Lady Æthelflæd "Eneda" of Devon

King Eadgar was nicknamed "the Peaceful" and was remembered for the stable peace in the Kingdom that endured, from his accession and throughout his reign. He is also known for having had three successive wives. However, very little is mentioned about these fascinating women.

 

The first wife of Eadgar was never his consort, as her marriage was repudiated prior to his ascension to the throne. Her name was Æthelflæd, though she was also known by the nickname, Eneda, which means "swan" or "fair." Immediately, from just her name, we know that Æthelflæd was thought to be very beautiful. In fact, it has been suggested that Eadgar had chosen Æthelflæd to be his wife due to her famed beauty. However, due to a possible reason for the end of their marriage, it is possible that this is apocryphal.

 

Æthelflæd, however, also came from a powerful family, as she was the daughter of Ordmær, Ealdorman of Devon and his wife, whose name remains unknown. There are some accounts which confuse Ealdorman Ordmær with Thegn Ordgar, the father of Eadgar's third wife, but I believe that Ordmær was indeed the father of Æthelflæd. As such, this parentage was likely the main attraction for Eadgar when choosing his potential bride; an alliance with Æthelflæd's family strengthened his ties to Mercia and allowed him to develop a power base there. This clearly aided the teenager well, as he was proclaimed King of Mercia in 957, which is around about the time that Æthelflæd's marriage to him has been dated to have taken place.

Despite this small piece of knowledge of part of Æthelflæd's parentage, it seems that no other details survive of her background.

 

Unfortunately, no other details of Æthelflæd's life survive either; she is but a tiny footnote in Anglo-Saxon history.

Due to this, we know that she played no political role in Eadgar's reign, either in Mercia or later when he became King of all England. We also know, from records of the time, that she bore a son for Eadgar during their time together, a boy named Eadweard. Eadweard would later be sainted and become known as Eadweard "the Martyr."

 

After Eadgar's older brother, King Eadwig, died on 1st October 959, Eadgar officially became the King of England. At this point, Eadgar was roughly 16 years old and no longer required, or perhaps desired, the match with Æthelflæd and the powerful backing her family could offer. As such, Æthelflæd was repudiated, without ever having a chance to be Queen consort of England. The separation may have been amicable, however, as Eadgar gave Æthelflæd Howden Manor at the time of the repudiation, probably to ensure she would be comfortable and secure.

The reason for the repudiation was likely due to Eadgar's desire to make what he deemed a better match for himself, though this was not necessarily a political match, based on what occurred after Æthelflæd was repudiated.

Another possible cause for the separation was the considerable age difference between the pair. In 957, when they were wed, Eadgar was roughly 14 and Æthelflæd was in her early thirties. This cements the idea that the marriage was a purely political one, necessary for Eadgar's position at the time, and most likely heavily influenced by Æthelflæd's family. It is likely that Eadgar decided to repudiate the marriage in order to make a better match with someone closer to him in age, as opposed to politically.

 

Nothing else is known of Æthelflæd and it is likely that she died young. She was not present during her son's brief reign, and some sources suggest that she died approximately 962, when she would have been around 37 years old.

 

It is a true shame that so little is known of the woman who only just missed out on being Queen. Æthelflæd lived on through her son, though this, too, was destined to be only a short life.