Who was Æthelred of Wessex? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Also Known As: Æthelred I, King of Wessex, Aethelred, Ethelred

Died At Age: 34

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Wulfthryth of Wessex

father: Æthelwulf

mother: Osburh

children: Æthelhelm, Æthelwold ætheling

Born Country: England

Emperors & Kings Political Leaders

Died on: April 23, 871

place of death: Wimborne Minster, England

Cause of Death: Killed In Action

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1

When did Æthelred of Wessex rule as King?

Æthelred of Wessex ruled as King from 865 until his death in 871.
2

What was Æthelred of Wessex known for during his reign?

Æthelred of Wessex was known for his efforts to defend Wessex against Viking invasions and for his leadership during a tumultuous period in English history.
3

Did Æthelred of Wessex have any significant military victories?

Æthelred of Wessex achieved a significant victory against the Vikings at the Battle of Ashdown in 871.
4

How did Æthelred of Wessex die?

Æthelred of Wessex died in 871, likely from wounds sustained in battle against the Vikings.
5

What impact did Æthelred of Wessex have on the history of England?

Æthelred of Wessex is remembered as a key figure in the defense of Wessex against Viking invasions and for his contributions to the development of England as a unified kingdom.

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Childhood & Early Life

Æthelred I, sometimes rendered as Ethelred, was born in Circa 847 in Wessex, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom located in the south of Great Britain. His father, King Aethelwulf of Wessex, reigned over the kingdom from 839 to 856. The area had been under the rule of that dynasty since 519 AD.

His mother Osburh or Osburga was his father's first wife and the mother of all his children. She has been described as "a most religious woman, noble in character and noble by birth".

Ethelred was born fifth of his parent’s six children. He had three elder brothers, namely Æthelstan, Æthelbald, Æthelberht; and an elder sister called Æthelswith, who later married King Burgred of Mercia. Younger to him was a brother that history remembers as Alfred the Great.

In 453 AD, he accompanied his younger brother to Rome, where he was invested with the "belt of consulship," while Alfred was confirmed by Pope Leo IV. In the following year, he witnessed his father's charters as an Ætheling, after which he was officially recognized as a prince.

In 855, his father left for a pilgrimage and things began to change rapidly in Wessex. Before leaving on his journey, King Aethelwulf appointed his second son Æthelbald as the under-king of Wessex and his third son Æthelberht as the under-king of Kent. Ethelred’s eldest brother Æthelstan had already died in 852.

When Aethelwulf returned to Wessex, Æthelbald refused to step down. To avoid a civil war, the king gave up the western part of Wessex and continued to rule over the south east. Following the king’s death in Circa 858, Æthelbald and Æthelberht continued to rule over their respective kingdom.

According to his father’s will, Æthelred was meant to inherit the kingdom of Wessex in case of his second brother Æthelbald’s death. But when Æthelbald passed away in 860, Æthelred was only 13 years old; therefore, Æthelberht became the king of both Wessex and Kent.

It is assumed that Æthelberht, who was childless, appointed Æthelred as an under-king because in 862 and 863, we find Æthelred issuing charters as King of the West Saxons. Other than that, he continued to witness king’s charters as an Ætheling.

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Kingship & Viking Assault

In the autumn of 865, King Æthelberht died and following that, Æthelred became the King of Wessex and Kent. It was not an easy time for him because in the same year, the Great Danish Army under the leadership of Halfdan Ragnarsson and Ivar the Boneless had descended on England.

In spite of the ensuing chaos, Æthelred continued to rule over his kingdom. He adopted the Mercian type of currency and had it minted at London and Canterbury. Later, he had them circulated both in Wessex and Mercia, thus establishing a common currency by 867.

In 868, the kingdom of Mercia, which was ruled by Æthelred’s brother-in-law, King Burgred, was attacked by the Danes. When Burgred appealed to Æthelred for help, he set off for Mercia. However, he did not have to face any serious battle because King Burgred decided to buy off his enemy, handing over Nottingham to them.

War With the Danes

In December 870, the Danish Army decided to invade Wessex, establishing a camp at Reading, located in the present day Berkshire. The area was secured by the Thames and Kennet rivers on two sides, and by a rampart on the western side.

On 31 December 870, the Danes, led by two earls, met the Wessex force under the command of Æthelwulf of Berkshire at Englefield. In the ensuing battle, many Danes, including one of the earls, Sidrac, lost their lives. The rest were driven back.

When King Æthelred of Wessex heard about it, he along with his loyal brother, Prince Alfred, joined Æthelwulf of Berkshire at Englefield with a huge army. On 4 January 871, the entire Wessex army marched towards Reading with the intention of routing the Danish.

As the Danish camp was protected on two sides by the rivers, King Æthelred directed the assault mainly at the gateway of the western rampart. A violet battle ensued with a number of soldiers being killed on both sides. Æthelwulf too lost his life. Eventually, the Saxon attack was repulsed.

After their attack was subdued, the Saxons retreated towards the Berkshire Downs in order to regroup. Eventually, they waited for the Danish army at Ashdown, located somewhere near the border of Oxfordshire and Berkshire. On this front, Æthelred divided his army into two halves, positioning them on either sides of a ridge..

On 8 January 871, two armies met on the field of Ashdown. Æthelred was commanding the Saxons on one side, while Alfred was holding the fort on the other side of the Wessex army. In the bloody war that followed, King Bagsecg and five other Danish earls were killed. Eventually, the Danes were forced to retreat.

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On 22 January 871, the two adversaries met once again at Basing (now Hampshire). While King Æthelred commanded the Saxon army, the Danes were led by King Halfdan Ragnarsson. However, this battle proved indecisive, leading to another battle two months later.

On 22 March 871, King Æthelred fought his last battle, meeting the Danes at Merton, located either in modern day Wiltshire or Dorset. It was another bloody battle, in which both sides lost many warriors. Ultimately, the Danish side won the battle, while the Saxons had to retreat.

Family & Personal Life

According to available sources, King Æthelred was married to a woman known as Wulfthryth. Little is known about her except that she witnessed a charter in 868 as regina (queen). She is believed to have been the mother of his two children, Æthelhelm and of Æthelwold.

On 23 April 871, shortly after the Battle of Merton ended, King Æthelred succumbed to his wounds and was buried at the nearby Wimborne Minster. He was 24 years old at the time of his death. Since his children were still very young, he was succeeded by his younger brother, Alfred the Great.

Facts About Æthelred of Wessex

Æthelred of Wessex was known for his love of hunting and spent much of his free time in the forests of Wessex pursuing game.

Despite being a king, Æthelred was said to have a great sense of humor and enjoyed playing practical jokes on his friends and family.

Æthelred had a keen interest in astronomy and often stayed up late studying the stars and planets.

He was known for his exceptional skill in playing the harp and was often heard playing music to entertain his court.

Æthelred was a great lover of animals and kept a variety of exotic pets, including falcons, hounds, and even a pet monkey.

Æthelred of Wessex Biography

You wanted to know

When did Æthelred of Wessex rule as King?

What was Æthelred of Wessex known for during his reign?

Did Æthelred of Wessex have any significant military victories?

How did Æthelred of Wessex die?

What impact did Æthelred of Wessex have on the history of England?