Ælfweard of Wessex is a character in The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. He is the son of Edward and Ælflæd. He is a minor antagonist in Season 5 and the opening antagonist of Seven Kings Must Die.
Biography[]
The Saxon Stories[]
(To Be Added)
The Last Kingdom[]
Season 4[]
Winchester, Wessex; Ælflæd and Ælfweard approach Edward, though he doesn’t appear interested in either of them. Æthelhelm tells Ælfweard that the men of Wessex are fighters; rule the sword, and rule the land. Later, Lord Æthelhelm and Ælfweard watch as Ælflæd prepares for the royal coronation. ("Episode 4.2")
Ælswith, Ælflæd, and Ælfweard pay their respects to the fallen soldiers from Tettenhall as they are brought into Winchester. Ælflæd worries that he’s too young to be displayed before people, but Ælswith argues if he is to send men to war as the future king of Wessex, he must know the consequences. ("Episode 4.5")
Brida, Sigtryggr, Eardwulf, and the Danes attack Winchester. They kill many men and take Æthelhelm, Ælflæd, and Ælfweard captive. They ask Æthelhelm if he would like to fight or yield. Lord Æthelhelm chooses to yield, and Sigtryggr orders his men to kill the Wessex Guards regardless. He then orders for Æthelhelm, Ælflæd, and Ælfweard to be locked up in the chapel. ("Episode 4.9")
Ælswith, Æthelstan, Stiorra, Æthelhelm, Ælflæd, and Ælfweard are taken to Brida, Sigtryggr, and Eardwulf. After, Ælswith and Brida talk, it is revealed that Stiorra is Uhtred's daughter (revealed by Eardwulf). Then Sigtryggr orders Stiorra to be taken with him whilst the rest of the captives are to be placed back in the chapel. ("Episode 4.9")
Ælswith, Æthelstan, Æthelhelm, Ælflæd, and Ælfweard remain locked up. Sigtryggr comes to take Ælfweard but Ælflæd reveals that Æthelstan is the king’s first born. Æthelstan admits that he’s the elder brother, but Sigtryggr decides to take both in order to get Edwards attention. ("Episode 4.10")
Æthelstan and Ælfweard are used as pawns by Sigtryggr to draw their father out. Uhtred approaches the kingdom on his own and calls out to Sigtryggr. Uhtred tells Sigtryggr to send out both of Edward’s children and he will walk into Winchester alone. Sigtryggr agrees to make the exchange. Uhtred enters Winchester as Æthelstan and Ælfweard exit, running into Edward’s arms. ("Episode 4.10")
Whilst Ælfweard remained in Winchester with his father, Æthelstan will be in the care of Uhtred in Coccham. ("Episode 4.10")
Seven Kings Must Die[]
Years after the Battle of Bebbanburg, following the death of King Edward, Ælfweard sends men to Wessex to seize Queen Eadgifu and his brother Prince Edmund, forcing them to flee to Uhtred for safety. Backed by the ealdormen of Wessex and mercenaries, Ælfweard intends to kill his brothers and seize the throne for himself, luring Æthelstan, who sees as only a bastard, into a trap at Aegelesburg.
However, Æthelstan anticipates and foils his brother's trap before he arrives. As Æthelstan and Ælfweard have a standoff, Uhtred, having snuck into town, confronts Ælfweard in an attempt to convince him to stand down, revealing that his men have taken control of the gate, leaving Ælfweard outnumbered on all sides. Ælfweard agrees to surrender peacefully, but when he goes to embrace his brother, Æthelstan stabs him to death, proclaiming that God chose him as the rightful heir, horrifying Uhtred, before having his men slaughter Ælfweard's men. Uhtred eventually manages to get Æthelstan to stop the slaughter and he defends his killing of his brother as being because Ælfweard would've eventually returned with time.
Family[]
This list shows Ælfweard's family:
- The † means that the individual is dead.
- The ° means the individual appears more then once in this list.
| Individual | Relationship | Notice | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parents | Edward of Wessex | Father | † | |
| Ælflæd of Wiltshire and Wessex | Mother | |||
| Eadgifu of Kent and Wessex | Step-Mother | |||
| Siblings | Ædgyth of Wessex and Northumbria | Half Sister | ||
| Æthelstan of Wessex | Half Brother | |||
| Grandparents | Alfred of Wessex | Paternal Grandfather | † | |
| Ælswith of Wessex and Mercia | Paternal Grandmother | † | ||
| Æthelhelm of Wiltshire | Maternal Grandmother | † | ||
| Æthelwulf of Wessex | Paternal Grandfather | † | ||
| Æthelred Mucel of Mercia | Paternal Grandfather | † | ||
| Affinity | Sigtryggr Ivarsson | Brother-in-law | † | |
| Others | Æthelflæd of Wessex and Mercia | Paternal Aunt | † | |
| Osferth | Paternal Uncle | |||
| Æthelhelm of Wiltshire | Maternal Uncle | † | ||
| Ælswyth | Maternal Aunt | |||
| Æthelred of Wessex | Paternal Great Uncle | † | ||
| Æthelwulf of Berkshire and Mercia | Paternal Great Uncle | † | ||
| Æthelwold of Wessex | Paternal First Cousin, Once Removed | † | ||
| Æthelred of Mercia | Paternal First Cousin, Once Removed | † | ||
| Ælfwynn of Mercia | Paternal First Cousin | |||
| Uhtred Uhtredson | Maternal First Cousin | |||
| Individual | Relationship | Notice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parents | Edward of Wessex | Father | |
| Ælflæd of Wiltshire and Wessex | Mother | ||
| Siblings | Ædgyth of Wessex | Half Sister | |
| Æthelstan of Wessex | Half Brother | ||
| Grandparents | Alfred of Wessex | Paternal Grandfather | † |
| Ælswith of Wessex and Mercia | Paternal Grandmother | ||
| Æthelhelm of Wiltshire | Maternal Grandfather | ||
| Others | Æthelflæd of Wessex and Mercia | Paternal Aunt | |
| Osferth | Paternal Uncle | ||
| Æthelred of Wessex | Paternal Great Uncle | † | |
| Æthelwold of Wessex | Paternal First Cousin, Once Removed | † | |
| Ælfwynn of Mercia | Paternal First Cousin |
| Individual | Relationship | Notice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parents | Edward the Elder of Wessex | Father | |
| Ælflæd of Wiltshire and Wessex | Mother | ||
| Eadgifu of Kent and Wessex | Step-Mother | ||
| Siblings | Ædgyth of Wessex and York | Half Sister | |
| Æthelstan of Wessex | Half Brother | ||
| Edwin of Wessex | Brother | ||
| Æthelhild of Wessex and Wilton Abbey | Sister | ||
| Eadgifu of Wessex and the West Franks | Sister | ||
| Eadflæd of Wessex and Wilton Abbey | Sister | ||
| Eadhild of Wessex and the Franks | Sister | ||
| Eadgyth of Wessex and the East Franks | Sister | ||
| Ælfgifu of Wessex | Sister | ||
| Edmund of Wessex | Half Brother | ||
| Eadred of Wessex | Half Brother | ||
| Eadburh of Wessex and Winchester | Half Sister | ||
| Grandparents | Alfred the Great of Wessex | Paternal Grandfather | |
| Ælswith of Wessex and Mercia | Paternal Grandmother | ||
| Æthelhelm of Wiltshire | Maternal Grandmother | ||
| Æthelwulf of Wessex | Paternal Great Grandfather | ||
| Osburh of Wessex | Paternal Great Grandmother | ||
| Æthelred Mucel of Mercia | Paternal Great Grandfather | ||
| Eadburh of Mercia | Paternal Great Grandmother | ||
| Affinity | Sitric Cáech | Brother-in-law | |
| Charles the Simple of West Francia | Brother-in-law | Eadgifu | |
| Herbert the Old of Omois | Brother-in-law | Eadgifu | |
| Hugh the Great of the Franks | Brother-in-law | Eadhild | |
| Otto the Great of the East Franks | Brother-in-law | Eadgyth | |
| Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury and Wessex | Sister-in-law | Edmund | |
| Æthelflæd of Damerham and Wessex | Sister-in-law | Edmund | |
| Others | Æthelred of Wessex | Paternal Great Uncle | |
| Æthelstan of Wessex and Kent | Paternal Great Uncle | ||
| Æthelswith of Wessex and Mercia | Paternal Great Aunt | ||
| Æthelbald of Wessex | Paternal Great Uncle | ||
| Æthelberht of Wessex | Paternal Great Uncle | ||
| Æthelwulf of Mercia and Berkshire | Paternal Great Uncle | ||
| Æthelgifu of Wessex and Shaftesbury | Paternal Aunt | ||
| Æthelweard of Wessex | Paternal Uncle | ||
| Ælfthryth of Wessex and Flanders | Paternal Aunt | ||
| Osferth of Wessex | Paternal Uncle | ? | |
| Æthelwold of Wessex | Paternal First Cousin, Once Removed | ||
| Æthelhelm of Wessex | Paternal First Cousin, Once Removed | Æthelred | |
| Æthelred of Mercia | Paternal First Cousin, Once Removed | ? | |
| Ælfwynn of Mercia | Paternal First Cousin | ||
| Æthelwine of Wessex | Paternal First Cousin | Æthelweard | |
| Ælfwine of Wessex | Paternal First Cousin | Æthelweard | |
| Arnulf of Flanders | Paternal First Cousin | Ælfthryth | |
| Adalulf of Flanders and Boulogne | Paternal First Cousin | Ælfthryth | |
| Ealswid of Flanders | Paternal First Cousin | Ælfthryth | |
| Ermentrud of Flanders | Paternal First Cousin | Ælfthryth |
Appearances[]
The Saxon Stories[]
| Books | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Saxon Stories | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
The Last Kingdom[]
| Episodes | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ||||||||||
| Season 2 | ||||||||||
| Season 3 | ||||||||||
| Season 4 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||||
| Season 5 | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Seven Kings Must Die |
Trivia[]
- This character has been based on a real historical figure of Ælfweard.
- Ælfweard was born c.902 and died in 924, at roughly 22 years of age. If the book series followed factual date of Ælfweard's birth then these are his ages throughout the books:
- In "The Pagan Lord", it is 909-910, he is 7-8 years old.
- In "The Empty Throne", it is 911, he is 9 years old.
- In "Warriors of the Storm", it is 917, he is 15 years old.
- In "The Flame Bearer", it is 918, he is 16 years old.
- In "War of the Wolf", it is 923-924, he is 21-22 years old.
- In "Sword of Kings", it is 924, he is 22 years old.
- The name Ælfweard comes from Old English. The name is made up of the words ælf, which means "elf", and weard, which means "guardian, protector".
- Ælfweard is a noble; he was born as the prince of Wessex, the second son to King Edward (many believed him to be the heir apparent).