Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury

unknown - 944

House: House of Wessex

Titles: Queen consort of the English

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury was the first wife of King Edmund I and served as Queen of the English from around 939 until her death in 944. She was the mother of two future kings, Eadwig and Edgar. Ælfgifu had a special connection with Shaftesbury Abbey, where she was buried and venerated as a saint with her feast day on 18 May.

Her background is somewhat obscure, with no known father or siblings, and her lineage is largely inferred from her mother Wynflaed’s associations. Ælfgifu’s patronage of Shaftesbury Abbey is noted, and her sainthood was established shortly after her death, with miracles reported at her tomb.

Notable events

c. 939
Marriage to King Edmund I, becoming Queen consort of the English.
c. 940
Birth of her son Eadwig, a future king of England.
c. 944
Birth of her son Edgar, another future king of England.
944
Death of Ælfgifu, potentially in childbirth.
c. 955
Accession of her son Eadwig to the throne.
c. 959
Accession of her son Edgar to the throne.
970s
Cult of Ælfgifu's sainthood grows, with reports of miracles at her tomb.
979
Association with the reburial ceremony of her grandson Edward the Martyr at Shaftesbury.
984
Charter suggests Ælfgifu's patronage of Shaftesbury Abbey.
11th century
Ælfgifu is mentioned in the D-text of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as a saint.

Other details

Death: Ælfgifu died around 944, possibly in childbirth, and was buried at Shaftesbury Abbey.

Reign: 5 years

Children: 2 sons: Eadwig, Edgar

Marriages: Spouse: Edmund I, King of the English

Parents: Mother: Wynflaed

Sources

Compiled from various 3rd hand sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/