Æthelred the unready

Æthelred II, known as “the Unready,” was King of the English from 978 to 1013 and again from 1014 until his death on 23 April 1016. He was the son of King Edgar the Peaceful and Queen Ælfthryth, and the father of Edmund Ironside, King of England. In Barbara’s family branch, he is identified as the 28th great-grandfather.

Æthelred II was born on 19 March 968, the son of King Edgar the Peaceful and Queen Ælfthryth. He came to the throne at about age twelve after the assassination of his older half-brother, King Edward the Martyr.

Known as “the Unready,” Æthelred ruled as King of the English from 978 to 1013. The epithet did not originally mean “unready” in the modern sense. It came from the Old English unræd, meaning “poorly advised,” and was a pun on his name, Æthelred, which meant “well advised.”

Conflict with Danish raiders was the central problem of his reign. After several decades of relative peace, raids on English territory resumed in the 980s and became more serious in the early 990s. Following the Battle of Maldon in 991, Æthelred paid tribute, or Danegeld, to the Danish king. In 1002 he ordered what became known as the St. Brice’s Day massacre of Danish settlers.

In 1013, King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark invaded England. Æthelred fled to Normandy and was replaced by Sweyn. After Sweyn died in 1014, Æthelred returned to the throne. He died on 23 April 1016, having reigned for a combined total of 37 years.

Æthelred was briefly succeeded by his son Edmund Ironside, who died after a few months. The throne then passed to Sweyn’s son, Cnut. According to the supplied notes, Æthelred’s combined reign was the longest of any Anglo-Saxon king of England and was not surpassed until the reign of Henry III in the thirteenth century.

Historical context

Æthelred’s reign took place during renewed Danish attacks on England. The payment of Danegeld after the Battle of Maldon and the later invasion by Sweyn Forkbeard were major events in the struggle for control of England during this period.

Sources & research

Original Family Tree Maker notes: [1], bibliographic details not supplied.
Original Family Tree Maker notes: [n 1], pronunciation note referenced but not supplied.