King Aelfweard Family Tree (904-924)

 

King Aelfweard Family Tree showing:

parents
siblings

• King Edward
  the Elder
  874 – 924Aelfflaed
  of Mercia
  d.c 920
  • Edwin
    of Kent
    d. 933
  • KING
    AELFWEARD
    904 – 924
  • Eadgifu
    of Wessex
    902 – 955
  • Eadflaed
    of Wessex
    b. c905
  • Eadhild
    of Wessex
    d. 938
  • Eadgyth
    of Wessex
    910 – 946

Short Biography

Early Years

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.

Both Aelfweard and his 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.

 

First published 2017; updated and republished Apr 22 2022 @ 4:27 pm – Updated – Sep 16, 2022 @ 10:34 am