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{{Short description|Eldest son of King Æthelred the Unready}}
'''Æthelstan Ætheling''' (Old English: ''Æþelstan Æþeling'') was the eldest son of King [[Æthelred the Unready]] by his first wife [[Ælfgifu of York|Ælfgifu]] and almost certainly the apparent heir to the kingdom until his death.<ref name="Barlow, Edward the Confessor">Barlow, ''Edward the Confessor''.</ref>
{{about|the son of King Æthelred|other persons of that name|Æthelstan (disambiguation)}}{{Infobox royalty
| name = Æthelstan Ætheling
| birth_date = c. 980s
| death_date = 25 June 1014
| burial_place = [[Old Minster, Winchester]]
| house = [[House of Wessex|Wessex]]
| father = [[Æthelred the Unready]]
| mother = [[Ælfgifu of York]]
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
'''Æthelstan Ætheling''' ({{lang-ang|Æþelstan Æþeling}}; early or mid 980s &ndash;25 June 1014) was the eldest son of King [[Æthelred the Unready]] by his first wife [[Ælfgifu of York|Ælfgifu]] and the heir apparent to the kingdom until his death.<ref>Æthelstan Ætheling, ''Oxford Online DNB''. Frank Barlow thinks that 1012 is more probable as the year of death, Barlow, ''Edward the Confessor'', p. 30.</ref> He made his first appearance as a witness to a charter of his father in 993. He probably spent part of his childhood at Æthelingadene, Dean in west Sussex, and his paternal grandmother [[Ælfthryth, wife of Edgar|Ælfthryth]] may have played an important part in his upbringing. Almost nothing is known of his life, although he seems to have formed a friendship with [[Sigeferth (died 1015)|Sigeforth]] and [[Morcar (thegn)|Morcar]], two of the leading [[thegns]] of the [[Five Boroughs of the Danelaw|Five Boroughs]] of the [[East Midlands]].{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}


In 1013 King Æthelred was forced into temporary exile in Normandy, and while it is not known what became of Æthelstan and his surviving full brothers, [[Edmund Ironside]] and [[Eadwig Ætheling|Eadwig]], during the reign of King [[Sweyn Forkbeard|Sweyn]], they probably remained somewhere in England. Æthelstan's last appearance is in a charter dated 1013.<ref>Æthelstan Ætheling, ''Oxford Online DNB''</ref>
Æthelstan was a "warrior prince" and by his death he had accumulated a large collection of swords, prized war horses and combat equipment.<ref>Barlow, ''Edward the Confessor''</ref> It is likely that he had died by the close of 1012 as his name no longer appears on royal charters. His will, apparently drawn up while he was dying, was witnessed by Bishop [[Ælfsige II|Ælfsige]] (II) of Winchester. As Ælfsige was not consecrated in this See until between 1012 and 1014, the evidence again suggests Æthelstan's death was around 1012.<ref name="Barlow, Edward the Confessor" />


The prince's will remains intact to this day. To his brother, [[Edmund Ironside]], he gave his most prized possession, a sword which is said to have once belonged to [[Offa of Mercia]]. Edmund also received some of Æthelstan's estates and pieces of his war gear.<ref name="Barlow, Edward the Confessor" /> To his other brother, [[Eadwig Ætheling]], the Prince gave another piece from his large weapon collection, a silver-hilted sword.<ref name="Barlow, Edward the Confessor" /> Much of Æthelstan's remaining land and wealth was divided between churches, friends and servants. He made special provision for 2 of his entourage, a sword-sharpener and a stag huntsman.<ref name="Barlow, Edward the Confessor" />
Æthelstan was a "warrior prince" and by his death he had accumulated a large collection of swords, prized war horses and combat equipment.<ref>Barlow, ''Edward the Confessor'', p. 34.</ref> In his will, copies of which still survive, and which was made on the day of his death,<ref>Æthelstan Ætheling, ''Oxford Online DNB''</ref> he left Edmund Ironside his most prized possession, a sword which had once belonged to [[Offa of Mercia]], together with some of his estates and other pieces of his war gear. To his other full brother, Eadwig, he gave another piece from his large weapon collection, a silver-hilted sword. Much of his remaining land and wealth was divided between churches, friends and servants. He also made bequests to his sword-polisher and his stag huntsman.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Whitelock|first=Dorothy|url=https://archive.org/details/anglosaxonwills00whit_1|title=Anglo-Saxon wills|date=1973|publisher=[New York, AMS Press]|others=Internet Archive|isbn=978-0-404-56689-0}}</ref>


While he mentions his father, grandmother and foster-mother, [[Ælfgifu of York|his own mother]] is completely omitted from the will. He also makes no mention of his stepmother or stepbrothers, showing a clear division within the royal family at the time.<ref name="Barlow, Edward the Confessor" />
While he mentions his father, grandmother and foster-mother in his will, his own mother and her soul are completely omitted. He also makes no mention of his stepmother or half-brothers, suggesting a division within the royal family at the time.<ref>Barlow, ''Edward the Confessor'', pp. 29, n. 1 and 34-35</ref> He was buried at the [[Old Minster, Winchester]], the first burial there of someone who was not king since [[Edward the Elder]]'s brother, [[Æthelweard (son of Alfred)|Æthelweard]], in 922.<ref>Stafford, ''Queen Emma & Queen Edith'', p. 222</ref>

==See also==
*[[Family tree of English monarchs#Houses of Wessex, Knýtlinga and Godwinson]]


==References==
==References==
;Footnotes
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==Sources==
;Sources
*Anglo-Saxon will: [http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+1503 S 1503 (AD 1014)]
*Anglo-Saxon will: [http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+1503 S 1503 (AD 1014)]
*Barlow, Frank. ''Edward the Confessor''. Berkeley (CA), 1970.
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=FUeGTZhIn7cC&q=frank+barlow+edward+the+confessor Barlow, Frank. ''Edward the Confessor''. Berkeley (CA), 1970]
*[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39127?docPos=4 Simon Keynes, Æthelstan Ætheling, 2004, Oxford Online DNB]
*[[Pauline Stafford]], ''Queen Emma & Queen Edith'', Blackwell, 2001


==See also==
==External links==
* {{PASE|13908|Æthelstan 62}}
⚫
*[[House of Wessex family tree]]
*[[iarchive:anglosaxonwills00whit 1/page/57/mode/1up|Translation of the will of Æthelstan Ætheling]]
*"[http://www.pase.ac.uk/pase/apps/DisplayPerson.jsp?personKey=13908 Æthelstan 62 (Male)]." ''Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England''.


{{DEFAULTSORT:Aethelstan Aetheling}}
⚫
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon royalty|Athelstan AEtheling]]
[[Category:980s births]]
[[Category:1014 deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]
[[Category:10th-century English people]]
[[Category:11th-century English people]]
⚫
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon royalty]]
⚫
[[Category:House of Wessex]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]

Revision as of 08:18, 8 May 2023

This article is about the son of King Æthelred. For other persons of that name, see Æthelstan (disambiguation).
Æthelstan Ætheling
Bornc. 980s
Died25 June 1014
Burial
Old Minster, Winchester
HouseWessex
FatherÆthelred the Unready
MotherÆlfgifu of York

Æthelstan Ætheling (Template:Lang-ang; early or mid 980s –25 June 1014) was the eldest son of King Æthelred the Unready by his first wife Ælfgifu and the heir apparent to the kingdom until his death.[1] He made his first appearance as a witness to a charter of his father in 993. He probably spent part of his childhood at Æthelingadene, Dean in west Sussex, and his paternal grandmother Ælfthryth may have played an important part in his upbringing. Almost nothing is known of his life, although he seems to have formed a friendship with Sigeforth and Morcar, two of the leading thegns of the Five Boroughs of the East Midlands.[citation needed]

In 1013 King Æthelred was forced into temporary exile in Normandy, and while it is not known what became of Æthelstan and his surviving full brothers, Edmund Ironside and Eadwig, during the reign of King Sweyn, they probably remained somewhere in England. Æthelstan's last appearance is in a charter dated 1013.[2]

Æthelstan was a "warrior prince" and by his death he had accumulated a large collection of swords, prized war horses and combat equipment.[3] In his will, copies of which still survive, and which was made on the day of his death,[4] he left Edmund Ironside his most prized possession, a sword which had once belonged to Offa of Mercia, together with some of his estates and other pieces of his war gear. To his other full brother, Eadwig, he gave another piece from his large weapon collection, a silver-hilted sword. Much of his remaining land and wealth was divided between churches, friends and servants. He also made bequests to his sword-polisher and his stag huntsman.[5]

While he mentions his father, grandmother and foster-mother in his will, his own mother and her soul are completely omitted. He also makes no mention of his stepmother or half-brothers, suggesting a division within the royal family at the time.[6] He was buried at the Old Minster, Winchester, the first burial there of someone who was not king since Edward the Elder's brother, Æthelweard, in 922.[7]

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ Æthelstan Ætheling, Oxford Online DNB. Frank Barlow thinks that 1012 is more probable as the year of death, Barlow, Edward the Confessor, p. 30.
  2. ^ Æthelstan Ætheling, Oxford Online DNB
  3. ^ Barlow, Edward the Confessor, p. 34.
  4. ^ Æthelstan Ætheling, Oxford Online DNB
  5. ^ Whitelock, Dorothy (1973). Anglo-Saxon wills. Internet Archive. [New York, AMS Press]. ISBN 978-0-404-56689-0.
  6. ^ Barlow, Edward the Confessor, pp. 29, n. 1 and 34-35
  7. ^ Stafford, Queen Emma & Queen Edith, p. 222
Sources
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