Ælfweard of Wessex

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Ælfweard
King of Wessex
Reign	17 July 924 - 2 August 924
Predecessor	Edward the Elder
Successor	Athelstan
Father	Edward the Elder
Mother	Ælfflæd
Born	unknown Wessex
Died	2 August 924 Oxford
Burial	Winchester Cathedral

Ælfweard (born 904, died 2 August 924) was the second son of Edward the Elder. According to the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, he succeeded his father as King of Wessex on July 17, 924 while his older half-brother Athelstan inherited Mercia. He was most likely to be a hermit and a rather unusual choice for a king. Ælfweard, who was probably never crowned, died August 2, 924 at Oxford perhaps on the order of his elder half brother Athelstan who then became king. There may have been a desire to make Edwin, son of Edward the Elder, whose mother was of a higher rank, king rather than Athelstan as he was not crowned king of Wessex until 4 September 925 more than a year later.

[edit] See also

House of Wessex family tree

[edit] References

Miller, Sean, "Æthelstan" in M. Lapidge et al (eds), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Anglo-Saxon England. Blackwell, London, 1999. ISBN 0-631-22492-0
Walker, Ian, Mercia and the Making of England. Sutton, Stroud, 2000. ISBN 0-7509-2131-5
Chart of "The Kings & Queens of Great Britain showing their descent and relationships", compiled by Anne Tauté, Edited by John Brooke-Little, MVO MA FSA Richmond Herald of Arms, copyright 1976, Published by Elm Tee Books/Hamish Hamilton, Ltd., Garden House, 57-59 Long Acre, London,revised 1979, ISBN 0 241 89453 0 (folded)

Preceded by Edward the Elder	King of Wessex 924	Succeeded by Edwin or Athelstan

v • d • e English Monarchs

Overlords (or Bretwaldas) of the English	Aelle of Sussex · Ceawlin of Wessex · Æthelberht of Kent · Rædwald of East Anglia · Edwin of Deira · Oswald of Bernicia · Oswy of Northumbria · Wulfhere of Mercia · Æthelred of Mercia · Ethelbald of Mercia^¶ · Offa of Mercia · Cœnwulf of Mercia · Egbert of Wessex

Monarchs (pre-Conquest) of England	Alfred the Great · Edward the Elder · Ælfweard · Athelstan^¶ · Edmund the Magnificent^¶ · Edred^¶ · Edwy the Fair^¶ · Edgar the Peaceable^¶ · Edward the Martyr · Ethelred the Unready · Sweyn Forkbeard · Edmund Ironside · Canute^¶ · Harold Harefoot · Harthacanute · Edward the Confessor · Harold Godwinson · Edgar the Atheling

Monarchs (post-Conquest) of England	William I the Conqueror · William II Rufus · Henry I · Stephen · Matilda · Henry II · Richard I the Lionheart · John^† · Henry III^† · Edward I^† · Edward II^† · Edward III^† · Richard II^† · Henry IV Bolingbroke^† · Henry V^† · Henry VI^† · Edward IV^† · Edward V^† · Richard III^† · Henry VII^† · Henry VIII^† · Edward VI^† · Jane^† · Mary I^† · Elizabeth I^† · James I^‡ · Charles I^‡ · Commonwealth · Charles II^‡ · James II^‡ · William III^‡ with Mary II^‡ · William III^‡ · Anne^‡

^¶ Also King/Overlord of Great Britain. ^† Also Lord/Monarch of Ireland. ^‡ Also Monarch of Scotland and Ireland.