King Æthelred II (966-1016) & Wifes (Ælfgifu of York & Emma of Normandy)

[Blog Real]

Æthelred II (c. 966 – 23 April 1016), known as Æthelred the Unready, was King of the English from 978 to 1013 and again from 1014 until his death in 1016.[1] His epithet does not derive from the modern word "unready", but rather from the Old English unræd meaning "poorly advised"; it is a pun on his name, which means "well advised".

Æthelred was the son of King Edgar the Peaceful and Queen Ælfthryth. He came to the throne at about the age of 12, following the assassination of his older half-brother, King Edward the Martyr.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Æthelred_the_Unready

King of the English:
Reign: 18 March 978 – 1013
Predecessor: Edward the Martyr
Successor: Sweyn Forkbeard
Reign: 1014 – 23 April 1016
Predecessor: Sweyn Forkbeard
Successor: Edmund II

Born: c. 966, England
Died: 23 April 1016 (aged about 50)
London, England
Burial: Old St Paul's Cathedral, London, now lost
Spouses:
Ælfgifu of York
Emma of Normandy
Children:
Æthelstan Ætheling
Ecgberht Ætheling
Edmund II, King of the English
Eadred Ætheling
Eadwig Ætheling
Edgar Ætheling
Eadgyth, Lady of the Mercians
Ælfgifu, Lady of Northumbria
Wulfhild, Lady of East Anglia
Edward the Confessor, King of the English
Alfred Ætheling
Godgifu, Countess of the Vexin and Boulogne
House: Wessex
Father: Edgar, King of the English
Mother: Ælfthryth

Ælfgifu of York:
Ælfgifu of York (fl. c. 970 – 1002) was the first wife of Æthelred the Unready, King of the English; as such, she was Queen of the English from their marriage in the 980s until her death in 1002. They had many children together, including Edmund Ironside. It is most probable that Ælfgifu was a daughter of Thored, Earl of southern Northumbria.

Queen consort of the English:
Tenure: 980s–1002
Born: fl. c. 970
Died: c. 1002
Spouse: Æthelred the Unready
Children: Æthelstan Ætheling
Ecgberht of England
Edmund, King of England
Eadred Ætheling
Eadwig Ætheling
Edgar of England
Edith, Lady of the Mercians
Ælfgifu, Lady of Northumbria
Wulfhilda, Lady of East Anglia
Father: Thored, Earl of Southern Northumbria

Emma of Normandy:

Emma of Normandy (referred to as Ælfgifu in royal documents; c. 984 – 6 March 1052) was a Norman-born noblewoman who became the English, Danish, and Norwegian queen through her marriages to the Anglo-Saxon king Æthelred the Unready and the Danish prince Cnut the Great. The daughter of the Norman ruler Richard the Fearless and Gunnor, she was Queen of the English during her marriage to King Æthelred from 1002 to 1016, except during a brief interruption in 1013–14 when the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard occupied the English throne. Æthelred died in 1016, and Emma remarried to Sweyn's son Cnut. As Cnut's wife, she was Queen of England from their marriage in 1017, Queen of Denmark from 1018, and Queen of Norway from 1028 until Cnut died in 1035.

After her husbands' deaths, Emma remained in the public eye and continued to participate actively in politics during the reigns of her sons by each husband, Edward the Confessor and Harthacnut.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_of_Normandy

Queen consort of the English
(Queen consort of England):
Tenure: 1002 – summer 1013
3 February 1014 – 23 April 1016
July 1017 – 12 November 1035
Queen consort of Denmark:
Tenure: 1018 – 12 November 1035
Queen consort of Norway:
Tenure: 1028 – 12 November 1035
Born: c.  984
Normandy, France
Died: 6 March 1052 (aged c. 68)
Winchester, Hampshire, England
Burial: Old Minster, Winchester. Bones now in Winchester Cathedral
Spouse: Æthelred the Unready
​(m. 1002; d. 1016)​
Cnut the Great
​(m. 1017; d. 1035)​
Children:
Edward the Confessor, King of the English
Godgifu, Countess of the Vexin and Boulogne
Alfred Ætheling
Harthacnut
Gunhilda, Queen of the Germans
House: Normandy
Father: Richard the Fearless
Mother: Gunnor
Religion: Roman Catholicism

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Emma is considered to be the first Queen who was called "Queen Mother" when her sons ruled as monarch.

 

[Tirilschatz]

Funny enough, I just finished a novel about them

It's an interesting time I unfortunately know not much about, so thank you for your post and information about him/them.