a wife. However, Ælfthryth married Æthelwald, Ealdorman of East Anglia instead, though the year that this occurred is not known. 

According to legend, Æthelwald had been sent by King Edgar to report on whether the rumours of her beauty were true. Upon meeting her and realising that the rumours were true, Æthelwald made her his own wife and reported back to Edgar that Ælfthryth would not be a suitable wife for him. However, Edgar eventually found out the truth and declared that he would be coming to visit them. Æthelwald then ordered Ælfthryth to make herself look as ugly as possible in order to further fool the king, but she refused, and ended up making herself look even more beautiful. Edgar was immediately attracted to her, and he either had Æthelwald killed, or sent him away to Northumbria, depending on the source. The truth of this story is not known, though most of it was likely exaggerated or made up. 
 
One thing we do know for sure is that Ælfthryth did indeed marry Æthelwald, but they were no longer together due to unknown reasons by 964. It also appears that the two of them had no children together. 

Ælfthryth then married King Edgar in 964, and she became the Queen Consort of England. The marriage was also an important political match, as Ælfthryth came from a powerful family within Wessex, while Edgar's support mostly heralded from Mercia; this further united the two regions in England. The two of them would go on to have two children together, who, unlike Edgar's children with his previous wives and mistresses, were officially recognised as legitimate. Unfortunately, their eldest son, Edmund, died while still a child. 
 
In 975, Edgar died, and Ælfthryth became a widow and the Dowager Queen of England. Immediately, there was a huge question as to who should be the next king, with Ælfthryth favouring her own son, Æthelred, while many other nobles in the country favoured Edward, King Edgar's son with his possible first wife, Æthelflæd Eneda. Æthelred was still a child, while Edward was now almost an adult, and thus was the one who was officially recognised as king. 
 
However, while visiting his step-mother in 978, King Edward died under mysterious circumstances. It likely was an act of homicide, but the means and the person - or people - responsible are heavily disputed. Some accuse Ælfthryth of being responsible, ordering her servants to carry out the murder. She would indeed have a powerful motive to do so, as with Edward out of the way, her own son would become King of England. Nothing is known for certain though. 
 
After Edward's sudden death, Æthelred became the King of the English, but because he was still a minor, a regency government was created that would rule until he was regarded as old enough. Ælfthryth appears to have been part of this government, alongside many of her allies. She was a witness to many of her son's charters, even when her son came of age and was free to run the kingdom himself. 

She continued to play a role in court life, but many of her allies were eventually dismissed by her son after he began rebelling against them, preferring his own circle of friends and allies. 
 
By 984, Ælfthryth appears to have retired from court life, and instead focused on helping to raise her grandchildren; she may have even been their most prominent caregiver. 

In her later years, she appears to have retired to Wherwell, possibly to the priory there. It is here that she passed away some time around the year 1000 from unknown causes.
 
Rule:
During her reign, she was granted the responsibility as the protector of Christianity within England, and greatly looked after nunneries, even deposing and reinstating Abbesses. 

She acted as a mediator in legal cases, demonstrating a great deal of power on her part. 

She ruled as regent after the death of King Edward, as her son was too young to rule on his own. She continued to witness charters throughout her regency until power was fully passed onto her son, Æthelred.

 

Trivia: 

• She was the first English consort to receive a formal coronation.

 

Quotes:

 

N/A

 

 

Sources & Further Reading:

A Chronicle of England - Page 072 - Edward Murdered at Corfe.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2018). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Chronicle_of_England_-_Page_072_-_Edward_Murdered_at_Corfe.jpg 

Roach, L. (2017). Ælfthryth: England’s first queen. HistoryExtra. https://www.historyextra.com/period/anglo-saxon/aelfthryth-englands-first-queen/ 

Zimmerman, M. (2023). Aelfthryth, England’s First Queen. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Aelfthryth/