King Aelfweard was a member of the House of Wessex. He was the eldest son of King Edward the Elder by his second wife Aelfflaed of Mercia. He was briefly King of Wessex in 924.
Contents
King Aelfweard Family Tree Image
King Aelfweard Family Tree in Table Form
King Aelfweard Short Biography
King Aelfweard Family Tree Image showing:
grandparents, parents, siblings and half-siblings
King Aelfweard Family Tree in Table Form showing:
grandparents, parents, siblings and half-siblings
GRANDPARENTS
Paternal Grandfather – King Alfred the Great – (849 – 899)
Paternal Grandmother – Ealhswith of Mercia – (d. 902)
Maternal Grandfather – Ealdorman Aethelhelm of Wiltshire – (details unknown)
Maternal Grandmother – (not known)
SIBLINGS
Eadgifu of Wessex – (902 – 955)
Eadflaed of Wessex – (b. c905)
Edwin of Kent – (d. 933)
Eadhild of Wessex – (d. 938)
Eadgyth of Wessex – (910 – 946)
HALF-SIBLINGS
King Aethelstan – (895 – 939)
Edith – (d. c930)
King Edmund I – (921 – 946)
King Eadred – (923 – 955)
MARRIED
Did not marry
CHILDREN
None known
King Aelfweard Short Biography
Early Years
King Aelfweard was born in 904 (exact date not known), the eldest child of King Edward the Elder and his second wife Aelfflaed, daughter of the Earldorman of Wiltshire.
When Aelfweard was growing up, England was subject to continual attacks from the Danes and his father spent much time trying to defeat them. King Edward wanted to fulfil Alfred the Great’s ambition of ruling over a united England but he was unable to take Northumbria from the Danes. King Edward the Elder died on 17th July 924 fighting a Welsh-Mercian rebellion.
Succession to Wessex
There is some dispute as to who succeeded King Edward the Elder. The succession is unclear because Aelfweard died just 16 days after his father on 2nd August 924. However, documents discovered in Winchester indicate that Aelfweard did succeed as King of Wessex.
Both Aelfweard and his elder half-brother Aethelstan had a claim to the throne and the matter would have been put to the Witan to decide who should be King. However, it is believed that the Witan were divided between the two men and so split the Kingdom with Aelfweard ruling Wessex and Aethelstan Mercia. When Aelfweard died Aethelstan became King of Wessex and Mercia uniting the two kingdoms once again.
Published Apr 22 2022 – Updated – Dec 4 2024
Harvard Reference for King Aelfweard Family Tree:
Heather Y Wheeler. (2022 – 2024). King Aelfweard Family Tree & Biography (904-924). Available: https://www.treesofblue.com/king-aelfweard-904-924. Last accessed December 17th, 2024