- "Thirty pieces of silver? That is the cost of betrayal I believe."
- —Eadgifu[src]
Eadgifu of Wessex (before, Eadgifu of Cent) is a character in both The Saxon Stories novel series, and The Last Kingdom television series. She is the third wife of King Edward.
Biography[]
The Saxon Stories[]
(To Be Added)
The Last Kingdom[]
Season 5[]
(To Be Added)
Seven Kings Must Die[]
Following the death of her husband King Edward of an illness, Eadgifu and her son Prince Edmund are forced to flee to Bebbanburg as Ælfweard moves on the throne. Despite the strained relationship between himself and Edward following the Battle of Bebbanburg a number of years earlier, Uhtred welcomes the Queen and Prince into his home and offers them refuge until Ælfweard can be dealt with. While Uhtred goes to help Æthelstan against his brother, he leaves Osbert to train Edmund. However, Ælfweard is killed by Æthelstan after surrendering, causing Uhtred and Eadgifu to conclude that it's not safe for Edmund to leave Bebbanburg. Despite this, both Eadgifu and Edmund are happier than they have been in a long time and Uhtred and Eadgifu develop an obvious attraction to each other.
After Uhtred refuses to attend Æthelstan's coronation, wanting the new king to prove himself not to be a tyrant before swearing loyalty to him, Ingilmunder tries to take Bebbanburg, eventually forcing Uhtred to surrender. Ingilmunder orders Osbert and Edmund sent to his garrison at the Wirral, causing Eadgifu to beg on behalf of her son that he not be forced to become a simple soldier, but Osbert promises to protect him. Æthelstan exiles Uhtred when he can't bring himself to kill his old mentor while Ingilmunder sends Eadgifu to a convent to become a nun.
When Uhtred returns to Bebbanburg with Sihtric and Finan, he finds it in ruins and empty aside from a hiding Eadgifu who explains that the convent had sent help after hearing of King Anlaf's attack. However, they were unable to free Ingrith and the others from where Anlaf's men had trapped them in a cave to suffocate, only being able to comfort them from the outside. While Uhtred and his men manage to open the cave, it's too late for everyone trapped inside.
Having learned that Ingilmunder is actually a Danish spy and deducing that he will allow Anlaf's army to land at the Wirral, Uhtred and Eadgifu rush to the Wirral to find their sons, only to find the entire garrison massacred and a remorseful Æthelstan waiting for them. Much to Uhtred and Eadgifu's relief, Æthelstan reveals that Osbert and Edmund had survived with information on where the six Danish armies are gathering. Aware that he's facing a losing battle, Æthelstan orders them to leave and protect Edmund who will take over if Æthelstan is to fall. While Eadgifu is willing to walk away, Uhtred, Osbert and even Edmund argue for fighting at Æthelstan's side with Uhtred coming to the conclusion that their destiny is not to form England as a country, but rather to form the English as a people.
Following the defeat of the Danes, Eadgifu joins Osbert, Edmund, Æthelstan and Uhtred's other loved ones in sitting vigil for the gravely wounded Uhtred. When Uhtred wakes up, Eadgifu urges him not to give up as they have so much to live for now and she witnesses Uhtred swear Northumbria to Æthelstan in exchange for an oath that Æthelstan will never marry and have heirs so that Edmund can take the throne unopposed when Æthelstan eventually dies, finally forming a united England. Seeing a vision of Valhalla, Uhtred is caught between moving on to the afterlife and staying with his loved ones who are urging him to live.
Family[]
This list shows Eadgifu's family:
- The † means that the individual is dead.
- The ° means the individual appears more then once in this list.
| Individual | Relationship | Notice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parents | Sigehelm (of Kent) | Father | † |
| Children | Edmund (of Wessex) | Son | |
| Æthelstan (of Wessex) | Step Son | ||
| Ædgyth (of Wessex and Northumbria) | Step Daughter | ||
| Ælfweard (of Wessex) | Step Son | † | |
| Significant Other(s) | Edward (of Wessex) | Husband | † |
| Affinity | Alfred (of Wessex) | Father-in-law | † |
| Ælswith (of Mercia and Wessex) | Mother-in-law | † | |
| Æthelflæd (of Wessex and Mercia) | Sister-in-law | † | |
| Osferth | Brother-in-law |
| Individual | Relationship | Notice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Significant Other(s) | Edward (of Wessex) | Husband | † |
| Children | Edmund (of Wessex) | Son | |
| Æthelstan (of Wessex) | Step Son | ||
| Ælfweard (of Wessex) | Step Son | † | |
| Affinity | Alfred (of Wessex) | Father-in-law | † |
| Ælswith (of Mercia and Wessex) | Mother-in-law | ||
| Æthelflæd (of Wessex and Mercia) | Sister-in-law | ||
| Osferth | Brother-in-law |
| Individual | Relationship | Notice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parents | Sigehelm (of Kent) | Father | |
| Children | Edmund (of Wessex) | Son | |
| Eadred (of Wessex) | Son | ||
| Eadburh (of Wessex and Winchester) | Daughter | ||
| Æthelstan (of Wessex) | Step Son | ||
| Ædgyth (of Wessex and York) | Step Daughter | ||
| Ælfweard (of Wessex) | Step Son | ||
| Edwin (of Wessex) | Step Son | ||
| Æthelhild (of Wessex and Wilton Abbey) | Step Daughter | ||
| Eadgifu (of Wessex and the West Franks) | Step Daughter | ||
| Eadflæd (of Wessex and Wilton Abbey) | Step Daughter | ||
| Eadhild (of Wessex and the Franks) | Step Daughter | ||
| Eadgyth (of Wessex and the East Franks) | Step Daughter | ||
| Ælfgifu (of Wessex) | Step Daughter | ||
| Significant Other(s) | Edward the Elder (of Wessex) | Husband | |
| Affinity | Alfred the Great (of Wessex) | Father-in-law | |
| Ælswith (of Mercia and Wessex) | Mother-in-law | ||
| Æthelflæd (of Wessex and Mercia) | Sister-in-law | ||
| Æthelgifu (of Wessex and Shaftesbury) | Sister-in-law | ||
| Æthelweard (of Wessex) | Brother-in-law | ||
| Ælfthryth (of Wessex) | Brother-in-law | ||
| Osferth (of Wessex) | Half-Brother | ? |
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 Eadgifu.
- Eadgifu was born c.903 and died in c.966, at roughly 63 years of age. If the book series followed factual date of Eadgifu's birth then these are his ages throughout the books:
- In "Sword of Kings", it is 924, she is 21 years old.
- The name Ēadgifu comes from Old English. The name is made up of the words ead, which means "wealth, prosperity", and gifu, which means "gift".
- Eadgifu is a noble; she was born to the lord of Cent, and then married King Edward of Wessex which made her his consort.