Seven Kings Must Die (2023) is a historical drama film based on Bernard Cornwell's novel Warlord (2020) and is a sequel to the TV series The Last Kingdom (2015 to 2022). Directed by Edward Bazalgette and produced by Carnival Films, it depicts the build-up to and the Battle of Brunanburh (937), in which King Aethelstan of England (reign 924 to 939) defeated an alliance of Scots and Vikings.

The film's protagonist is the fictional warrior and nobleman Uhtred of Bebbanburg (modern-day Bamburgh). In The Last Kingdom, Uhtred is captured/adopted by the Vikings as a boy, learning to love their customs and pagan faith, only to later find himself reluctantly serving Alfred the Great, King of Wessex and leader of the English resistance to Viking conquest. As Wessex's chief commander, he helps Alfred and his children defeat the Vikings and reconquer southern England. The series ends with Uhtred finally recapturing his northern home fortress of Bebbanburg, with the help of Alfred's son, Edward the Elder. Yet afterwards, he declares Bebbanburg independent from Wessex, which Edward sees as a great act of betrayal. This leaves The Last Kingdom concluding with England split into three. Southern England under Wessex; York, led by the Viking chieftain Rognaldr; and Bebbanburg, ruled by Uhtred.

During Edward's reign, Uhtred had been appointed as guardian to the king's eldest son, Aethelstan. Although Uhtred and Aethelstan would have a father-son relationship, this changes in Seven Kings Must Die. Returning south to inherit the West Saxon throne from his father, his expansionist ambitions put him at odds with Uhtred, as they both lay claim to northern England. While at the same time, Aethelstan's growing power irks the Vikings and his Celtic neighbours, who team up at the Battle of Brunanburh to halt his dominance over Britain.

The film has often been both praised and criticised for its historical accuracy and inaccuracies. How faithfully the film remained true to the real historical events and leaders of this period will be discussed below.

Warning: Spoiler Alert! If you have not seen the film yet, you may not want to read further.

Seven Kings Must Die begins with the death of Edward the Elder in 924, and the ensuing succession crisis between his eldest son, Aethelstan, and his second son, Aelfweard.

There were several complications regarding the status of the two brothers. Aethelstan's mother, Ecgwynn (Edward's first wife), was of lesser social standing, and Aelfweard's mother, Aelfflaed (Edward's second wife), provided the second son with legitimacy that his older brother lacked. Aethelstan also grew up in Mercia (the Midlands), away from the power brokers at the capital, Winchester (in Wessex), where Aelfweard spent his youth and was preferred. The film does a good job of capturing the uncertainty that followed Edward's death, the conflict between his sons, and the cloud of questionable legitimacy that hangs over Aethelstan.

Both brothers are shown declaring themselves the rightful heir, reaching for the sword, and raising armies. The crisis is resolved at Aylesbury, where Aelfweard is besieged by Aethelstan's army. Convinced he is outnumbered, Aelfweard surrenders to his brother but is immediately murdered.

Edward's actual succession plan is unknown. Perhaps he intended to divide his kingdom between his sons – Mercia to Aethelstan, Wessex to Aelfweard. Either way, historically, the two brothers reacted to their father's death by securing their respective power bases (in Mercia and Wessex). After a few weeks' standoff, Aelfweard died at Oxford while journeying north for talks with his brother. As historian Marc Morris observed, "This was far from being the only time that death made a conveniently well-timed intervention during an Anglo-Saxon succession dispute" (260). Whether or not Aethelstan had his brother killed is unknown. Contemporary sources simply mention the death without cause or culprit. Aethelstan, however, later played a role in the death of a third brother, Edwin. And thus was not above acting ruthlessly against family members.

Aethelstan is introduced in The Last Kingdom as a boy. Fostered by Uhtred, he grows into a very capable, level-headed young prince, a brilliant swordsman, and a friend to Christians and pagans alike. He is very much destined to be the perfect king. Yet, between the TV series and the film, he returns to his father's court and is strongly influenced by devout West Saxon priests. As Uhtred is informed, "He is not quite the carefree boy you raised. He has grown very much into his faith." Thus, in the film, he is transformed into an ill-equipped crusader king: harsh toward pagans, stern, pious, arrogant, and ultimately an incompetent ruler who promotes sycophants and betrays his true friends.

A lack of contemporary source material has led many scholars to struggle to uncover much about the real Aethelstan's personality. Sarah Foot, author of Æthelstan: The First King of England (2011), concluded that "Aethelstan the man remains elusive" (3). We can, however, extract some of who 'Aethelstan the man' was from his actions. We know, for example, that he pledged to always honour Saint Oswald as a boy; he was a collector of religious books and relics, and he donated generously to churches throughout his kingdom. Therefore, we can say with certainty that Aethelstan was a devout and pious man, as displayed in Seven Kings Must Die. Although his achievements were such that he must have been a very able and competent leader.

Aethelstan's chief advisor in the film is Ingimundr, a sly, manipulating, and clever nobleman of Viking heritage. He had settled at Runcorn (northwest England), converted to Christianity, and became a loyal servant of the English crown. Such a story is not as far-fetched as it might seem. Wessex had conquered large swathes of Viking land in the north and east of England in the early 10th century. Yet upon surrendering to the English crown and religion, many of the surviving Norse elites remained in England, retaining their lands and status. Indeed, many such browbeaten Viking earls – with stout Scandinavian names, Guthrum, Grim Gunner, and Fraena – are recorded at Aethelstan's court. (Woodman 74).

In the film, the source of Ingimundr's rise is revealed to be his homosexual relationship with the king. The depiction of Aethelstan as a homosexual remains true to his portrayal in the novel, Warlord, upon which Seven Kings Must Die is based. Its author Bernard Cornwell explains:

History records that he never married, which is unusual in a king because of the desire to leave an heir, and also that he liked to decorate his hair with golden ringlets, and on that small evidence I decided he might have been gay.

(Craig)

It was certainly rare for a medieval king not to marry. His duty was to ensure he had sons to continue the family line. However, Aethelstan had two younger brothers – Edmund and Eadred – who were still infants at the time of his succession. Had he married and produced sons of his own, he would have created a succession crisis between his (prospective) sons and his brothers. Not marrying, then, seems to have been a political rather than a personal decision. He may have died a bachelor. He may have donned rings in his hair. But there is no evidence that he was homosexual.

In Seven Kings Must Die, shortly after inheriting southern England (East Anglia, Mercia, and Wessex), Aethelstan casts his eye northward. Northumbria (northern England) was split between Uhtred's Bebbanburgh and York, where their Viking ruler, Rognaldr, had just died.

Rognaldr's death leaves Uhtred and Aethelstan at odds. Both men feel they are natural successors to the former King of York, but Aethelstan acts first. Crossing the Mercia-Northumbria border, he captures York and demands submission and tribute from all the surrounding kingdoms: the Welsh, Bebbanburgh, Scotland, Strathclyde, Shetland, Orkney, and Mann.

The Welsh king, Hywel, along with Owain of Strathclyde and Constantine of Scotland, surrendered to his demands – the rest refused. Hywel's son is taken hostage to ensure his loyalty, ancient monuments sacred to Owain's people are dragged down, and taxes are extracted from Constantine. As Uhtred observes, "He is seeking to humiliate powerful men." Shocked by the king's conduct, Uhtred refuses to swear loyalty, for which he is deposed from Bebbanburg and exiled from the new English kingdom.

Much of this is correct. Aethelstan's conquest of York in 927 preceded a demand for the submission of the other kings in Britain. Indeed, later that year, the rulers of Scotland, Strathclyde, Wales, and Bebbanburg acknowledged Aethelstan as their overlord – traditionally seen as the establishment of the Kingdom of England. His overlordship indeed imposed harsh obligations on his new underkings, as Michael Wood explains: "Aethelstan's wider imperium over the Scots and Welsh after all, was held together by coercion: payment of tribute; hostages; attendance in the king's court" (22).

Where the film drifts away from historical reality is in Uhtred's refusal to submit to Aethelstan. The real Lord of Bebbanburg in 927, Ealdred (reign 913 to 933), did pledge loyalty to Aethelstan in 927. He and his successors would generally welcome West Saxon power in the north, as a counter to Viking dominance over the region.

The film's name comes from the dreams of a lady in Uhtred's household. She is told of a prophecy that "seven kings must die" – an insight into the doom and destruction that Brunanburh will bring.

We are introduced to these "seven kings" one by one, each with an on-screen caption listing their title.

1. Constantine, King of Scotland.
2. Aethelstan, King of England.
3. Owain, King of Strathclyde.
4. Hywel, King of Wales.
5. Unnamed, King of Orkney.
6. Unnamed, King of (the isle of) Mann.
7. Unnamed, King of Shetland.

Of course, not all of them die, but they all fight at Brunanburh.

The architect behind the build-up to Brunanburh in the film is Anlaf. A powerful Viking raider from Dublin, he gathers an anti-Aethelstan alliance of Dublin, Scotland, Strathclyde, Orkney, Mann, and Shetland, which fights against the English and Welsh at Brunanburh. As Aethelstan grows more powerful and aggressive, conquering York and demanding homage from Britain's other kings, Anlaf is able to persuade these lesser sea kings of Viking islands (Orkney, Mann, and Shetland) and the more powerful Constantine and Owain to join his alliance. The basic logic of this coalition, Anlaf explains, is that no single king can stop Aethelstan's dominance over Britain; only by banding together can they defeat him.

This is a reasonably well-explained depiction of the creation of the anti-English/Aethelstan alliance from 933 to 937. It is much debated whether the rulers of Mann, Shetland, and Orkney were members of the alliance that fought at Brunanburh, but it is true that these sea kings often looked to Viking Dublin for leadership. The film also accurately presents Constantine as initially hesitant to ally with the Vikings. He had, after all, spent his life fighting against them. But as Aethelstan began expanding his authority northward, Constantine was willing to side with anyone who helped protect his southern border.

The film would have, however, profited from clarifying Anlaf's dynastic background. His motive for building his grand alliance and taking on Aethelstan is never clearly presented. Continuing from many Norse chieftains in The Last Kingdom, he is just another Viking warlord with a busy sword, lusting after all the wealth, tribute, cattle, estates, slaves, and glory that England has to offer. However, Anlaf came from the most prestigious Viking family in the British Isles. Known as the "Ivarids" (descendants of Ivar the Boneless), they had intermittently ruled Dublin and York for three generations. Anlaf's uncles had ruled York, and he expected to rule it himself one day. Yet when Aethelstan conquered York in 927, he severed the ties between York and Dublin and denied Anlaf his future inheritance. His motivation for taking on Aethelstan then was centred on the reconquest of York, which is completely absent from the film.

Seven Kings Must Die presents the Battle of Brunanburh taking place on the Wirral in northwest England. While Brunanburh's location remains hotly debated – some prefer a Yorkshire battlefield – the film follows Warlord and the majority of scholars in favouring the Wirral.

Uhtred returns to Aethelstan's service before the battle and is informed that it is "a battle that cannot be won" as the English had one army and their opponents had six (Dublin, Scotland, Strathclyde, Mann, Shetland, and Orkney). In reality, the two sides were more evenly matched. The only medieval source that compares the armies' sizes is Egil's Saga, a 13th-century Icelandic retelling of the battle. This account has Aethelstan initially outnumbered, but he persuades the invaders to open peace negotiations while he secretly awaits reinforcements, ensuring that, when talks inevitably fail, he matches them in size.

The English army at Brunanburh is presented in the film as two units. One led by Uhtred, another by Aethelstan, with assistance from King Hywel of Wales. There are several issues with this setup. Hywel was not present at Brunanburh, preferring to remain neutral. It goes without saying that the fictional Uhtred also played no role in the real Brunanburh. Furthermore, the actual Lord of Bebbanburg in 937, Oswulf, was absent from the battle, too. The real commanders of the two English divisions at Brunanburh were Aethelstan and his brother, Edmund – a rather precocious 16-year-old general.

The battle itself in Seven Kings Must Die is depicted as a fairly conventional clash. Both sides line up in shield walls; the (very loud and angry) Scoto-Viking army charges at the English, commencing a back-and-forth shoving-and-stabbing contest. As we lack information about the fighting itself, the film is within its rights to take significant creative license.

One source we do have, however, is a contemporary war poem about Brunanburh. The film certainly follows some aspects of the poem. For example, it is revealed that the English have a secret cavalry unit hiding in the woods. Ambushing the Scots and Vikings from behind, it secures the English victory. The poem makes no reference to ambushes. It does, however, suggest that the English (or rather West Saxons) used cavalry, although this was deployed post-battle to cut down those running away:

The West-Saxons in their ranks rode down
the long long day the hateful people
chopping down the battle-fleers from behind
so sorely with sharply ground swords.

(Hostetter)

At Brunanburh, in Seven Kings Must Die, five princes belonging to the invading army die. "Each man here has left behind an heir," Constantine of Scotland tells his fellow kings after the battle. This seems to stem from a line in the poem: "Five young kings lay slain on the battlefield," which the film interprets as referring to princes rather than actual "young kings" (Hostetter).

Constantine himself certainly lost a son at the battle, as explained in one of the most tragic passages of the poem:

Likewise the wise old Constantine came,
The veteran, to his northern native land
By flight; he had no reason to exult
In that encounter; for he lost there friends
And was deprived of kinsmen in the strife
Upon that battlefield, and left his son
Destroyed by wounds on that grim place of slaughter,
The young man in the fight. The grey-haired man
Had little cause to boast about that battle

(Campbell)

The movie ends at Uhtred's fortress of Bebbanburg. Having taken a spear to the gut, he lies on his deathbed (or rather deathchair) attended by his son, retainers, Aethelstan, and Edmund. Here, he finally pledges himself and Bebbanburgh in submission to Aethelstan. This is presented as the moment in which England was born and established as a single kingdom. As much as it is a touching scene, it is also misleading. It presents the date of English unification to 937 (in the aftermath of Brunanburh). In reality, the Lord of Bebbanburgh submitted to Aethelstan in 927, a decade before the battle. The Battle of Brunanburh, then, was not a fight that led to the creation of the English kingdom. It was a defence of a young but already established English kingdom.

Seven Kings Must Die is the first televised depiction of the Battle of Brunanburh. Thus, interested parties, including myself, should be grateful that public attention has been directed at this important and often forgotten period of English history. The base facts presented are correct. Aethelstan inherited the throne after a succession crisis in 924. He conquered York in 927 and demanded submission from his neighbouring kings, who allied with the Vikings but were defeated by the English at the Battle of Brunanburh in 937.

Yet, there are some unnecessary inaccuracies. Anlaf's lack of connection to York makes his invasion of England seem motivated solely by greed, rendering him a character without depth. Could he have been better presented as a warlord enraged by the loss of his rightful inheritance?

There are several inaccuracies about Aethelstan, particularly in portraying him as an incompetent ruler. The main inaccuracies, however, relate to the fictional protagonist Uhtred. Personal drama and conflict between himself and Aethelstan override historical accuracy, presenting a distorted, confrontational relationship between the Houses of Wessex and Bebbanburg, when in reality they were firm allies, which was a significant factor in England's unification.