Æthelwold or Alwaldus (c. 868 – 902) was the youngest of three known sons of King Æthelred of Wessex. His brother Oswald is recorded between 863 and 875,[1] and Æthelhelm is only recorded as a beneficiary of King Alfred's will in the mid 880s, and probably died soon afterwards.[2] When Æthelred died in 871, his sons were too young to be king, and he was succeeded by his younger brother, Alfred the Great.
After his brothers' deaths, Æthelwold was the senior Ætheling (prince of the royal dynasty who was eligible for kingship), with a strong claim to succeed Alfred. In the only surviving charter which has Æthelwold's signature, he is listed above Alfred's eldest son, Edward the Elder, implying that he ranked above him. However, Alfred naturally favoured his own son, leaving the bulk of his property to Edward in his will, and giving him opportunities for command in battle once he was old enough.[3]
Contents |
On Alfred's death in 899, Æthelwold made a bid for the throne by seizing Wimborne Minster, symbolically important as his father's burial place.[4] However, he was unable to gain sufficient support to meet Edward in battle, and sought refuge with the Danes of Northumbria, who, according to one version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, accepted him as king.[5] Northumbrian coins were issued at this time in the name of 'Alwaldus', who is thought to have been Æthelwold.[6] In 901 he sailed with a fleet to Essex, and in 902 he persuaded the Danes of East Anglia to wage war against Edward, joining them in a raid on Mercia and Wessex. Edward retaliated by ravaging the southern Danelaw, but when he withdrew the men of Kent refused to obey the order to retreat. They met the Danes at the Battle of the Holme, and although the Danes won they suffered the heavier losses, including Æthelwold.[7]
In the view of James Campbell, had Æthelwold not been killed at the Holme he might have united England in a manner which involved much less warfare than ultimately proved to be the case: "Had it not been for the chances of battle and war Æthelwold might very well have been regarded as one of the greatest figures in our island's story."[8] Ryan Lavelle argued that "it is important to acknowledge the audacity of Æthelwold's actions." He "well deserves to be ranked amongst the 'Nearly Men' of early Medieval Europe."[9]
The historian Æthelweard claimed descent from King Æthelred, and thus may have been descended from Æthelwold.[10]
|
|||||||
| English royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Eohric |
King of East Anglia ? 902 |
Succeeded by Guthrum II |
| Preceded by ? |
King of Northumbria ? 899– 902 |
Succeeded by Eowils and Halfdan |