King Aelfweard Family Tree & Biography (904-924)

 

King Aelfweard was a member of the House of Wessex. He was the eldest son of King Edward the Elder by his second wife Aelfflaed of Mercia. He was briefly King of Wessex in 924.

 

King Aelfweard Family Tree Image showing:

grandparents, parents, siblings and half-siblings

 

King Aelfweard Family Tree in Table Form showing:

grandparents, parents, siblings and half-siblings

 

 

King Aelfweard Short Biography

Early Years

King Aelfweard was born in 904 (exact date not known), the eldest child of King Edward the Elder and his second wife Aelfflaed, daughter of the Earldorman of Wiltshire.

When Aelfweard was growing up, England was subject to continual attacks from the Danes and his father spent much time trying to defeat them. King Edward wanted to fulfil Alfred the Great’s ambition of ruling over a united England but he was unable to take Northumbria from the Danes. King Edward the Elder died on 17th July 924 fighting a Welsh-Mercian rebellion.

Succession to Wessex

There is some dispute as to who succeeded King Edward the Elder. The succession is unclear because Aelfweard died just 16 days after his father on 2nd August 924. However, documents discovered in Winchester indicate that Aelfweard did succeed as King of Wessex.

Both Aelfweard and his elder half-brother Aethelstan had a claim to the throne and the matter would have been put to the Witan to decide who should be King. However, it is believed that the Witan were divided between the two men and so split the Kingdom with Aelfweard ruling Wessex and Aethelstan Mercia. When Aelfweard died Aethelstan became King of Wessex and Mercia uniting the two kingdoms once again.

 

Published Apr 22 2022 @ 4:27 pm – Updated – May 21, 2024 @ 2:08 pm