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{{short description|11th-century claimant to the throne of England}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox royalty
{{Infobox royalty
|type = monarch
|image = Edgar the Ætheling.jpg
|caption = Edgar, from an [[Illuminated manuscript|illuminated]] tree of the family of [[Edmund Ironside]]
|name = Edgar II Ætheling
|succession = [[King of England]]
|succession = [[King of the English]] (aspirant)
|reign = After 14 October – early December 1066
|image = Edgar the Ætheling.jpg|200px
|predecessor = [[Harold Godwinson|Harold II]]
|caption = Edgar, cropped from a picture of [[Edmund Ironside]] and his family
|successor = [[William the Conqueror|William I]]
|reign = 15 October – 10 December 1066
|birth_date = {{circa|1052}}<ref name=ONDBEdgar>{{Cite ODNB|id=8465|title=Edgar Ætheling}}</ref>
|coronation = Never crowned
|birth_place = [[Kingdom of Hungary]]
|predecessor = [[Harold Godwinson|Harold]]
|death_date = in or after 1125<ref name=ONDBEdgar/>
|successor = [[William the Conqueror|William I]]
|death_place =
|house = [[House of Wessex]]
|father = [[Edward the Exile|Edward of England]]
|house = [[House of Wessex|Wessex]]
|mother = [[Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile|Agatha]]
|father = [[Edward the Exile]]
|mother = [[Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile|Agatha]]
|birth_date = ''ca'' 1051
|type = monarch
|birth_place = [[Hungary]]
|death_date = ''ca'' 1126 (aged ''ca'' 75)
|death_place = Unknown
}}
}}
'''Edgar''' ('''the''') '''Ætheling''' (sometimes spelt '''Æþeling''', '''Aetheling''', '''Atheling''' or '''Etheling''')<ref>The [[Old English]] term ''[[Aetheling]]'', in contemporary spelling '''Æþeling''', denotes a man of royal blood.</ref> or '''Edgar II''' (c. 1051 – c. 1126) was the last male member of the royal house of [[Cerdic of Wessex]] (see [[House of Wessex family tree]]). He was proclaimed, but never crowned, [[King of England]] in 1066.


'''Edgar Ætheling'''{{efn|Also spelt '''Æþeling''', '''Aetheling''', '''Atheling''', or '''Etheling'''.}}{{efn|The title ''[[Ætheling]]'' denotes a prince eligible for the throne.}} or '''Edgar II''' ({{Circa|1052}} – 1125 or after) was the [[House of Wessex family tree|last male member of the royal house]] of [[Cerdic of Wessex]]. He was elected [[King of England]] by the [[Witan]] in 1066 but never crowned.
==Family and early life==
Edgar was born in [[Hungary]], where his father [[Edward the Exile]], son of [[Edmund Ironside|King Edmund II Ironside]], had spent most of his life, having been sent into exile after Edmund's death and the conquest of England by the Danish king [[Cnut the Great|Cnut]] in 1016. His mother was [[Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile|Agatha]], who was described as a relative of the [[Holy Roman Empire|German Emperor]], but whose exact identity is unknown. He was his parents' only son but had two sisters, [[Saint Margaret of Scotland|Margaret]] and [[Cristina, daughter of Edward the Exile|Cristina]].


== Family and early life ==
In 1057 the childless king of England, [[Edmund Ironside|Edmund Ironside's]] half-brother [[Edward the Confessor]], who had only recently become aware that his nephew was still alive, summoned Edward back to England with his family to take up his place at court as heir to the throne. The returning exile died in uncertain circumstances shortly after his arrival in England.<ref>''The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', ed. and tr. [[Michael Swanton]], 2nd ed. (London 2000), pp. 187–8</ref> Edgar, at only 6 years old, was left as the only surviving male member of the royal dynasty apart from the king. However, the latter made no recorded effort to entrench his grand-nephew's position as heir to a throne which was being eyed by a range of powerful potential contenders including England's leading aristocrat [[Harold Godwinson|Harold Godwinson, Earl of Wessex]] and the foreign rulers [[William the Conqueror|William, Duke of Normandy]], [[Sweyn II of Denmark|Sweyn II Estrithson, King of Denmark]] and [[Harald III of Norway|Harald Hardrada, King of Norway]].
[[File:British Library MS Stowe 944 fol 29r.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Page in the [[New Minster Liber Vitae|''Liber Vitae'']] of [[New Minster, Winchester]], listing visitors who had entered into confraterity with the abbey. Edgar is listed half-way down on the right as "Eadgar ''clito''"]]
Edgar was probably born in [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]], where his father [[Edward the Exile]], son of King [[Edmund Ironside]], had found refuge after Edmund's death and the conquest of [[England]] by the Danish king [[Cnut]] in 1016.<ref name=ONDBEdgar/> Edgar's mother was [[Agatha (wife of Edward the Exile)|Agatha]], who was described as a relative of the [[Holy Roman Emperor]] or a descendant of [[Stephen I of Hungary|Saint Stephen of Hungary]],<ref name=":2">{{cite web |url=http://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/saxon_26.html |title=The House of Wessex. |website=www.englishmonarchs.co.uk |access-date=2018-12-28}}</ref> but her exact identity is unknown. He was his parents' only son but had two sisters, [[Saint Margaret of Scotland|Margaret]] and [[Cristina (daughter of Edward the Exile)|Cristina]].<ref name=":3">{{cite web |last=Connolly |first=Sharon Bennett |title=Edgar – The Boy Who Wouldn't Be King |url=https://historytheinterestingbits.com/2016/12/10/edgar-the-boy-who-wouldnt-be-king/ |website=History... the interesting bits! |date=2016-12-10 |access-date=2018-12-28}}</ref>


In 1057, Edward the Exile arrived in England with his family but died almost immediately.<ref name=ONDBEdgar/> Edgar, a child, was left as the only surviving male member of the royal dynasty apart from the king, his great-uncle [[Edward the Confessor]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/guides/zpwtg82/revision/2 |title=Claimants to the English throne in 1066 |publisher=BBC |access-date=2018-12-28}}</ref> Edgar was brought up by the Confessor's wife, [[Edith of Wessex|Edith]], and he is recorded in the [[New Minster Liber Vitae]] as ''clito'', the Latin for ''ætheling'', a royal prince eligible for the throne. In the view of the historian [[Tom Licence]], Edward chose Edgar as his heir, but this is questioned by other historians, who argue that Edward does not appear to have taken any steps to support his candidacy.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Licence |first=Tom |title=Edward the Confessor and the Succession Question: a Fresh Look at the Evidence |url= |journal=Anglo-Norman Studies |volume=39 |number= |page=126 |year=2017 |issn=0954-9927}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Higham |first=Nicholas |chapter=The Transformation of Anglo-Saxon England |editor1-last=Higham |editor1-first=Nicholas J. |editor2-last=Ryan |editor2-first=Martin J. |title=The Anglo-Saxon World |publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |location=New Haven, CT |year=2013 |page=397 |isbn=978-0-300-12534-4}}</ref>
==The succession struggle==
When King Edward died in January 1066, Edgar was still in his early teens, too young to be an effective military leader. This had not previously been an insurmountable obstacle: the earlier kings of England [[Eadwig]], [[Edgar the Peaceful]] and [[Edward the Martyr]] had all come to the throne at a similar age, while [[Æthelred the Unready]] had been significantly younger at his accession. However, the avaricious ambitions which had been aroused across north-western Europe by [[Edward the Confessor]]'s lack of an heir prior to 1057, and by the king's failure thereafter to prepare the way for Edgar to succeed him, removed any prospect of a peaceful hereditary succession. War was clearly inevitable and Edgar was in no position to fight it, while he was without powerful adult relatives to champion his cause. Accordingly, the [[Witenagemot]] elected [[Harold Godwinson]], the man best-placed to defend the country against the competing foreign claimants, to succeed Edward.


== Succession struggle ==
Following Harold's death at the [[Battle of Hastings]] against the invading [[Normans]] in October, the Witanagemot assembled in [[London]] and elected Edgar king. The new regime thus established was dominated by the most powerful surviving members of the English ruling class, [[Stigand|Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury]], [[Ealdred (archbishop of York)|Ealdred, Archbishop of York]] and the brothers [[Edwin, Earl of Mercia]], and [[Morcar|Morcar, Earl of Northumbria]]. The commitment of these men to Edgar's cause, men who had so recently passed over his claim to the throne without apparent demur, must have been doubtful from the start. The strength of their resolve to continue the struggle against William of Normandy was questionable and the military response they organised to the continuing Norman advance was ineffectual. When William crossed the [[River Thames|Thames]] at [[Wallingford, Oxfordshire|Wallingford]] he was met by Stigand, who now abandoned Edgar and submitted to the invader. As the Normans closed in on London, Edgar's key supporters in the city began negotiating with William. In early December the remaining members of the Witan in London met and resolved to take the young uncrowned king out to meet William to submit to him at [[Berkhamsted]], quietly setting aside Edgar's election.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 199–200; [[Florence of Worcester]], ''A History of the Kings of England'', tr. Joseph Stephenson (Lampeter 1988), pp. 134–5; [[Orderic Vitalis]], ''The Ecclesiastical History of Orderic Vitalis'', ed. Marjorie Chibnall, 6 vols. (Oxford 1968–1980), vol. 2, pp. 182–183</ref>
When King Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, Edgar was still in his early teens, considered too young to be an effective military leader.<ref name=":0" /> This had not been an insurmountable obstacle in the succession of previous kings. However, the avaricious ambitions that had been aroused across north-western Europe by the Confessor's lack of an heir prior to 1057, and by the king's failure thereafter to prepare the way for Edgar to succeed him, removed any prospect of a peaceful hereditary succession. War was clearly inevitable and Edgar was in no position to fight it, as he was without powerful adult relatives that could champion his cause. Accordingly, the [[Witenagemot]] elected [[Harold Godwinson]] to succeed Edward, as he was the man best placed to defend the country against foreign claimants to the throne.<ref name=":2" />


Following Harold's death at the [[Battle of Hastings]] against the invading [[Normans]] in October, some of the Anglo-Saxon leaders decided to back young Edgar's claim to the throne.<ref>{{cite book |last=Douglas |first=David C. |author-link=David C. Douglas |title=William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England |url=https://archive.org/details/williamconqueror00dougrich |url-access=registration |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |location=Berkeley, CA |year=1964 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/williamconqueror00dougrich/page/204 204–205] |isbn=9780520003484 |oclc=399137}}</ref> The new regime thus established was dominated by the most powerful surviving members of the English ruling class: [[Stigand|Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury]], [[Ealdred (archbishop of York)|Ealdred, Archbishop of York]], and the brothers [[Edwin, Earl of Mercia]] and [[Morcar|Morcar, Earl of Northumbria]]. The commitment of these men to Edgar's cause, men who had so recently passed over his claim to the throne without apparent demur, must have been doubtful from the start. The strength of their resolve to continue the struggle against William of Normandy was questionable, and the military response they organised to the continuing Norman advance was ineffectual. When William crossed the [[Thames]] at [[Wallingford, Oxfordshire|Wallingford]], he was met by Stigand, who now abandoned Edgar and submitted to the invader. As the Normans closed in on London, Edgar's key supporters in the city began negotiating with William. In early December, the remaining members of the [[Witan]] in London met and resolved to take the young uncrowned king out to meet William to submit to him at [[Berkhamsted]], quietly setting aside Edgar's election.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hook |first=Walter Farquhar |title=Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, Vol. 1: The Anglo-Saxon Period |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0zMytoV6-DUC&q=Witenagemot+1066+edgar+william+stigand&pg=PA515 |location=London |date=1860 |pages=515–516 |access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref> Edgar, alongside other lords, paid homage to King William at his coronation in December.
==Exile and war against the Normans==
William kept Edgar in his custody and took him, along with other English leaders, to his court in [[Normandy]] in 1067, before returning with them to England. Edgar may have been involved in the abortive rebellion of the Earls Edwin and Morcar in 1068; in any case, in that year he fled with his mother and sisters to the court of [[Malcolm III of Scotland|King Malcolm III Canmore of Scotland]]. Malcolm married Edgar's sister Margaret and agreed to support Edgar in his attempt to reclaim the English throne.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 200–2; Florence of Worcester, p. 136</ref> When a major rebellion broke out in [[Northumbria]] at the beginning of 1069, Edgar returned to England with other rebels who had fled to Scotland, to become the leader, or at least the figurehead, of the revolt. However, after early successes the rebels were defeated by William at [[York]] and Edgar again sought refuge with Malcolm.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 202–3; Orderic, vol. 2, pp. 220–3</ref> In late summer that year the arrival of a fleet sent by King Sweyn of Denmark triggered a fresh wave of English uprisings in various parts of the country. Edgar and the other exiles sailed to the [[Humber]], where they linked up with Northumbrian rebels and the Danes. Their combined forces overwhelmed the Normans at York and took control of Northumbria, but a small seaborne raid which Edgar led into [[Lindsey]] ended in disaster and he escaped with only a handful of followers to rejoin the main army. Late in the year William fought his way into Northumbria and occupied York, buying off the Danes and devastating the surrounding country.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 203–4; Florence of Worcester, pp. 136–7; Orderic, vol. 2, pp. 226–9</ref> Early in 1070 he moved against Edgar and other English leaders who had taken refuge with their remaining followers in a marshy region, perhaps [[Holderness]], and put them to flight. Edgar returned to Scotland.


== Exile and war against the Normans ==
He remained there until 1072, when William invaded Scotland and forced King Malcolm to submit to his overlordship. The terms of the agreement between them probably included the expulsion of Edgar.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', p. 208</ref> He therefore took up residence in [[County of Flanders|Flanders]], whose count, [[Robert I, Count of Flanders|Robert the Frisian]], was hostile to the Normans. However, in 1074 he was able to return to Scotland. Shortly after his arrival there he received an offer from [[Philip I of France|Philip I, King of France]], who was also at odds with William, of a castle and lands near the borders of Normandy from which he would be able to raid his enemies' homeland. He embarked with his followers for France, but a storm wrecked their ships on the English coast. Many of Edgar's men were hunted down by the Normans, but he managed to escape with the remainder to Scotland by land. Following this disaster, he was persuaded by Malcolm to make peace with William and return to England as his subject, abandoning any ambition of regaining his ancestral throne.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 209–10; Florence of Worcester, p. 140</ref>
William kept Edgar in his custody and took him, along with other English leaders, to his court in [[Normandy]] in 1067, before returning with them to England. Edgar might have been involved in the abortive rebellion of the Earls Edwin and Morcar in 1068, or he might have been attempting to return to [[Hungary]] with his family and been blown off course; in any case, in that year he arrived with his mother and sisters at the court of King [[Malcolm III of Scotland]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Edgar The Aetheling {{!}} Anglo-Saxon prince |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-the-Aetheling |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=28 December 2018}}</ref> Malcolm married Edgar's sister Margaret, and agreed to support Edgar in his attempt to reclaim the English throne.<ref>{{cite book |last=Tyler |first=Moses Coit |title=Library of Universal History |date=1899 |location=New York |page=1841 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y9RAAQAAMAAJ&q=malcolm+iii+canmore+edgar&pg=PA1841 |access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref> When the rebellion that resulted in the [[Harrying of the North]] broke out in [[Northumbria]] at the beginning of 1069, Edgar returned to England with other rebels who had fled to [[Scotland]], to become the leader, or at least the figurehead, of the revolt. However, after early successes the rebels were defeated by William at [[York]], and Edgar again sought refuge with Malcolm who happily allowed him asylum for his loyalty.<ref>{{cite book |last=Rollason |first=David |title=Northumbria, 500–1100: Creation and Destruction of a Kingdom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4mSogG6ZqN4C&q=1069+edgar+revolt+northumbria&pg=PA283 |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |location=Cambridge |date=2003 |page=283 |access-date=27 June 2017 |isbn=9780521813358}}</ref> In late summer that year, the [[Danish attacks on Norman England|arrival of a fleet]] sent by King Sweyn of Denmark triggered a fresh wave of English uprisings in various parts of the country. Edgar and the other exiles sailed to the [[Humber]], where they linked up with Northumbrian rebels and the Danes. Their combined forces overwhelmed the Normans at York and took control of Northumbria, but a small seaborne raid which Edgar led into the former [[Kingdom of Lindsey]] ended in disaster, and he escaped with only a handful of followers to rejoin the main army. Late in the year, William fought his way into Northumbria and occupied York, buying off the Danes and devastating the surrounding country.<ref>{{cite book |last=Aird |first=William M. |title=St Cuthbert and the Normans: The Church of Durham, 1071–1153 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YqFWcZvE9H8C&q=1069+edgar+revolt+northumbria+danes&pg=PA75 |publisher=Boydell |location=Woodbridge, UK |date=1998 |page=75 |access-date=27 June 2017 |isbn=9780851156156}}</ref> Early in 1070, he moved against Edgar and other English leaders who had taken refuge with their remaining followers in a marshy region, perhaps [[Holderness]] or the [[Isle of Ely]], and put them to flight. Edgar returned to Scotland.<ref name=":2"/>


He remained there until 1072, when William invaded Scotland and forced King Malcolm to submit to his overlordship.<ref name=":1" /> The terms of the agreement between them included the expulsion of Edgar.<ref>{{cite book |last=Oram |first=Richard |title=Domination and Lordship: Scotland, 1070–1230 |date=2011 |publisher=[[Edinburgh University Press]] |location=Edinburgh |page=17 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1c9vAAAAQBAJ&q=1072+william+malcolm+edgar&pg=PA17 |access-date=27 June 2017 |isbn=9780748687688}}</ref> He therefore took up residence in [[County of Flanders|Flanders]], whose count, [[Robert I, Count of Flanders|Robert the Frisian]], was hostile to the Normans. However, he was able to return to Scotland in 1074. Shortly after his arrival there, he received an offer from [[Philip I of France|Philip I, King of France]], who was also at odds with William, of a castle and lands near the borders of Normandy from where he would be able to raid his enemies' homeland. He embarked with his followers for [[France]], but a storm wrecked their ships on the English coast. Many of Edgar's men were hunted down by the Normans, though he managed to escape with the remainder to Scotland by land. Following this disaster, he was persuaded by Malcolm to make peace with William and return to England as his subject, abandoning any ambition of regaining his ancestral throne.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Clemoes |first1=Peter |last2=Keynes |first2=Simon |last3=Lapidge |first3=Michael |title=Anglo-Saxon England, Volume 14 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qY87DJqOPBQC&q=1074+edgar+william+philip+I+France&pg=PA205 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |location=Cambridge |date=1985 |page=205 |access-date=27 June 2017 |isbn=9780521038386}}</ref>
==The Italian venture==
Disappointed in the level of recompense and respect he received from William, in 1085 Edgar secured the king's permission to emigrate with a retinue of two hundred knights, to seek his fortune in the [[Norman conquest of southern Italy|expanding Norman colony in southern Italy and Sicily]].<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', p. 217; Florence of Worcester, p. 145</ref> He set out in 1086. The [[Domesday Book]], compiled that year, records only two estates in [[Hertfordshire]] with a total value of £10 p.a. as belonging to Edgar, both of them held from him by a tenant named Godwin. This is an extremely small allocation of property for a man of Edgar's standing and much less than was held by his sister Cristina, the income from whose estates was valued at £58.<ref>''Domesday Book: a complete translation'', ed. and tr. Ann Williams and G. H. Martin (London 1992), pp. 392, 441, 670</ref> This is probably because Edgar had given up his English properties when he left for Italy, not meaning to return. In that case the recording of the Hertfordshire estates under his name is likely to be an anomaly, reflecting a situation which had recently ceased to apply.<ref>Donald Henson, ''The English Elite in 1066: gone but not forgotten'' (Thetford 2001), pp. 24–6</ref> The venture in the Mediterranean was evidently not a success, since within a few years Edgar had in fact returned to England.


== Italian venture ==
==Norman and Scottish dynastic strife==
Disappointed at the level of recompense and respect he received from William, in 1086 Edgar renounced his allegiance to the Conqueror and moved with a retinue of men to [[County of Apulia and Calabria|Norman Apulia]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Clemoes |title=Anglo-Saxon |page=206}}</ref><ref name=":1"/> The [[Domesday Book]], compiled that year, records Edgar's ownership of only two small estates ([[Barkway]] and Hermead) in [[Hertfordshire]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Hale |first=Betty |title=History of Prince Edgar & his Claim to the English Throne |url=http://www.britannia.com/history/articles/edgar.html |website=Britannia |access-date=27 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061210200929/http://www.britannia.com/history/articles/edgar.html |archive-date=10 December 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This is probably because Edgar had given up his English properties when he left for Italy, not intending to return. In that case, the recording of the [[Hertfordshire]] estates under his name is likely to be an anomaly, reflecting a situation which had recently ceased to apply.<ref>Donald Henson, ''The English Elite in 1066: gone but not forgotten'' (Thetford 2001), pp. 24–26</ref> The venture in the Mediterranean was evidently not a success; within a few years Edgar returned to England.
After King William's death in 1087 Edgar supported William's eldest son [[Robert Curthose]], who succeeded him as Duke of Normandy, against his second son, [[William II of England|William Rufus]], who received the throne of England as William II. According to the historian [[Orderic Vitalis]], Edgar was one of Robert's three principal advisors at this time.<ref>Orderic, vol. 4, pp. 186–7</ref> The war waged by Robert and his allies to overthrow William ended in defeat in 1091. As part of the resulting settlement between the brothers, Edgar was deprived of lands which he had been granted by Robert. These were presumably former possessions of William and his supporters in Normandy, confiscated by Robert and distributed to his own followers, including Edgar, but restored to their previous owners by the terms of the peace agreement. The disgruntled Edgar travelled once again to Scotland, where Malcolm was preparing for war with William. When William marched north and the two armies confronted one another the kings opted to talk rather than fight. The negotiations were conducted by Edgar on behalf of Malcolm and the newly reconciled Robert Curthose on behalf of William. The resulting agreement included a reconciliation between William and Edgar. However, within months Robert left England, unhappy with William's failure to fulfil the pact between them, and Edgar went with him to Normandy.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 226–7; Florence of Worcester, pp. 150–1</ref>


== Norman and Scottish dynastic strife ==
Having returned to England, in 1093 Edgar went to Scotland again on a diplomatic mission for William to negotiate with Malcolm, who was dissatisfied with the Norman failure to implement in full the terms of the 1091 treaty. This dispute led to war and within the year Malcolm had invaded England and been killed along with his designated heir Edward, eldest of his sons by Margaret, in the [[Battle of Alnwick (1093)|Battle of Alnwick]]. Malcolm's successor, his brother [[Donald III of Scotland|Donald Bán]], drove out the English and French retainers who had risen high in Malcolm's service and had thus aroused the jealousy of the existing Scottish aristocracy. This purge brought him into conflict with the Anglo-Norman monarchy, whose influence in Scotland it had diminished. William helped Malcolm's eldest son [[Duncan II of Scotland|Duncan]], who had spent many years as a hostage at William I's court and remained there when set at liberty by William II, to overthrow his uncle, but Donald soon regained the throne and Duncan was killed.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 227–8, 230; Florence of Worcester, pp. 152–4</ref> In 1097 another effort to restore the Anglo-Norman interest through sponsorship of Malcolm's sons was launched and Edgar made yet another journey to Scotland, this time in command of an invading army. Donald was ousted and Edgar installed his nephew and namesake, Malcolm and Margaret's son [[Edgar, King of Scotland|Edgar]], on the Scottish throne.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 234; Florence of Worcester, p 157</ref>
After King William's death in 1087, Edgar supported William's eldest son [[Robert Curthose]], who succeeded him as Duke of Normandy, against his second son, [[William II of England|William Rufus]], who received the throne of England as William II.<ref name=":2" /> Edgar was one of Robert's three principal advisers at this time.<ref>{{cite book |last=Aird |first=William M. |title=Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy: c. 1050–1134 |publisher=Boydell & Brewer |location=Woodbridge, UK |year=2008 |page=128 |isbn=978-1-84383-310-9}}</ref> The war waged by Robert and his allies to overthrow William ended in defeat in 1091. As part of the resulting settlement between the brothers, Edgar was deprived of lands which he had been granted by Robert. These were presumably former possessions of William and his supporters in Normandy, confiscated by Robert and distributed to his own followers, including Edgar, but restored to their previous owners by the terms of the peace agreement. The disgruntled Edgar travelled once again to Scotland, where Malcolm was preparing for war with William.<ref name=":2" /> When William marched north and the two armies confronted one another, the kings opted to talk rather than fight. The negotiations were conducted by Edgar on behalf of Malcolm, and the newly reconciled Robert Curthose on behalf of William. The resulting agreement included a reconciliation between William and Edgar. However, within months Robert left England, unhappy with William's failure to fulfil the pact between them, and Edgar went with him to Normandy.<ref>{{cite book |last=Aird |first=William M. |title=Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy: c. 1050–1134 |publisher=Boydell & Brewer |location=Woodbridge, UK |year=2008 |pages=144–145 |isbn=978-1-84383-310-9}}</ref>


Having returned to England, Edgar went to Scotland again in 1093, on a diplomatic mission for William to negotiate with Malcolm, who was dissatisfied with the Norman failure to implement in full the terms of the 1091 treaty. This dispute led to war, and within the year Malcolm had invaded England and had been killed along with his designated heir Edward, eldest of his sons by Margaret, in the [[Battle of Alnwick (1093)|Battle of Alnwick]]. Malcolm's successor, his brother [[Donald III of Scotland|Donald Bán]], drove out the English and French retainers who had risen high in Malcolm's service and had thus aroused the jealousy of the existing Scottish aristocracy. This purge brought him into conflict with the Anglo-Norman monarchy, whose influence in Scotland had diminished. William helped Malcolm's eldest son [[Duncan II of Scotland|Duncan]], who had spent many years as a hostage at William I's court and remained there when set at liberty by William II, to overthrow his uncle, but Donald soon regained the throne and Duncan was killed.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', pp. 227–28, 230; Florence of Worcester, pp. 152–54</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2016}} Another effort to restore the Anglo-Norman interest through sponsorship of Malcolm's sons was launched in 1097, and Edgar made yet another journey to Scotland, this time in command of an invading army. Donald was ousted, and Edgar installed his nephew and namesake, Malcolm and Margaret's son [[Edgar, King of Scotland|Edgar]], on the Scottish throne.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', p. 234; Florence of Worcester, p. 157</ref><ref name=":2" />
==The First Crusade==
Orderic tells us that Edgar was the commander of an English fleet which operated off the coast of [[Greater Syria|Syria]] in support of the [[First Crusade]], whose crews eventually burned their dilapidated ships and joined the advance by land to [[Jerusalem]].<ref>Orderic, vol. 5, pp. 270–3</ref> This is rendered doubtful by the fact that this fleet is known to have arrived off the Syrian coast by March 1098: since Edgar invaded Scotland late in 1097, he could not have made the voyage in the time available. It may be though that he travelled overland to the Mediterranean and joined the fleet en route; this is the view taken by Runciman (History of the Crusades 1968 (1951) Vol 1, p.&nbsp;227, p.&nbsp;228 note, and p.&nbsp;255). [[William of Malmesbury]] recorded that Edgar made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1102, and it may be that Orderic's report is the product of confusion, conflating the expedition of the English fleet with Edgar's later journey. Some modern historians have suggested that at some point during these years Edgar served in the [[Varangian Guard]] of the [[Byzantine Empire]], a unit which was at this time composed primarily of English emigrants, but this is unsupported by evidence. William of Malmesbury stated that on his way back from Jerusalem Edgar was given rich gifts by both the Byzantine and German emperors, each of whom offered him an honoured place at court, but that he insisted on returning home instead.<ref>William of Malmesbury, ''A History of the Norman Kings (1066–1125), with the Historia Novella or history of his own times (1126–1142)'', tr. John Sharp (London 1854), pp. 237–8</ref>


==Later life==
== First Crusade ==
According to Orderic, Edgar was the commander of an English fleet which operated off the coast of the [[Syria (region)|region of Syria]] in support of the [[First Crusade]], whose crews eventually burned their dilapidated ships and joined the advance by land to [[Jerusalem]].<ref>Orderic, vol. 5, pp. 270–73</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2016}} This is doubtful, for this fleet is known to have arrived off the [[Geography of Syria|Syrian coast]] by March 1098; since Edgar invaded [[Scotland]] late in 1097, he could not have made the voyage in the time available. It may be though that he travelled overland to the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]] and joined the fleet en route; this is the view taken by Runciman.<ref>Runciman, ''History of the Crusades'' 1968 (1951) Vol 1, pp. 227–228 note, and p. 255)</ref> [[William of Malmesbury]] recorded that Edgar made a pilgrimage to [[Jerusalem]] in 1102, and it may be that Orderic's report is the product of confusion, conflating the expedition of the English fleet with Edgar's later journey. Some modern historians have suggested that at some point during these years Edgar served in the [[Varangian Guard]] of the [[Byzantine Empire]], a unit which was at that time composed primarily of English emigrants, but this is unsupported by evidence. William of Malmesbury stated that on his way back from Jerusalem, Edgar was given rich gifts by both the Byzantine and the [[German Emperor|German emperors]], each of whom offered him an honoured place at court, but that he insisted on returning home instead.<ref>William of Malmesbury, ''A History of the Norman Kings (1066–1125), with the Historia Novella or history of his own times (1126–1142)'', tr. John Sharp (London 1854), pp. 237–238</ref>{{primary source inline|date=January 2016}}
Back in Europe, Edgar again took the side of Robert Curthose in the internal struggles of the Norman dynasty, this time against Robert's youngest brother who was now [[Henry I of England|Henry I, King of England]]. He was taken prisoner in the final defeat at the [[Battle of Tinchebray]] in 1106, which resulted in Robert being imprisoned for the rest of his life. Edgar was more fortunate: having been taken back to England he was pardoned and released by King Henry.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', p. 241</ref> His niece [[Matilda of Scotland|Edith (renamed Matilda)]], daughter of Malcolm III and Margaret, had married Henry in 1100. Edgar is believed to have travelled to Scotland once more late in life, perhaps around the year 1120. He lived to see the tragic death at sea in November 1120 of [[William Adeling]], the son of his niece Edith and heir to Henry I. Edgar was still alive in 1125 according to William of Malmesbury who was writing at the time. The general consensus is that Edgar died shortly after 1125. The location of his grave is not known.


== Later life ==
There is no evidence that Edgar had married or produced children apart from two curious references to an "Edgar Adeling" found in the ''Magnus Rotulus Pipae Northumberland'' ([[Pipe rolls]]) for the years 1158 and 1167.<ref>Freeman, Edward A. ''The History of the Norman Conquest of England'' (1869), Vol. III p.794 ''citing'' [[John Hodgson (antiquary)|Hodgson, J.]], and Hinde, J. H. ''History of Northumberland'' (1820–1858), Part III, Vol. III, pp3, 11</ref> Edward Freeman writing in ''The History of the Norman Conquest'' says that either this was the same Edgar and aged at least 110 years (an exceedingly unlikely thing) or it was a son of his or it was some other person known by the title "Ætheling". Nevertheless, as far as anyone knows, the death of Edgar extinguished the male line of the original royal family of England.
Back in Europe, Edgar again took the side of Robert Curthose in the internal struggles of the Norman dynasty, this time against Robert's youngest brother, who was now [[Henry I of England|Henry I, King of England]]. He was taken prisoner in the final defeat at the [[Battle of Tinchebray]] in 1106, which resulted in Robert being imprisoned for the rest of his life. Edgar was more fortunate: having been taken back to England, he was pardoned and released by King Henry.<ref>''Anglo-Saxon Chronicles'', p. 241</ref><ref>Timpson, Trevor. [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-36701131 "'England's darling' and Scotland's saint"], [[BBC News]], 20 October 2016</ref> His niece [[Matilda of Scotland|Edith (renamed Matilda)]], daughter of Malcolm III and Margaret, had married Henry in 1100. Edgar is believed to have travelled to Scotland once more late in life, perhaps around the year 1120. He lived to see [[White Ship|the death]] at sea in November 1120 of [[William Adelin]], the son of his niece Edith and heir to Henry I. Edgar was still alive in 1125, according to William of Malmesbury, who wrote at the time that Edgar "now grows old in the country in privacy and quiet".<ref name=":3" /> Edgar died some time after this contemporary reference, but the exact date and the location of his grave are not known.
Edgar left as it was common and better known from contemporaries a few surviving bastards, who like [[William I of England|William]] himself was, could very well have raised claim to the throne of the House of Wessex that their father forgo.


According to a 1291 [[Huntingdon Priory]] Chronicle, Edgar had one child, Margaret Lovel, who was the wife of firstly Ralph Lovel II, of [[Castle Cary]] and secondly of Robert de Londres, both of whom had estates in southern Scotland.<ref>{{cite book |last=Barrow |first=G.W.S. |title=Proceedings of the Battle Conference 2002 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cqb9nsvIZGYC&dq=edgar+Atheling+lupellus&pg=PA45 |publisher=Boydell Press |date=2003 |page=45 |isbn=978-0-85115-941-6}}</ref>
==Ancestry==
{{ahnentafel top |collapsed=yes}}
<center>
{{ahnentafel-compact5
|style=font-size: 120%; line-height: 110%;
|border=1
|boxstyle=padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0;
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|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc;
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc;
|boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe;
|1= 1. Edgar the Ætheling
|2= 2. [[Edward the Exile]]
|3= 3. [[Agatha, wife of Edward the Exile|Agatha]]
|4= 4. [[Edmund Ironside]]
|5= 5. [[Ealdgyth (floruit 1015–1016)|Ealdgyth]]
|8= 8. [[Æthelred the Unready]]
|9= 9. [[Ælfgifu of York]]
|16= 16. [[Edgar the Peaceful]]
|17= 17. [[Ælfthryth, wife of Edgar|Ælfthryth, Queen of England]]
|18= 18. [[Thored]]
}}</center>
{{ahnentafel bottom}}


There are two references to an "Edgar Adeling" found in the ''Magnus Rotulus Pipae Northumberland'' ([[Pipe rolls]]) for the years 1158 and 1167.<ref>Freeman, Edward A. ''The History of the Norman Conquest of England'' (1869), Vol. III, p. 766, ''citing'' [[John Hodgson (antiquary)|Hodgson, J.]], and Hinde, J.H., ''History of Northumberland'' (1820–1858), Part III, Vol. III, pp. 3, 11</ref> Historian [[Edward Augustus Freeman|Edward Freeman]], writing in ''[[The History of the Norman Conquest of England]]'', says that this was the same Edgar (aged over 100), a son of his, or some other person known by the title ''[[Ætheling]]''.<ref name=":2" />
==Notes==

{{reflist}}
== Notes ==
{{notelist|60em}}

== References ==
{{reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.royal.uk/edgar-atheling-r-oct-dec-1066 Edgar Atheling] at the official website of the British monarchy
* {{PASE|18366|Edgar 14}}


{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Wessex]]|''ca''|1051|''ca''|1126}}
{{s-hou|[[House of Wessex]]|''ca''|1051|''ca''|1126}}
{{s-roy|en}}
{{s-roy|en}}
{{s-bef |before=[[Harold Godwinson]] |as=Harold II}}
{{s-bef |before=[[Harold Godwinson]]}}
{{s-tul |title=[[King of England]] |reason=Proclaimed but not crowned,<br>due to [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]] |years=1066 }}
{{s-dis|title=[[King of England]] |reason=Proclaimed but not crowned,<br>due to [[Norman conquest of England|Norman Conquest]] |years=1066 }}
{{s-aft |after=[[William the Conqueror]] |as=William I }}
{{s-aft |after=[[William the Conqueror]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}


{{English, Scottish and British monarchs}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2011}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edgar Aetheling}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Edgar The Aetheling
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1051
| PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Hungary]]
| DATE OF DEATH = 1126
| PLACE OF DEATH = Unknown
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edgar The Aetheling}}
[[Category:Heirs to the English throne]]
[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Christians of the First Crusade]]
[[Category:Christians of the First Crusade]]
[[Category:Medieval Scotland]]
[[Category:English Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Anglo-Saxon warriors]]
[[Category:Heirs presumptive to the English throne]]
[[Category:11th century in Scotland]]
[[Category:1050s births]]
[[Category:1050s births]]
[[Category:1120s deaths]]
[[Category:1120s deaths]]
[[Category:Year of birth uncertain]]

[[Category:Year of death uncertain]]
[[af:Edgar Adeling]]
[[Category:Pretenders to the English throne]]
[[ang:Ēadgar Æðeling]]
[[Category:11th-century English monarchs]]
[[be:Эдгар Этэлінг]]
[[Category:12th-century English people]]
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[[Category:House of Wessex]]
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[[el:Έντγκαρ Έθελινγκ]]
[[es:Edgar Atheling]]
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[[fa:ادگار آتلینگ]]
[[fr:Edgar Atheling]]
[[hr:Edgar II.]]
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[[he:אדגר אתלינג]]
[[ka:ედგარ ეთელინგი]]
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[[nl:Edgar Ætheling]]
[[ja:エドガー・アシリング]]
[[no:Edgar Ætheling]]
[[pl:Edgar II Ætheling]]
[[pt:Edgar Atheling]]
[[ru:Эдгар Этелинг]]
[[simple:Edgar Atheling]]
[[sl:Edgar Ætheling]]
[[fi:Edgar Atheling]]
[[sv:Edgar the Aetheling]]
[[th:สมเด็จพระเจ้าเอ็ดการ์ เอเธลลิง]]
[[uk:Едгар Етелінг]]

Latest revision as of 19:45, 11 December 2024

Edgar Ætheling
Edgar, from an illuminated tree of the family of Edmund Ironside
King of the English (aspirant)
ReignAfter 14 October – early December 1066
PredecessorHarold II
SuccessorWilliam I
Bornc. 1052[1]
Kingdom of Hungary
Diedin or after 1125[1]
HouseWessex
FatherEdward the Exile
MotherAgatha

Edgar Ætheling[a][b] or Edgar II (c. 1052 – 1125 or after) was the last male member of the royal house of Cerdic of Wessex. He was elected King of England by the Witan in 1066 but never crowned.

Family and early life

[edit]
Page in the Liber Vitae of New Minster, Winchester, listing visitors who had entered into confraterity with the abbey. Edgar is listed half-way down on the right as "Eadgar clito"

Edgar was probably born in Hungary, where his father Edward the Exile, son of King Edmund Ironside, had found refuge after Edmund's death and the conquest of England by the Danish king Cnut in 1016.[1] Edgar's mother was Agatha, who was described as a relative of the Holy Roman Emperor or a descendant of Saint Stephen of Hungary,[2] but her exact identity is unknown. He was his parents' only son but had two sisters, Margaret and Cristina.[3]

In 1057, Edward the Exile arrived in England with his family but died almost immediately.[1] Edgar, a child, was left as the only surviving male member of the royal dynasty apart from the king, his great-uncle Edward the Confessor.[4] Edgar was brought up by the Confessor's wife, Edith, and he is recorded in the New Minster Liber Vitae as clito, the Latin for ætheling, a royal prince eligible for the throne. In the view of the historian Tom Licence, Edward chose Edgar as his heir, but this is questioned by other historians, who argue that Edward does not appear to have taken any steps to support his candidacy.[5][6]

Succession struggle

[edit]

When King Edward the Confessor died in January 1066, Edgar was still in his early teens, considered too young to be an effective military leader.[4] This had not been an insurmountable obstacle in the succession of previous kings. However, the avaricious ambitions that had been aroused across north-western Europe by the Confessor's lack of an heir prior to 1057, and by the king's failure thereafter to prepare the way for Edgar to succeed him, removed any prospect of a peaceful hereditary succession. War was clearly inevitable and Edgar was in no position to fight it, as he was without powerful adult relatives that could champion his cause. Accordingly, the Witenagemot elected Harold Godwinson to succeed Edward, as he was the man best placed to defend the country against foreign claimants to the throne.[2]

Following Harold's death at the Battle of Hastings against the invading Normans in October, some of the Anglo-Saxon leaders decided to back young Edgar's claim to the throne.[7] The new regime thus established was dominated by the most powerful surviving members of the English ruling class: Stigand, Archbishop of Canterbury, Ealdred, Archbishop of York, and the brothers Edwin, Earl of Mercia and Morcar, Earl of Northumbria. The commitment of these men to Edgar's cause, men who had so recently passed over his claim to the throne without apparent demur, must have been doubtful from the start. The strength of their resolve to continue the struggle against William of Normandy was questionable, and the military response they organised to the continuing Norman advance was ineffectual. When William crossed the Thames at Wallingford, he was met by Stigand, who now abandoned Edgar and submitted to the invader. As the Normans closed in on London, Edgar's key supporters in the city began negotiating with William. In early December, the remaining members of the Witan in London met and resolved to take the young uncrowned king out to meet William to submit to him at Berkhamsted, quietly setting aside Edgar's election.[8] Edgar, alongside other lords, paid homage to King William at his coronation in December.

Exile and war against the Normans

[edit]

William kept Edgar in his custody and took him, along with other English leaders, to his court in Normandy in 1067, before returning with them to England. Edgar might have been involved in the abortive rebellion of the Earls Edwin and Morcar in 1068, or he might have been attempting to return to Hungary with his family and been blown off course; in any case, in that year he arrived with his mother and sisters at the court of King Malcolm III of Scotland.[9] Malcolm married Edgar's sister Margaret, and agreed to support Edgar in his attempt to reclaim the English throne.[10] When the rebellion that resulted in the Harrying of the North broke out in Northumbria at the beginning of 1069, Edgar returned to England with other rebels who had fled to Scotland, to become the leader, or at least the figurehead, of the revolt. However, after early successes the rebels were defeated by William at York, and Edgar again sought refuge with Malcolm who happily allowed him asylum for his loyalty.[11] In late summer that year, the arrival of a fleet sent by King Sweyn of Denmark triggered a fresh wave of English uprisings in various parts of the country. Edgar and the other exiles sailed to the Humber, where they linked up with Northumbrian rebels and the Danes. Their combined forces overwhelmed the Normans at York and took control of Northumbria, but a small seaborne raid which Edgar led into the former Kingdom of Lindsey ended in disaster, and he escaped with only a handful of followers to rejoin the main army. Late in the year, William fought his way into Northumbria and occupied York, buying off the Danes and devastating the surrounding country.[12] Early in 1070, he moved against Edgar and other English leaders who had taken refuge with their remaining followers in a marshy region, perhaps Holderness or the Isle of Ely, and put them to flight. Edgar returned to Scotland.[2]

He remained there until 1072, when William invaded Scotland and forced King Malcolm to submit to his overlordship.[9] The terms of the agreement between them included the expulsion of Edgar.[13] He therefore took up residence in Flanders, whose count, Robert the Frisian, was hostile to the Normans. However, he was able to return to Scotland in 1074. Shortly after his arrival there, he received an offer from Philip I, King of France, who was also at odds with William, of a castle and lands near the borders of Normandy from where he would be able to raid his enemies' homeland. He embarked with his followers for France, but a storm wrecked their ships on the English coast. Many of Edgar's men were hunted down by the Normans, though he managed to escape with the remainder to Scotland by land. Following this disaster, he was persuaded by Malcolm to make peace with William and return to England as his subject, abandoning any ambition of regaining his ancestral throne.[14]

Italian venture

[edit]

Disappointed at the level of recompense and respect he received from William, in 1086 Edgar renounced his allegiance to the Conqueror and moved with a retinue of men to Norman Apulia.[15][9] The Domesday Book, compiled that year, records Edgar's ownership of only two small estates (Barkway and Hermead) in Hertfordshire.[16] This is probably because Edgar had given up his English properties when he left for Italy, not intending to return. In that case, the recording of the Hertfordshire estates under his name is likely to be an anomaly, reflecting a situation which had recently ceased to apply.[17] The venture in the Mediterranean was evidently not a success; within a few years Edgar returned to England.

Norman and Scottish dynastic strife

[edit]

After King William's death in 1087, Edgar supported William's eldest son Robert Curthose, who succeeded him as Duke of Normandy, against his second son, William Rufus, who received the throne of England as William II.[2] Edgar was one of Robert's three principal advisers at this time.[18] The war waged by Robert and his allies to overthrow William ended in defeat in 1091. As part of the resulting settlement between the brothers, Edgar was deprived of lands which he had been granted by Robert. These were presumably former possessions of William and his supporters in Normandy, confiscated by Robert and distributed to his own followers, including Edgar, but restored to their previous owners by the terms of the peace agreement. The disgruntled Edgar travelled once again to Scotland, where Malcolm was preparing for war with William.[2] When William marched north and the two armies confronted one another, the kings opted to talk rather than fight. The negotiations were conducted by Edgar on behalf of Malcolm, and the newly reconciled Robert Curthose on behalf of William. The resulting agreement included a reconciliation between William and Edgar. However, within months Robert left England, unhappy with William's failure to fulfil the pact between them, and Edgar went with him to Normandy.[19]

Having returned to England, Edgar went to Scotland again in 1093, on a diplomatic mission for William to negotiate with Malcolm, who was dissatisfied with the Norman failure to implement in full the terms of the 1091 treaty. This dispute led to war, and within the year Malcolm had invaded England and had been killed along with his designated heir Edward, eldest of his sons by Margaret, in the Battle of Alnwick. Malcolm's successor, his brother Donald Bán, drove out the English and French retainers who had risen high in Malcolm's service and had thus aroused the jealousy of the existing Scottish aristocracy. This purge brought him into conflict with the Anglo-Norman monarchy, whose influence in Scotland had diminished. William helped Malcolm's eldest son Duncan, who had spent many years as a hostage at William I's court and remained there when set at liberty by William II, to overthrow his uncle, but Donald soon regained the throne and Duncan was killed.[20][non-primary source needed] Another effort to restore the Anglo-Norman interest through sponsorship of Malcolm's sons was launched in 1097, and Edgar made yet another journey to Scotland, this time in command of an invading army. Donald was ousted, and Edgar installed his nephew and namesake, Malcolm and Margaret's son Edgar, on the Scottish throne.[21][2]

First Crusade

[edit]

According to Orderic, Edgar was the commander of an English fleet which operated off the coast of the region of Syria in support of the First Crusade, whose crews eventually burned their dilapidated ships and joined the advance by land to Jerusalem.[22][non-primary source needed] This is doubtful, for this fleet is known to have arrived off the Syrian coast by March 1098; since Edgar invaded Scotland late in 1097, he could not have made the voyage in the time available. It may be though that he travelled overland to the Mediterranean and joined the fleet en route; this is the view taken by Runciman.[23] William of Malmesbury recorded that Edgar made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1102, and it may be that Orderic's report is the product of confusion, conflating the expedition of the English fleet with Edgar's later journey. Some modern historians have suggested that at some point during these years Edgar served in the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Empire, a unit which was at that time composed primarily of English emigrants, but this is unsupported by evidence. William of Malmesbury stated that on his way back from Jerusalem, Edgar was given rich gifts by both the Byzantine and the German emperors, each of whom offered him an honoured place at court, but that he insisted on returning home instead.[24][non-primary source needed]

Later life

[edit]

Back in Europe, Edgar again took the side of Robert Curthose in the internal struggles of the Norman dynasty, this time against Robert's youngest brother, who was now Henry I, King of England. He was taken prisoner in the final defeat at the Battle of Tinchebray in 1106, which resulted in Robert being imprisoned for the rest of his life. Edgar was more fortunate: having been taken back to England, he was pardoned and released by King Henry.[25][26] His niece Edith (renamed Matilda), daughter of Malcolm III and Margaret, had married Henry in 1100. Edgar is believed to have travelled to Scotland once more late in life, perhaps around the year 1120. He lived to see the death at sea in November 1120 of William Adelin, the son of his niece Edith and heir to Henry I. Edgar was still alive in 1125, according to William of Malmesbury, who wrote at the time that Edgar "now grows old in the country in privacy and quiet".[3] Edgar died some time after this contemporary reference, but the exact date and the location of his grave are not known.

According to a 1291 Huntingdon Priory Chronicle, Edgar had one child, Margaret Lovel, who was the wife of firstly Ralph Lovel II, of Castle Cary and secondly of Robert de Londres, both of whom had estates in southern Scotland.[27]

There are two references to an "Edgar Adeling" found in the Magnus Rotulus Pipae Northumberland (Pipe rolls) for the years 1158 and 1167.[28] Historian Edward Freeman, writing in The History of the Norman Conquest of England, says that this was the same Edgar (aged over 100), a son of his, or some other person known by the title Ætheling.[2]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Also spelt Æþeling, Aetheling, Atheling, or Etheling.
  2. ^ The title Ætheling denotes a prince eligible for the throne.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Edgar Ætheling". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/8465. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "The House of Wessex". www.englishmonarchs.co.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b Connolly, Sharon Bennett (10 December 2016). "Edgar – The Boy Who Wouldn't Be King". History... the interesting bits!. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Claimants to the English throne in 1066". BBC. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  5. ^ Licence, Tom (2017). "Edward the Confessor and the Succession Question: a Fresh Look at the Evidence". Anglo-Norman Studies. 39: 126. ISSN 0954-9927.
  6. ^ Higham, Nicholas (2013). "The Transformation of Anglo-Saxon England". In Higham, Nicholas J.; Ryan, Martin J. (eds.). The Anglo-Saxon World. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. p. 397. ISBN 978-0-300-12534-4.
  7. ^ Douglas, David C. (1964). William the Conqueror: The Norman Impact Upon England. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. pp. 204–205. ISBN 9780520003484. OCLC 399137.
  8. ^ Hook, Walter Farquhar (1860). Lives of the Archbishops of Canterbury, Vol. 1: The Anglo-Saxon Period. London. pp. 515–516. Retrieved 27 June 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ a b c "Edgar The Aetheling | Anglo-Saxon prince". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  10. ^ Tyler, Moses Coit (1899). Library of Universal History. New York. p. 1841. Retrieved 27 June 2017.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  11. ^ Rollason, David (2003). Northumbria, 500–1100: Creation and Destruction of a Kingdom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 283. ISBN 9780521813358. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  12. ^ Aird, William M. (1998). St Cuthbert and the Normans: The Church of Durham, 1071–1153. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell. p. 75. ISBN 9780851156156. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  13. ^ Oram, Richard (2011). Domination and Lordship: Scotland, 1070–1230. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 17. ISBN 9780748687688. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  14. ^ Clemoes, Peter; Keynes, Simon; Lapidge, Michael (1985). Anglo-Saxon England, Volume 14. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 205. ISBN 9780521038386. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  15. ^ Clemoes. Anglo-Saxon. p. 206.
  16. ^ Hale, Betty. "History of Prince Edgar & his Claim to the English Throne". Britannia. Archived from the original on 10 December 2006. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  17. ^ Donald Henson, The English Elite in 1066: gone but not forgotten (Thetford 2001), pp. 24–26
  18. ^ Aird, William M. (2008). Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy: c. 1050–1134. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell & Brewer. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-84383-310-9.
  19. ^ Aird, William M. (2008). Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy: c. 1050–1134. Woodbridge, UK: Boydell & Brewer. pp. 144–145. ISBN 978-1-84383-310-9.
  20. ^ Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, pp. 227–28, 230; Florence of Worcester, pp. 152–54
  21. ^ Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, p. 234; Florence of Worcester, p. 157
  22. ^ Orderic, vol. 5, pp. 270–73
  23. ^ Runciman, History of the Crusades 1968 (1951) Vol 1, pp. 227–228 note, and p. 255)
  24. ^ William of Malmesbury, A History of the Norman Kings (1066–1125), with the Historia Novella or history of his own times (1126–1142), tr. John Sharp (London 1854), pp. 237–238
  25. ^ Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, p. 241
  26. ^ Timpson, Trevor. "'England's darling' and Scotland's saint", BBC News, 20 October 2016
  27. ^ Barrow, G.W.S. (2003). Proceedings of the Battle Conference 2002. Boydell Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-0-85115-941-6.
  28. ^ Freeman, Edward A. The History of the Norman Conquest of England (1869), Vol. III, p. 766, citing Hodgson, J., and Hinde, J.H., History of Northumberland (1820–1858), Part III, Vol. III, pp. 3, 11
[edit]
Edgar Ætheling
Born: ca 1051 Died: ca 1126
English royalty
Preceded by — DISPUTED —
King of England
1066
Reason for dispute:
Proclaimed but not crowned,
due to Norman Conquest 		Succeeded by
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