swuklink.com: Edgar the Peaceable, King of England (959-975)

Edgar, the PeaceableKing of England (959-975)

Edgar was born about 942, the younger of two sons of King Edmund I by Elgiva.

On the death of King Edred in 955, Edgar's elder brother Edwy was elected as King of England but, in 957, the thanes of Mercia and Northumberland, frustrated by the King Edwy's impositions and with the support of Archbishop Odo and the party of the banished Dunstan, switched their allegiance to Edwy's younger brother Edgar. Edwy was defeated in battle at Gloucester but civil war was averted by an agreement among the nobles by which England would be divided into two kingdoms along the river Thames; Edwy would retain Wessex and Kent while Edgar ruled the north.

On the death of Edwy on October 1st, 959, Edgar became king of all England.

Edgar was crowned at Bath in 973.

The ceremony devised for Edgar's coronation in 973 by St Dunstan remains the basis of the present-day coronation ceremony.

He married Ethelfleda the Fair, then and Elfrida, widow of Ethelbald, Alderman of the East Angles, whom Edgar slew in order to obtain the hand of his widow (Elfrida seems to have connived at her husband's murder).

Edgar died on July 8th, 975 at Winchester, and was buried at Glastonbury (his remains later removed to Winchester Cathedral).

Edgar left two sons; the eldest, Edward, by his first wife, Ethelfleda, succeeded him as king in 975, becoming known as 'Edward the Martyr'; and the younger, Ethelred by his second wife Elfrida, who became king in 978 as Ethelred II (-1016) after his mother had murdered Edward.

Elfrida

Edgar's second wife and the mother of the younger of his two sons, later Ethelred II (978-1016). She had Edgar's older son, Edward the Martyr, who succeeded him in 975 murdered in 978 to make way for her own son Ethelred.

St Dunstan (c.909-988), Archbishop of Canterbury (961-988)

On becomming king of Mercia and Northumberland in 957, Edgar recalled Dunstan (eventually canonised) from his exile imposed by his brother Edwy. After becomming king of all England in 959 and although he appointed Dunstan as Archbishop of Canterbury on the death of Archbishop Odo (958), it is alleged that Dunstan refused to crown Edgar until 973 because he disapproved of his way of life.

This time-line has been generated for this page from our general time-line
which you can view by clicking here or on the dates in the left-hand column.

To view links to related pages, click here

circa 942		Birth of Edgar (king of England, 959-975) to Edmund I
	BAAAGEIO
957		Edgar, king of Mercia and Northumberland, summons St Dunstan from exile (Dunstan had come into conflict with King Edwy and fled to Ghent in Flanders
	BAAAGEES BAAAGEIQ
958		Edgar takes the kingdoms of Mercia and Northumberland from his brother Edwy
	BAAAGBIU BAAAGEIQ
959		Edgar officially succeeds his brother Edwy as king of England
	BAAAGEES BAAAGEIQ
960		King Edgar holds a council at Old Sarum (Wilts.)
	BAAAGBVP
961		Dunstan becomes Archbishop of Canterbury (-988) Although appointed by King Edgar, Dunstan refused to crown him because of his way of life until 973
	BAAAGEES
circa 962		Birth of prince Edward (-978), later king Edward the Martyr (975-978) to King Edgar
	BAAAGEEM
973		Coronation of King Edgar at Bath by St Dunstan The ceremony forms the basis of the modern coronation ceremony
	BAAAGCQI BAAAGEES BAAAGEII
975.Jul.08		Death of Edgar, King of England at Winchester. Edward the Martyr becomes King of England supported by St Dunstan and confirmed by the Witan but opposed by his step-mother, Queen Elfrida
	BAAAGEEM BAAAGEEN BAAAGDIT BAAAGEER BAAAGEES BAAAGDDN BAAAGEIE

Links to Other Pages on this Site

ENGLAND
MONARCHS

QUEEN ELFRIDA
St DUNSTAN

Links to Other Sites
. . . . . the inclusion of these links to other sites is for the interest and convenience of visitors to this site only and does not imply any endorsement of the products or services offered by the individuals or organisations involved nor the accuracy of the information contained therein . . . . .
Wilkipedia
Edgar of England

England

Winchester

Edgar died on July 8th, 975 at Winchester, and was buried at Glastonbury. His remains were later removed to Winchester Cathedral.

Winchester Cathedral

The gold shrine studded with jewels which held the remains of St Swithun at Winchester Cathedral was the gift of King Edgar. After the king's death at Winchester on July 8th, 975, he was buried at Glastonbury but his remains were later removed to Winchester Cathedral.

Recommend a Book for this Page

Hits on this page since December 6th

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

current year: previous year:

LINKS

ALPHABETICAL
SITE INDEX
Select ;-
Aa-Az Ba-Bz Ca-Cz Da-Dz Ea-Ez Fa-Fz Ga-Gz Ha-Hz Ia-Iz Ja-Jz Ka-Kz La-Lz Ma-Mz Na-Nz Oa-Oz Pa-Pz Qa-Qz Ra-Rz Sa-Sz Ta-Tz Ua-Uz Va-Vz Wa-Wz Ya-Yz
SW COUNTIES

No messages posted on this page

Only Members of the Site can post messages in this section. Signing in is easy from our Home Page.

DISCLAIMER: Whilst we endeavour to ensure the content of this site is correct, we cannot undertake that information you find here, is, or will remain accurate and complete. We do not warrant that any information contained on this site is fit for any purpose. If you wish to place reliance on any such information you must check its accuracy by some other means before doing so.

MEMBERS get aditional features on our pages and will soon be able to interact with the site and add their views and informastion. Sign up, from the Home-Page, is simple and involves typing in your email address and a password of your choice.

If you are in any way connected with any location or interested in the subject mentioned on this page and have an hour or two a month to spare, we would welcome you as a local moderator - please email the webmaster by CLICKING HERE.