Aethelred Unraed

Disclaimer: Parts of the following have been inspired by a re-reading of Cyril Hart's Between Severn (Saefren) and Wye (Waege) in the Year 1000.

Aethelred II was born about 968AD, son of King Edgar the Peaceful and his second wife Aelfthryth (otherwise Elfrida). He was crowned in 979, at about the age of 10, after his elder brother Edward the Martyr had an accident at Corfe Castle (he accepted a drink of mead from his step-mother, and one of her men stabbed him, in the back).

In about 985 Aethelred married Aelfgifu of Mercia (who may have been the energetic young woman who had previously bed-shared with Edwy All-fair and her mother, at his (Edwy's) coronation) and they had eight children