Æðelflaeda DE WESSEX Queen of Mercia

   Research Notes:

Asser names (in order) "Ethelfled the eldest…Edward…Ethelgiva…Ethelwitha and Ethelwerd" as the children of King Alfred & his wife, specifying that Ethelfled was married to "Ethered earl of Mercia". "Egelfledam Merciorum dominam" is named by Roger of Hoveden first in his list of King Alfred's daughters by Queen Ealhswith. "Æthelflæd conjux" subscribed a charter of "Æthelred dux et patricius gentis Merciorum" granting land in Oxfordshire to the bishopric of Worcester dated 887. "Æthelflæd" also subscribed the joint charter of King Alfred and "Æthelred subregulus et patricius Merciorum" dated 889, the charter of "Æthered" dated 901, and three charters of King Edward dated 903 and 904, in the last of which her name is listed immediately after her husband's and before "Æthelswitha regina".

Known as the "Lady of the Mercians", she effectively governed Mercia after her husband's death "save only London and Oxford". Florence of Worcester records that she carried out a plan of fortress building to protect Mercia from the Danes, at Bridgenorth in 912, Tamworth and Stafford in 913, Eddisbury Hill in Cheshire and Warwick in 914, and Chirbury and Runcorn in 915. Her Mercian troops played a decisive part in her brother's offensive against the Danes in the Midlands in 917, conquering Derby and Tempsford where they killed the Danish king of the East Angles, and Leicester in early 918.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the death in 918 of Æthelflæd "12 days before midsummer at Tamworth in the eighth year of her rule over Mercia as its rightful lord" and her burial at Gloucester St Peter's church. ¹

   Marriage Information:

Æðelflaeda married Æthelred I, Ealdorman of Mercia in 889. (Æthelred I, Ealdorman of Mercia was born est 865 in Mercia, England and died in 912.)