Ecgwynn

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Ecgwynn or Egwina (fl. 10th century) was an English woman who was the first wife of Edward the Elder, king of the English.

Very little is known about her. Some sources describe her as a "common law wife" although this is open to interpretation. There are also grounds for suspecting that she was of low social status for a prince's wife. Their marriage or relationship also appears to have ended before Edward became king.

One of the few hard facts about her is that she was the mother of Edward's successor, Athelstan of England, the first king to rule over a unitary kingdom roughly corresponding to the present borders of England. She also had a daughter who married a Norse king.

[edit] External links

  • article on Edward which deals with her