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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:
  • 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).