Edmund Ætheling

Edmund Ætheling was a member of the House of Wessex, born to Edmund Ironside, King of England, and his wife Ealdgyth. His birth occurred around 1015, and he was a contender for the English throne. Following his father’s death and the ascension of Cnut the Great as King of all England, Edmund, alongside his brother Edward, was targeted for assassination to secure Cnut’s succession. The brothers were sent to Sweden with orders for their murder but were instead relocated to Hungary for their safety, where they were under the protection of King Stephen I.

After an assassination attempt in Hungary, the brothers sought refuge in Kievan Rus’ under Prince Yaroslav the Wise. They remained there until their involvement in Andrew of Hungary’s quest for the Hungarian throne in 1046. Edmund married a Hungarian princess, likely named Hedwig, and died before 1054, possibly during a military campaign. His exact burial place in Hungary is unknown, and with the death of his nephew, Edgar the Ætheling, the male line of the House of Wessex concluded.