Britain's Royal Families

Issue of marriage:

1   King Edward the Martyr( see here).

Edgar married secondly, in c.964/5 (perhaps earlier) (although no record exists as to where):

Elfrida

Alternatively known as Alstrita or Elstrudis, she was the daughter of Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon. She was born in c.945 at Lydford Castle, Devon. She married firstly, in c.962/3, Ethelwald, Ealdorman of East Anglia ( d.963), and had issue:

1  Edgar.

2  (?) Ethelfleda (963?–1016?), Abbess of Romsey. She may have been Ethelwald’s daughter by his first wife, although one account says she was his posthumous child.

Elfrida is said to have had an adulterous affair with King Edgar whilst still married to Ethelwald, and some sources allege that Ethelwald was murdered on Edgar’s orders. Elfrida was crowned with her husband on 11 May, 973, at Bath Abbey: this was the first instance of the coronation of a Queen of England. She became a nun in c.986 at Wherwell Abbey, Hampshire, where she died, possibly on 17 November, 1002 (?); she was alive in 999, but had died before the end of 1002. She was probably buried in Wherwell Abbey.

Issue of marriage:

1   Edmund

He was born in c.965, and died in 970/72. He was buried in Romsey Abbey, Hampshire.

2   Ethelred II( see here).

King Edgar also had the following illegitimate issue:

By St Wulfrida ( c.945–1000), Abbess of Wilton,

1  St Edith (962?–984), Abbess of Barking and Nunnaminster.

KING EDGAR

He died on 8 July, 975, at Winchester, and was buried in Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset.

He was succeeded by his son Edward.

King Edward the Martyr

FATHER: King Edgar( see here).

MOTHER: Ethelfleda( see here, under Edgar).

SIBLINGS: Edward did not have any full brothers or sisters.

KING EDWARD

Known as ‘the Martyr’, he was born in c.962/3. He succeeded his father as King of England on 8 July, 975, and was crowned at Kingston-upon-Thames that same year (the date is unspecified). He was murdered on 18 March, 978 (not 979, as is sometimes stated), at Corfe Castle, Dorset, probably on the orders of his stepmother, Elfrida of Devon. He was buried in Wareham Abbey, Dorset; later on, his remains were moved to Shaftesbury Abbey, Dorset.

He was succeeded by his half-brother Ethelred.

Ethelred II

FATHER: King Edgar( see here).

MOTHER: Elfrida of Devon( see here, under Edgar).

SIBLINGS: ( see here, under Edgar).

ETHELRED II

Known as ‘the Unraed’ or ‘the Redeless’ (both of which mean ‘without counsel’), he was born in c.966/9. He succeeded his half-brother Edward as King of England on 18 March, 978, and was crowned on 4 April, 978 (or 4 May, 979), at Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey. He abdicated in favour of King Sweyn in the autumn of 1013, and fled to Normandy, but was restored to the throne after Sweyn’s death on 3 February, 1014.

Ethelred II married firstly, in c.980/85 (although no record exists as to where):

Elgiva

Alternatively known as Elfleda, she was the daughter either of Ealdorman Ethelbert, or of Thored, Ealdorman of York, by his wife Hilda. She was born in c.963, and died in February, 1002, at Winchester.

Issue of marriage:

1   Athelstan

He was born in c.986, and was killed in battle, fighting the Danes, in c.1012/15. One writer, Thietmar of Merseberg, states that Athelstan was alive late in 1016, but he is an unreliable source, and it is thought that Athelstan was almost certainly dead by the end of 1015.

2   Edmund II( see here).

3   Edgar

He died in 1012/15 (or, less probably, in c.1008).

4   Edred

He died in 1012/15.

5   Edric(?)

He has perhaps been confused with his brother Edred, and may not have existed. No dates are recorded.

6   Edward(?)

He is said to have died by c.1004. The evidence for his existence is very slender; charters said to have been attested by him have been proved spurious.

7   Edwy

He was murdered in 1017 on the orders of King Canute, and was buried in Tavistock Abbey, Devon.

8   Egbert

He died in c.1005.

9   Edith

She married Edric Streona, Ealdorman of Mercia (who was executed in 1017), in c.1007/9, and had issue:

1  Son; name not known (born before 1009).

Edith perhaps married secondly Thurcytel Thorgils Havi, a Danish Earl in England (who was killed in 1039), and perhaps had issue:

2  Harold, who married Gunhilda of Wendland, a granddaughter of King Sweyn. Harold died in 1042.

10   Elgiva

She married Uhtred, Earl of Northumbria (who was killed in 1016 or 1018), and had issue:

1  Edith ( see here, under Malcolm II, King of Scotland). She married Maldred of Scotland, Lord of Allerdale, and had issue.

11   Wulfhilda

She married Ulfcytel Snylling, Ealdorman of East Anglia (who was killed in 1016).

12   Daughter

Her name is not known. She married one Athelstan (who was killed in 1010).

13   Daughter

Her name is not known. She became Abbess of Wherwell, and died after 1051.

Ethelred II married secondly, on 5 April, 1002, at Winchester Cathedraclass="underline"

Emma

She was the daughter of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, by his wife Gunnora, and she was born in c.985/7 in Normandy. In 1017, after the death of Ethelred II, she married secondly King Canute, and had issue ( see here, under King Canute). She died on 14 March, 1052, probably at Winchester, and was buried in Winchester Cathedral. Her bones now lie in one of the mortuary chests there.

Issue of marriage:

1   King Edward the Confessor(