King Edmund I of England

Edmund I, also known as Eadmund I, reigned as the King of the English from 27 October 939 until his death. Born as the elder son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife, Queen Eadgifu, he was also the grandson of King Alfred the Great. Edmund ascended the throne following the death of his half-brother Æthelstan, who died without an heir. During his rule, he faced and overcame significant Viking opposition, restoring English control over previously contested regions. His reign saw him actively engaging in legislative efforts, with three of his law codes surviving, which sought to regulate feuds and reinforce the sanctity of the royal person.

Edmund was known for his involvement in the early stages of the English Benedictine Reform, a major religious movement of the tenth century, and for maintaining the dominant position over other British kings that Æthelstan had achieved. He was tragically killed in a brawl at Pucklechurch, Gloucestershire, and was succeeded by his younger brother Eadred. Edmund’s sons, Eadwig and Edgar, who were young children at the time of his death, later succeeded to the throne in succession after Eadred’s death.