History's HEROES? 872 - 918

Æthelflæd

Æthelflæd - Key facts

• 872	Æthelflæd is born in Wessex. Her father, King Alfred, is fighting the Vikings
• 886	Alfred captures London and gives it back to the Mercians. They make an alliance.
• 887	Æthelflæd, aged 15, is given in marriage to the Mercian lord Æthelred. She has learnt to plan and fight from her father. They help Alfred fight the Vikings.
• 895	Æthelflæd's brother Edward has a son, Athelstan. When he is older he comes to his aunt to be trained in weapons and planning.
• 896	The Vikings leave and Alfred becomes King of all Anglo-Saxons
• 899	King Alfred dies and Edward is crowned king.
• 902	Æthelred becomes ill. Æthelflæd takes over running Mercia.
• 905	Æthelflæd defeats the Vikings at Chester. She makes the town defenses much stronger.
• 910	Æthelflæd and the Mercians join with Edward's Wessex forces and win a big battle against the Vikings at Tettenhall.
• 911	Æthelred dies. Æthelflæd now runs Mercia alone. The people call her the 'Lady of the Mercians'.
• 917	By now, Æthelflæd has built a lot of forts to protect the borders of Mercia and won many battles against the Vikings.
• 917-18	Æthelflæd captures the Viking stronghold of Derby. She is fair to the people, so Leicester gives in to her armies as well.
• 918	Æthelflæd dies at Tamworth - before the message reaches her, that York is ready to surrender to her.
• 954	Athelstan, whom Æthelflæd trained, unites England and becomes King.

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