King Edgar was a member of the House of Wessex. He was the younger son of King Edmund I. He and his brother were passed over when their father died as they was considered too young to rule. The rule of Edgar’s brother, Eadwig, was not popular and the country was divided with Eadwig ruling Wessex and Edgar Mercia and Northumbria. He became King of England when his brother died in 959.
King Edgar Family Tree Image showing:
grandparents, parents, sibling, wives, children and grandchildren
King Edgar Family Tree in Table Form showing:
grandparents, parents, sibling, wives, children and grandchildren
GRANDPARENTS
Paternal Grandfather – King Edward the Elder – (874 – 924)
Paternal Grandmother – Eadgifu of Kent– (905 – 968)
Maternal Grandfather – (not known)
Maternal Grandmother – Wynflaed of Shaftesbury – (d. 944)
SIBLINGS
King Eadwig – (941 – 959)
by Aethelflaed the Fair
King Edward (the Martyr) – (962 – 978)
by Aelfthryth of Devon
Edmund – (965 – 972)
King Aethelred (the Unready) – (966 – 1016)
GRANDCHILDREN
by Aethelred (the Unready) and Aelfgifu of York
Aethelstan – (985 – 1014)
King Edmund (Ironside) – (990 – 1016)
Edgar – (d. 1012)
Eadred – (d. 1012)
Eadwig – (d. 1017)
Ecgberht – (d. 1005)
Edgyth of Mercia – (995 – 1022)
Aelfgifu of Northumbria – (997 – 1042)
Wulfhilda – (998 – 1042)
by Aethelred (the Unready) and Emma of Normandy
King Edward (the Confessor) – (1003 – 1066)
Alfred Aetheling – (1005 – 1037)
Godgifu of Boulogne – (1004 – 1047)
King Edgar Short Biography
Early Years
Edgar, known as ‘The Peaceful’ was born around 943 the youngest son of King Edmund I and Aelfgifu of Shaftesbury. His elder brother, Eadwig had been born in 941.
In 946, Edgar’s father, was murdered by Leofa a thief who had been exiled. Edgar’s elder brother, Eadwig, was considered too young to take the throne so his uncle Eadred took the throne. Edgar and Eadwig were cared for by the Nobleman Aethelstan and his wife and were educated by Aethelwald, the Abbot of Abingdon.
On 23rd November 955, King Eadred died and Eadwig became King. However, he did not behave like a king and upset the nobles and church elders. The lords of Mercia and Northumbria refused to accept Eadwig as King acknowledged Edgar as their ruler.
King of England
When Eadwig died in 959, Edgar succeeded to become King. He earned the nickname ‘the Peaceful’ because he brought peace and security to the kingdom. Edgar set about removing his brother’s favourites. He chose the Abbot Dunstan to be his adviser and created him Archbishop of Canterbury.
Around 960 King Edgar married Aethelflaed the Fair, daughter of Ealdorman Ordmaer of East Anglia. The couple’s son, Edward, was born in 962. It is believed that Aethelflaed died the same year, possibly in childbirth. In 964 Edgar married Aelfthryth of Devon and they had two children – Edmund, born in 965 and Aethelred born in 966.
King Edgar died on 8th July 975 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward.
Published Apr 14 2022 @ 12:46 pm – Updated –
Harvard Reference for King Edgar Family Tree:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2022 – 2024). King Edgar Family Tree & Biography (943-975). Available: https://www.treesofblue.com/king-edgar-943-975. Last accessed July 11th, 2024
