After the untimely death of the young king Eadwig (who may or may not have been assassinated
in favour of his younger and more agreeable brother), Edgar - or better known as Edgar
the Peaceful, for obvious reasons, succeeded him.
As we discussed in the last episode, Eadwig’s rule was not a popular one and his reign was
marked with strife, turmoil and even the threat of the utter dissolution of a United England.
In fact, the Thanes of Mercia and Northumbira had already come to shun Eadwig in the years
leading up to his death and they chose to recognise the more affable Edgar as their
king instead.
But when Eadwig died, Edgar at the young age of 19 would restore the sense of union within
the country and tensions created by his older brother were soon eased.
One of the main ways that tensions were eased was through the reinstating of St Dunstan,
who Eadwig had banished before.
The two had a rather public dislike of one another - especially when St Dunstan had interrupted
the young king whilst he was having a threesome - and publicly shamed him for it thereafter.
The bitter rivalry between Eadwig and St Dunstan is well documented throughout history and
it would see the young king send away the influential advisor - a controversial decision
given that St Dunstan had not only advised the previous kings with diligence, but also
acquired considerable allies within the court.
But as we know, Edgar would be a very different king to Eadwig and seemed more concentrated
on the needs of the kingdom, as opposed to his own wants and needs.
At the mere age of 19, Edgar demonstrated noteworthy traits of maturity, those that
saw him well liked amongst his subjects.
It was in the year 959 when he was crowned King, which would see him consolidate the
political unity that the kings before him had worked to achieve.
Furthermore, one of his more popular choices would see him reinstate St Dunstan as his
political advisor, which would eventually see the St promoted to the role of Archbishop
of Canterbury.
Having many of his responsibilities restored and maintaining a good relationship with the
king, Dunstan was able to introduce a large movement in favour of monastic reform.
With his ideas that were implemented, all secular clergy were removed from their posts
and the churches were given significant independence from the crown, perhaps even a certain freedom
that had not been enjoyed by church officials in the times before.
Along with this, many of the monasteries that had been destroyed during the raids of the
Vikings were rebuilt and it might be said that had it not been for this period of peace
that was maintained by King Edgar, then none of these projects would have gone ahead.
Indeed, there do not appear to be any recorded conflicts during Edgar time as king - hence
his moniker ‘The Peaceful’.
It was perhaps with this absence of war that allowed him to focus his time in making progress
in accelerating England into a secure state, and distant it from the time of the dark ages
that had seen England descend into a country full of rival kingships and entities who existed
outside of the general law.
It is with his diplomacy that Edgar was able to secure England and not the soldiering nor
strategy that had been demonstrated by his father or grandfather when they were in power.
Instead, Edgar worked alongside the thanes, ealdormen, government nobles and the church
itself in order to make a country that allowed everyone to prosper, as well as ensuring their
safety.
In fact, it might be said that with Edgar’s rule, a certain standard was established in
terms of law and politics.
Interestingly, yet another standard was set during Edgar’s rule and that was in regards
to coronations.
Whilst it was believed he had something of a formal induction into kingship, it wasn’t
until 10 years into his reign did he receive a major ceremony - perhaps, one of the biggest
coronations that any king of England had received thus far.
These grand coronations would become a staple going forward for any man who ascended the
throne and the man who lobbied for such a celebration to take place was none other than
St Dunstan.
Dunstan argued that England required these ceremonies on the basis that the French and
the Germans both held such protocols in high regard when electing their own kings and emperors.
Therefore, in an effort to glorify the king of England and attribute him to such heights
as the other leaders in Europe, coronations became a part of not just royal etiquette,
but public expectation.
Yet, as mentioned, Edgar did not receive his coronation for a whole 14 years into his rule,
supposedly on the account that Dunstan was not satisfied with Edgar’s behaviour either.
Much like his brother Eadwig, Edgar was thought to have demonstrated some unpious behaviour.
There were rumours about his private life that had become something of gossip for the
courts - those which included stories about his marriages.
Supposedly, it was thought that he had married his childhood friend Æthelflæd, but that
she had either died early into their marriage or that they had separated - likely on the
account that he had begun to have an affair with a noblewoman Wulfthryth of Wilton.
It is disputed as to whether he went on to marry Wulfthryth, especially considering that
she was later venerated as a saint after becoming an abess.
With these two relationships, Edgar did have a son and daughter with both women respectively.
The son being born to Æthelflæd would be known as Edward and would go on to become
king - the infamous Edward the Martyr himself.
The daughter who was born to Wulfthryth was known as Edith of Wilton, she who was also
venerated as a saint.
With these two marriages, Edgar was thought to have begun to cultivate a bit of a scandalous
reputation - something that St Dunstan was keen to be rid of, especially considering
how imperative it was for the king to appear both virtuous and faultless.
Furthermore, it would not do to have a grand ceremony for a king who was living a seemingly
moral-less life by marrying several women and fathering several children.
But despite Dunstan’s efforts, a third woman would present himself in the year 963 when
Edgar met the infamous Ælfthryth - she who was a powerful political figure in her own
right and the first woman to be crowned queen, alongside king.
All of these women saw Dunstan convince Edgar to lead a more humble life, at least as far
as women went, and it’s possible that he was convinced by Dunstan to settle down with
Ælfthryth.
It would be another ten years however until Dunstan seemed to be convinced, for it was
only in the year 973 that the major ceremony that Dunstan had envisioned came to pass,
where in the city of Bath, Edgar’s coronation took place.
Interestingly, we also see here the tradition of the king’s wife also becoming queen,
for what was the first time in English history a woman was crowned alongside her husband.
This protocol and the ceremony involved with it essentially became the template for all
married royals going forward and has remained that way ever since.
But rumours of Edgar’s marriage to Ælfthryth would only get more and more sinister, especially
with Dunstan trying to sweep things under the rug.
Whilst the legends on such accounts are sketchy, it was believed that Edgar had heard rumours
of Ælfthryth’s beauty long before he had met her, but that she was already linked with
the Earl Æthelwald - he who was also his foster-brother.
When Edgar learned of this, he sent for the Earl to arrange his own marriage to her, but
when Æthelwald disputed this given the fact he was already involved with her, Edgar killed
him.
In another legend, it is believed that after refusing to arrange the marriage between Ælfthryth
and Edgar, Æthelwald was mysteriously killed in a hunting accident, which allowed Edgar
to marry Ælfthryth as he wanted.
Since then however, the tale has been often disputed amongst historians with some citing
it as an actual event that took place and others dismissing it as romantic fiction.
In any case, Edgar and Ælfthryth had two sons together, Edmund Atheling and another
future king in Æthelred the Unready.
After his coronation, Edgar was rumoured to have his army march along the border of Wales
from Bath to Chester in an effort to showcase his strength to the Welsh.
Ironically, it may have been the most threatening use of his power that he used in his entire
tenure as king.
He also sailed his fleet through the Irish sea and sought to demonstrate his might to
Vikings who still had strongholds at Dublin.
With these shows of strength, it was believed the eight kings of Wales submitted to him
and that after they had conceded, they rowed with Edgar along the river Dee, placing him
at the helm of the ship to signify their acquiescence to him.
With the ceremony setting the standard of English coronations, as well as marking the
peaceful and prosperous reign of one of the country’s most diplomatic kings thus far,
you’d be correct in assuming that both the morale of the nation and the political climate
were in a good place.
But little did the English know that this was all just a calm before the storm, for
the Danish who’d been beaten back in recent times were now only biding their time.
The era of harmony that Edgar had sewed through the land was about to be violently torn up
by the roots and the Saxon world was about to be thrust into chaos.
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Until next time