Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey chooses Æthelstan as a history hero
In profile
Æthelstan was king of the Anglo-Saxons from 924–27 and king of the English from 927–39. The son of Edward the Elder and the grandson of Alfred the Great, his coronation took place in Kingston upon Thames in 925. He is renowned for being the first king of all England, and for his victory at the 937 battle of Brunanburh.
When did you first hear about Æthelstan?
When I was studying medieval history for my A-levels. Becoming the MP for Kingston upon Thames a couple of decades later deepened my interest in him because he was one of several Anglo-Saxon kings crowned in my constituency. I’m currently ploughing through a big biography of him – it’s not the lightest of bedtime reading!
What kind of man was he?
The historical sources for that period of history are limited, but from what we know he was a strong leader, very pious and well-educated. Having Alfred the Great as a grandfather marked him out as quite a special person, although there was a period before Æthelstan was crowned when it wasn’t clear whether he was going to become king. It appears that he never married or had children – why that was so remains a mystery.
What made him a hero?
He was a sophisticated person: a man of culture, a law-maker, a military leader of some substance and the first king to try to impose one coinage for all of England. He was seen as almost the English Charlemagne.
What was Æthelstan’s finest hour?
First and foremost, being the first monarch who could really be called the king of the English – Rex Anglorum – something that could not be said of either Alfred the Great or Edward the Elder. Secondly, his victory at the battle of Brunanburh (the exact location of which remains unknown) over a Viking-led coalition. But for that triumph, the English nation might not have survived and would almost certainly not have developed culturally into the country we know today. And thirdly, his importance as both a law-maker and a great benefactor of the church.
Do you think he should be better known?
Undoubtedly. He should be up there on a list of the greatest kings of England – he arguably did more for his country economically, culturally and diplomatically than Alfred the Great. Why has he been forgotten? I think in part because he was brought up in what was then the kingdom of Mercia. The Wessex establishment only reluctantly accepted him as king, and some Wessex chroniclers tried to write him out of history.
Would you like to see future monarchs crowned in your constituency?
I don’t think that’s very likely! But it would be wonderful if Buckingham Palace would consider a royal visit in 2025 to mark the 1,100th anniversary of Æthelstan’s coronation. Some of the amazing pageantry in Charles’s coronation last year dates back to Æthelstan’s time – and did you know that Æthelstan was the first English king shown wearing a crown?
Ed Davey has been the leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2020. He is the MP for Kingston and Surbiton.
This article was first published in the January 2024 issue of BBC History Magazine