Alfred The Great Wife

Ealhswith or ealswitha died 5 december 902 was the wife of king alfred the great her father was a mercian nobleman æthelred mucel ealdorman of the gaini which is thought to be an old mercian tribal group her mother was eadburh a member of the mercian royal family and according to the historian richard abels she was a descendant of king cenwulf of mercia.

Alfred the great wife. Ealhswith was a mercian princess who married alfred anglo saxon king of wessex. But she was the mother of illustrious children and she is remembered as the true and beloved lady of the. Ealhswith wife of alfred the great. Alfred the great 848 9 26 october 899 was king of wessex from 871 to c.

We know very little about ealhswith s life. She was never called queen and she never witnessed any charters during alfred s administration. He was the youngest son of king æthelwulf of wessex his father died when he was young and three of alfred s brothers æthelbald æthelberht and æthelred reigned in turn before him. Ealhswith was a mercian princess who married alfred anglo saxon king of wessex.

Her offspring would continue what her husband and the house of wessex began. Ealhswith was the wife of king alfred the great and the mother of aethelflaed the lady of the mercians and edward the elder. Osburh or osburga also osburga oslacsdotter was the first wife of king æthelwulf of wessex and mother of alfred the great alfred s biographer asser described her as a most religious woman noble in character and noble by birth. She was never called queen and she never witnessed any charters during alfred s administration.

Osburh s existence is known only from asser s life of king alfred she is not named as witness to any charters nor is her death reported in the anglo saxon. But she was the mother of illustrious children and she is remembered as the true and beloved lady of the english.