Description
Upon the death of King Edgar in 975, his eldest living son, Edward – soon to be known as ‘the martyr’ – took the throne. There is some suggestion in the historical record that this was contrary to Edgar’s plans, that the king had nominated as his heir his younger son, Æthelred – the future ‘unready’. Edward did not attain the kingship without some resistance; English politics devolved into factionalism with powerful clerics and magnates backing each of the brother. And, while Edward came out on top in 975, in 978 unknown parties assassinated him and Æthelred succeeded to his father’s kingdom.The events of 975/8 have often been characterised as a succession crisis. Yet, despite its violent end, there is little evidence for disruption in the governance of the kingdom. This contrasts with King Edgar’s own succession in 955, the year in which his uncle, King Eadred, died. Edgar contest for the throne with his older brother Eadwig did precipitate a political crisis. Eadwig claimed the crown and proceeded to move against the factional power brokers who had backed his brother’s claim, exiling them from the court and the kingdom. But, a mere two years later, they were back, forcing Eadwig to divide the kingdom and install Edgar as king in the north.
There are many parallels between these succession disputes: they were contested by brothers; queens-mother are prominent political figures; many of magnates participated in both contests with little shift in factional fault lines. This paper will address these parallels and seek to answer the following questions: 1) To what extent can either succession dispute be characterised as a ‘crisis? 2) How did the experiences of 955 shape the way events unfolded in 975? 3) How have the parallels between the two situations informed historians’ analyses of them as distinct events?
| Period | 3 Jul 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | International Medieval Congress: Crisis |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Leeds, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |