Ealdgyth

Ealdgyth, possibly also known as Edith, was the wife of Sigeferth, a thegn of the Seven Burghs, and later married King Edmund Ironside. She is presumed to be the mother of Edmund’s children, Edward the Exile and Edmund Ætheling. Her life is documented in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the chronicle of John of Worcester, though the latter is the only source that names her Ealdgyth.

After the murder of her first husband Sigeferth by Ealdorman Eadric Streona, she was confined at Malmesbury Abbey on King Æthelred the Unready’s orders. Edmund Ironside, defying his father’s wishes, took her from the abbey and married her, securing the support of Sigeferth and Morcar’s allies. The uncertainty of her later life, including whether she went into exile with her children following Edmund’s death, contributes to the mystery surrounding her.