Edward the Martyr

King of the English (975-978)

Source-basedRising

Lived 963–978, aged 15

PoliticiansHistorical Figure

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53 languages
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Era
963–978
Aged 15

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People connected to Edward the Martyr

FatherEdgar the Peaceful

SiblingÆthelred the Unready

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

King of England for three years until his murder in 978, Edward the Martyr became a pawn in a succession dispute between rival church and court factions after his father's death. His half-brother Æthelred got the consolation prize of prime real estate.

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Edward the Martyr was King of the English from 8 July 975 until he was killed in 978. He was the eldest son of King Edgar. On Edgar's death, the succession to the throne was contested between Edward's supporters and those of his younger half-brother, the future King Æthelred the Unready. As they were both children, it is unlikely that they played an active role in the dispute, which was probably between rival family alliances. Edward's principal supporters were Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Æthelwine, Ealdorman of East Anglia, while Æthelred was backed by his mother Queen Ælfthryth an…

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