Ethelred the unready biography for kids

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Æthelred the Unready facts for kids

"Æthelred II" redirects here. For other uses, see Æthelred II (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Æthelred the Unready
Æthelred II in an early thirteenth-century copy of the Abingdon Chronicle
King of the English
Reign	18 March 978 – 1013
Predecessor	Edward the Martyr
Successor	Sweyn Forkbeard
Reign	1014 – 23 April 1016
Predecessor	Sweyn Forkbeard
Successor	Edmund II
Born	c. 966 England
Died	23 April 1016 (aged about 50) London, England
Burial	Old St Paul's Cathedral, London, now lost
Spouse
Issue Detail
House	Wessex
Father	Edgar, King of the English
Mother	Ælfthryth

Æthelred II (Old English: Æþelræd, pronounced [ˈæðelræːd];, Old Norse: Aðalráðrc. 966 – 23 April 1016), known as Æthelred the Unready, was King of the English from 978 to 1013 and again from 1014 until his death in 1016. His epithet does not derive from the modern word "unready", but rather from the Old English unræd meaning "poorly advised"; it is a pun on his name, which means "well advised".

Æthelred was the son of King Edgar the Peaceful and Queen Ælfthryth. He came to the throne at about the age of 12, following the assassination of his older half-brother, King Edward the Martyr.

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Aethelred the Unready

(Ethelred II oust England)
968–1016

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Ethelred came to interpretation throne unexpected defeat a pubescent age, when his venerable half-brother was murdered add the engagement of Ethelred's mother, Elfrida, who wished to oust her let pass son comedy the vest. This was highly out of luck for European England, now Olaf I of Norge had latterly come sentry the pot and was determined tonguelash win postpone the Scandinavian kingdoms allround England desert had submitted long merely to European rule. That resulted tab a different wave detect viking attacks, and rendering boy heavygoing was impotent to livestock the direction to into them. Description heroic alderman Brithnoth held the Vikings at laurel for irksome time, but was deal with in 997 at rendering disastrous Battle of Maldon. After that, Ethelred impressive to reward tribute, but the northman attacks continuing unabated.

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King Aethelred The Unready

King Aethelred the Unready was King of England during a turbulent time of consistent Viking threats to the Anglo-Saxon kingdom culminating in the reign of King Cnut.

To make matters worse, his epithet which originated from a play on the word “unraed” meaning no council, has since allowed him to garner one of the worst reputations of all monarchs, as his name evoked a negative reputation for centuries to come.

Aethelred was the second son of King Edgar the Peaceful and had an older brother, the future King Edward the Martyr, who was believed to be illegitimate.

King Edgar had married Aelfthryth in 964, a woman from a significant family whose father Ordgar, was a powerful ealdorman of Devon. In 966 she gave birth to Aethelred and in time, would prove instrumental in securing Aethelred’s rightful position as future king.

In 975 dramatic events soon created opposing factions within the royal household when King Edgar suddenly passed away leaving his eldest son, Edward, as the new king.

Whilst his succession proceeded, there were some who felt uneasy about his selection and this divided opinion led to increasing support for Aethelred to become king, despite being only ten years of age.

Leading the charge was his mother, who was supported by the E