Elfrida: The First Crowned Queen of England
Aug 2013 · Amberley Publishing Limited
4.5star
2 reviewsreport
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236
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About this ebook
Contrary to popular belief, Anglo- Saxon England had queens, with the tenth-century Elfrida being the most powerful and notorious of them all. She was the first woman to be crowned Queen of England, sharing her husband King Edgar's imperial coronation at Bath in 973. The couple made a love match, with claims that they plotted the death of her first husband to ensure that she was free. Edgar divorced his second wife, a former nun, after conducting an adulterous affair with Elfrida, leading to an enmity between the two women that lasted until their deaths. During her marriage Elfrida claimed to be the king's only legitimate wife, but she failed to secure the succession for her son, Ethelred. Elfrida was implicated in the murder of her stepson, King Edward the Martyr, who died on a visit to her at Corfe Castle. She then ruled England on behalf of her young son for six years before he expelled her from court. Elfrida was eventually able to return to court but, since he proved himself unable to counter the Viking attacks, she may have come to regret winning the crown for Ethelred the Unready. Wife, mother, murderer, ruler, crowned queen. The life of Queen Elfrida was filled with drama as she rose to become the most powerful woman in Anglo-Saxon England.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
2 reviews
Minerva Casterly
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June 9, 2014
Great book. I'm very new to Anglo Saxon period but I always heard the story of Elfrida as a kid. She was portrayed as this evil conniving witch who murdered her stepson to place her son on the throne and interfered in his marriages, however after reading this book my views changed. It's good to see Elizabeth Norton bringing justice to these women. I also recommend her Tudor queens od England series. They're really good.
Cadie Hockenbary
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December 22, 2016
Interesting book on the life of Elfrida. The author did lose me occasionally with jumping back and forth between subjects, but overall a very good read.
About the author
Elizabeth Norton gained her first degree from the University of Cambridge, and her Masters from the University of Oxford. She has written many books on the Tudors and England’s Queens for Amberley. She lives in Kingston Upon Thames.
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