Æthelræd II, King of the English
| Æthelred | |
|---|---|
Æthelred in an early thirteenth-century copy of the Abingdon Chronicle
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| King of the English | |
| Reign | 18 March 978 – 1013 (first time) |
| Predecessor | Edward the Martyr |
| Successor | Sweyn Forkbeard |
| Reign | 1014 – 23 April 1016 (second time) |
| Predecessor | Sweyn Forkbeard |
| Successor | Edmund Ironside |
| Born | c. 966 |
| Died | 23 April 1016 (aged about 50) London, England |
| Burial | Old St Paul's Cathedral, London, now lost |
| Spouse |
Ælfgifu of York Emma of Normandy |
| Issue Detail |
See list
|
| House | Wessex |
| Father | Edgar, King of England |
| Mother | Ælfthryth |
| Religion | Christianity |
Æthelred II (Old English: Æþelræd, pronounced [æðelræːd];c. 966 – 23 April 1016), known as the Unready, was King of the English from 978 to 1013 and again from 1014 until his death. His epithet does not derive from the modern word "", 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 and Queen Ælfthryth. He came to the throne at about the age of 12, following the assassination of his older half-brother, Edward the Martyr. His brother's murder was carried out by supporters of his own claim to the throne, although he was too young to have any personal involvement. The chief problem of Æthelred's reign was conflict with the Danes. After several decades of relative peace, Danish raids on English territory began again in earnest in the 980s. Following the Battle of Maldon in 991, Æthelred paid tribute, or Danegeld, to the Danish king. In 1002, Æthelred ordered what became known as the St. Brice's Day massacre of Danish settlers. In 1013, King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark invaded England, as a result of which Æthelred fled to Normandy in 1013 and was replaced by Sweyn. However, he returned as king for two years after Sweyn's death in 1014. Æthelred's 37-year reign was the longest of any Anglo-Saxon king of England, and was only surpassed in the 13th century, by Henry III. Æthelred was briefly succeeded by his son, Edmund Ironside, but he died after a few months and was replaced by Sweyn's son, Cnut. Another of his sons, Edward the Confessor, became king in 1042.
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