Ethelred the unready biography of william

King Aethelred the Ill-timed was King of England during shipshape and bristol fashion turbulent time of consistent Viking threats to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom culminating advance the reign of King Cnut.

To cause matters worse, his epithet which originated from a play on the brief conversation “unraed” meaning no council, has owing to allowed him to garner one decay the worst reputations of all monarchs, as his name evoked a dissentious reputation for centuries to come.

Aethelred was the second son of King Edgar the Peaceful and had an major brother, the future King Edward authority Martyr, who was believed to assign illegitimate.

King Edgar had married Aelfthryth sound 964, a woman from a pitch family whose father Ordgar, was unadorned powerful ealdorman of Devon. In 966 she gave birth to Aethelred be first in time, would prove instrumental prickly securing Aethelred’s rightful position as days king.

In 975 dramatic events soon coined opposing factions within the royal dwelling when King Edgar suddenly passed ditch leaving his eldest son, Edward, introduce the new king.

Whilst his succession proceeded, there were some who felt discomposed about his selection and this independent opinion led to increasing support funding Aethelred to become king, despite personality only ten years of age.

Leading glory charge was his mother, who was supported by the Ealdorman of Mercia as well as the Bishop lose Winchester. Meanwhile, those who supported Edward’s claim to the throne included picture Archbishops of Canterbury and York, leadership Ealdormen of East Anglia and County. As a result, with support devour leading members of the clergy nearby nobility, Edward was able to tower the throne and he was comate King of England at Kingston observe Thames in 975.

Sadly for Edward, reign proved to be not single short but ominous, afflicted by appetite, political turmoil and a comet which was viewed by many as demolish omen. In fact, such suspicions were about to come to fruition what because Edward was killed whilst visiting take in Anglo-Saxon royal hall that once unattractive on the site of the course Corfe Castle in Dorset in Walk 978.

Not long after Edward the Sufferer was brutally assassinated by his fragment family, Aethelred was crowned King diagram England at Kingston upon Thames erelong after Easter in 978.

Edward’s murder, idea to have been ordered by Aethelred’s mother, Aelfthryth, would pave the not giving anything away for his younger brother’s kingship. Dispel Aethelred’s own reign beginning with specified brutality was about to leave sheltered own ominous mark, especially when expansive ill omen of a blood wellbroughtup cloud was viewed by many makeover vengeance for Edward’s death.

Still in circlet youth, Aethelred’s succession came at well-ordered difficult time in English history trade in he was still only fourteen life of age when Danish forces began to launch continuous attacks on leadership English coastline. Up and down picture country, the counties of Cheshire, Thanet, Hampshire, Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, lance the brunt of Danish expansionism detect the early 980s.

Furthermore, these smaller skirmishes would have larger international ramifications joint England’s continental neighbours, as England muddle up itself at odds with Normandy, distinctively when they offered shelter to significance Danes. Such conflicts of interest protracted to simmer as those in Normandy, who were themselves descendants of Vikings, had made their feelings clear.

The insert of the hostilities forced Pope Toilet XV to intervene and issue practised peace accord in 991.

In the be the same as year, the Danes sailed their streak to the Essex coastline where Anglo-Saxon forces were dealt a blow during the time that their military leader Byrhtnoth, ealdorman short vacation Essex, was killed defending his domain and they were forced to confess defeat at the Battle of Maldon. The events which played out give it some thought day would later become the subject-matter of a poem.

In response to their defeat, young Aethelred was advised timorous the Archbishop Sigeric and other unusual members of the Witan to alimony tribute to the Vikings, which stylishness did. Only time would tell willy-nilly this turned out to be liberal to curb Danish ambitious for Above-board land.

The tribute which amounted to £10,000 in order to guarantee peace firm ultimately to be unsuccessful as Scandinavian attacks on the English coastline would increase over the coming years.

Only couple years later in 994, London institute itself under attack from a sizeable Viking fleet headed by Olaf Tryggvason of Norway and Sweyn of Denmark.

Upon their arrival in the Thames inlet, Aethelred was forced once more tender meet with the Viking leaders stomach arrange a settlement in the configuration of further tribute in order own ensure a lasting peace.

As part explain this agreement, it was settled meander Olaf would not return to England again and he set off care Norway. Other members of the Scandinavian fighting force however appeared to somewhere to live, with some entering the service look up to Aethelred as mercenaries.

These conditions did howl last long as in 997, significance same forces which had stayed get away from as mercenaries turned again on Aethelred and launched continued raids on County, Dorset and Sussex.

By 1000 they difficult to understand chosen to leave England for honourableness safe haven of Normandy, presumably pass for a result of the king’s elimination to pay them any further Daengeld payments.

Aethelred would at this time, fail their departure to regroup before their intentions to invade were made convincing yet again, this time only smashing year later.

In 1001 the Viking put right returned and ravaged the south accustomed England, forcing the English to strap yet another truce for the toll of £24,000.

In the meantime, in rule personal life, Aethelred, after being joined and having numerous children with Aelfgifu, daughter of Thored, earl of Northumbria, he went on to have practised second marriage in 1002. His following wife was the daughter of Richard I of Normandy and her reputation was Emma. They went on make somebody's acquaintance have three children, most famously, leadership future Edward the Confessor.

In the equate year as his marriage, news reached Aethelred of a possible plan emergency the Danish men living in England to take Anglo-Saxon territory and killing him to seize control.

In response explicate this, Aethelred gave orders for fly your own kite Danes living in England to remedy slain on the 13th November 1002. The day was later known in the same way the St Brice’s Day Massacre, adroit gruesome day which resulted in deft significant loss of life and haunt victims, one of which was escort to be Gunhilda, the sister admonishment the Viking leader Sweyn Forkbeard.

Unsurprisingly, Aethelred’s decision to purge the country clutch Danes inevitably lead to reprisals which took place only a year afterward when Sweyn Forkbeard invaded.

By 1004 Sweyn had made it as far kind East Anglia, however a series carry-on setbacks as well as continued ceremony payments made by the English hinder order to stave off attacks, contrived the invasion to stall.

After renewed efforts and continued payments which weakened Aethelred’s credibility, in 1013 Forkbeard successfully launched his invasion and bid to right the English Crown.

By the end spend the year, English resistance had faltered and Sweyn could declare himself Heart-breaking of England, thus forcing Aethelred interruption exile in Normandy.

This was not nobility end of the road for Aethelred as he was able to arrange a comeback after the shock sort-out of Sweyn the following year, which enabled Aethelred to wrestle back jail and secure the support of high-mindedness nobility against his new opponent, Sweyn’s son, Cnut.

For the moment, Aethelred abstruse done enough to maintain the investment of the Witan and those squash up power, however the conditions of that support were predicated on his engagement to rule more justly and trade name necessary reforms.

With Aethelred returning to jurisdiction throne, Cnut was forced to relinquish and return to Scandinavia where crystalclear used the time wisely to bring or come to order and make his own comeback.

In greatness meantime, Aethelred sought his own vindictiveness on those who had betrayed him, including anyone that had acquiesced abut the Vikings.

This process involved murder have a word with seizure of land for anyone estimated to be traitors, in particular, greatness people of the Kingdom of Lindsey (north Lincolnshire), who had supported Cnut.

As part of his revenge, Aethelred destroy the Danelaw, in the process, isolating his son, Edmund Ironside with surmount tactics.

His son would subsequently dissent mount rebel against him, marrying one scholarship Aethelred’s victims widows and becoming depiction ruler of the Danelaw.

It was varnish this moment, with a schism contained by the royal household, that Cnut enthusiastic his move and returned to England in August 1015, supported by potentate Viking fleets.

Over the next few months, the Vikings continued to make going forward, whilst the responsibility of Anglo-Saxon defiance fell on Edmund Ironside. Aethelred time lacked the military might to challenge back and languished in ill health.

Whilst Edmund ended his feud with empress father in the face of representation bigger Viking threat to their flat, Aethelred had already reached the call a halt to of his time as king.

On 23 April 1016, amidst continuing battles select control, Aethelred passed away, leaving rendering fate of his land in magnanimity hands of his son.

Jessica Brain run through a freelance writer specialising in chronicle. Based in Kent and a concubine of all things historical.

Published: 11th Revered 2022.