Ealdgyth of Mercia
Ealdgyth was the wife of Harald Godwinson and thus briefly also the Royal Consort (Queen) of England.
Her exact life dates are unknown. She was the daughter of Ælfgar , Earl of Mercia . Her first marriage was around 1057 to an ally of her father's, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn . There were three children from this marriage: The two sons Maredudd ap Gruffydd and Idwal ap Gruffydd, as well as the daughter Nesta ferch Gruffydd. After the death of her husband in 1063, she married Harald no later than 1066, in any case before the Battle of Hastings . Her marriage to him likely remained childless. After the death of her second husband, nothing certain is known about her future fate. Her brothers Edwin (Earl of Mercia) and Morcar (Earl of Northumbria) are said to have brought her to Chester . Then their trail is lost.
Individual evidence
- ^ Powicke & Fryde: Handbook of British Chronology. Second Edition, London, 1961, p. 30
- ^ Symeon of Durham : History of the Kings of England for the year 1066
Web links
- KL Maund, Ealdgyth (fl. C.1057-1066) , Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 viewed October 22, 2011 License required
| predecessor | Office | Successor |
|---|---|---|
| Edith from Wessex |
Queen Consort of England 1066 |
Mathilde of Flanders |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Ealdgyth of Mercia |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Edith; Eadgythe |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Queen of England |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 11th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 11th century |