Ælfwynn, Lady of the Mercians

Ælfwynn served as the ruler of Mercia for a brief period in 918, succeeding her mother Æthelflæd after her death on 12 June 918. She was the daughter of Æthelred and Æthelflæd, the rulers of Mercia. Her accession marked a rare instance in the early medieval British Isles where female rule was passed from mother to daughter. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’s Manuscript C is the sole source that mentions Ælfwynn, recording her deposition in December 918 and her subsequent relocation to Wessex.

Her early life suggests that she was likely well-educated, mirroring the education received by her cousin Æthelstan at her mother’s court. The first documented evidence of Ælfwynn appears in a charter dated around 904. Following her mother’s death, Ælfwynn’s rule may have lacked the widespread support her mother had, as there was no recorded opposition to her removal from power. The details of her life after her deposition are uncertain, with speculations ranging from her entering holy orders to possibly being identified with a religious woman in a charter dated 948.