Aethelflaed (r. 911-918 CE) was the daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex (r. 871-899 CE) and became queen of Mercia following the death of her husband Aethelred II, Lord of the Mercians (r. 883-911 CE). She is best known as the “Lady of the Mercians” who defeated the Vikings and established English rule which would be consolidated by her brother Edward the Elder (r. 899-924 CE) and lay the foundation for the reign of the first recognized English king, Aethelstan, who was king of the Anglo-Saxons 924-927 CE and King of the English 927-939 CE.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 870 - 918Life of Aethelflaed of Wessex and later Mercia.
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c. 870Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, is thought to have been born.
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871 - 899Reign of King Alfred the Great of Wessex.
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881 - 911Reign of Aethelred, Lord of the Mercians.
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c. 886Aethelflaed marries Aethelred, King of Mercia.
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886Aethelflaed marries Aethelred of Mercia.
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892 - 896Aethelflaed and Aethelred battle Viking armies in defense of Mercia.
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c. 900Aethelflaed's daughter Aelfwynn born; Aethelflaed's nephew Prince Aethelstan of Wessex comes to live with her at Mercian court.
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902King Aethelred falls ill; Aethelflaed becomes power in Mercia.
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c. 907Aethelflaed defeats Vikings at the Battle of Chester.
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911 - 918Reign of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians.
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911King Aethelred dies; Aethelflaed becomes sole monarch in Mercia, known as Lady of the Mercians.
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911 - 918Reign of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians.
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911 - 918Reign of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians.
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912 - 917Aethelflaed rebuilds and reforms Mercia in cooperation with her brother Edward of Wessex.
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917Aethelflaed leads her armies to victory over the Vikings at Derby.
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918Aethelflaed dies; Mercia merges with Wessex under King Edward the Elder.
