King Eadwig of England

Eadwig, also known as Edwy or Eadwig All-Fair, was born around 940. He was the elder son of Edmund I and his first wife Ælfgifu, who died in 944. Eadwig and his younger brother Edgar were left fatherless when Edmund was killed in 946 while trying to protect his seneschal.

Following the death of their father, Eadwig and Edgar were too young to rule, leading to their uncle Eadred ascending the throne. Eadred ruled until his death in 955, at which point Eadwig became king at approximately fifteen years of age. His reign began with a conflict involving Dunstan, the Abbot of Glastonbury, whom Eadwig exiled to Flanders.

In 956, Eadwig issued over sixty charters transferring land, a record unmatched by any European king before the twelfth century. This action has been interpreted by some historians as an attempt to gain support or reward his allies. The following year, the kingdom was divided between Eadwig and Edgar, with Eadwig ruling the south and Edgar the north.

In 958, Eadwig's marriage to Ælfgifu was annulled by Oda, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the grounds of consanguinity. This separation was part of the controversies surrounding his reign, which also included the division of the kingdom. Eadwig continued to rule the southern part of England.

Eadwig's reign did not face external threats, which was unusual for English kings of the time. However, his governance faced internal criticism, particularly from monastic writers who later condemned him as irresponsible. Some historians began to reassess his reign in the late twentieth century.

Some contemporaries and later sources offered a more favorable view of Eadwig. He was known for his beauty and was mourned by his people. The New Minster, where he was buried, held a positive view of him, and he was commemorated in various artistic works in later centuries.

Eadwig died on 1 October 959 at around the age of nineteen and was buried in the New Minster, Winchester. His brother Edgar succeeded him, uniting the kingdom once more under a single ruler.