Æthelred's (978-1013, 1014-16) story would be one of turbulence, political intrigue, and the relentless march of fate. The boy who would become king would soon be marked by the legacy of doubt and misfortune, a monarch whose reign would be defined by both his early promise and his later failures. According to William and Malmesbury, he was an accomplice to murder, a coward who fled from danger, a wastrel who died a miserable death.

Characters

Aethelred - King of England (978-1013, 1014-16)

Edward the Martyr - King of England (975-78), half-brother of Aethelred

Edgar - King of England (959-75), father of Aethelred and Edward

Aelfthryth - third wife of Edgar, mother of Aethelred

Aelfgifu - first wife of Aethelred

Emma of Normandy - second wife of Aethelred

Edmund Ironside - son of Aethelred

Aethelflaed - first wife of Edgar, mother of Edward

Dunstan - Archbishop of Canterbury (959-88)

Sigeric - Archbishop of Canterbury (990-94)

Aelfheah - Archbishop of Canterbury (1006-12)

Wulfstan - Archbishop of York

Aethelwold - Bishop of Winchester

Oswald - Bishop of Worcester, Archbishop of York

Aethelwine - Ealderman of East-Anglia

Aelfhere - Ealdorman of MerciaByrhtnoth - military commander

Wulfgeat - favourite of Aethelred

Eadric - nicknamed ‘the grabber’, favourite of Aethelred

Wulfnoth - favourite of AethelredBeorhtic - favourite of Aethelred

Olaf Tryggvason - King of Norway (995-1000)

Sweyn Forkbeard - King of Denmark (986-1014), King of Norway (1000-1014), King of England (1014)

Cnut - son of Sweyn Forkbeard

Richard I - nicknamed ‘the fearless’, duke of Normandy (942-96)

Richard II - nicknamed ‘the good’, duke of Normandy (996-1026)

William of Malmesbury - chronicler

John of Worcester -chronicler

Credits

Music: Prepare for War by Alexander Nakarada (https://www.creatorchords.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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