Ealhswith

Ealhswith was the wife of King Alfred the Great and the mother of King Edward the Elder. Her father was Æthelred Mucel, a Mercian nobleman, and her mother was Eadburh, a member of the Mercian royal family. Ealhswith's marriage to Alfred in 868 was seen as a political alliance, strengthening ties between Wessex and Mercia. She was not granted the title of queen due to a precedent set by a former queen's actions.

During her marriage, Ealhswith had five children who survived to adulthood, including Edward the Elder, who succeeded Alfred as king. She founded the nunnery of Nunnaminster, a common practice among royal women of the time. Her name appears in King Alfred's will, where she was granted estates at Lambourn, Wantage, and Edington. These estates were associated with Alfred's victories over the Vikings.

Contemporary sources provide limited information about Ealhswith's life, with her name primarily appearing in Alfred's will. Asser, a contemporary scholar, referred to her as a noble Mercian lady but did not mention her by name. Ealhswith's genealogy was important in justifying Alfred's rule over England, as it connected him to ancient Mercian kings.

Ealhswith died on 5 December 902 and was buried in New Minster, Winchester. Her son Edward the Elder succeeded Alfred to the throne.