Aethelred II
| Æthelred | |
|---|---|
Æthelred in an early thirteenth-century copy of the Abingdon Chronicle
|
|
| 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, also dubbed the Unready (Old English: Æþelræd, pronounced [æðelræːd]), (c. 966 – 23 April 1016) was King of the English (978–1013 and 1014–1016). He was the son of King Edgar the Peaceful and Queen Ælfthryth and was around 12 years old when his half-brother Edward the Martyr was murdered on 18 March 978. Although Æthelred was not personally suspected of participation, the murder was committed at Corfe Castle by his attendants, making it more difficult for the new king to rally the nation against the military raids by Danes, especially as the legend of St Edward the Martyr grew.
From 991 onwards, 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. He returned as king, however, after Sweyn's death in 1014.
Æthelred's nickname, "the Unready" renders Old English "bad counsel, folly", more accurately (but more rarely) rendered "the -less".
Æthelred's first name, composed of the elements æðele "noble", and ræd "counsel, advice", is typical of the compound names of those who belonged to the royal House of Wessex, and it characteristically alliterates with the names of his ancestors, like Æthelwulf ("noble-wolf"), Ælfred ("elf-counsel"), Eadweard ("rich-protection"), and Eadgar ("rich-spear").
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