Ethelred the unready biography of martin

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 eld