Eadred Ætheling -

Notes:

Biography:
Æthelred the Unready was a mistranslation of his name. It actually should be Æthelred the Bad Counsel. Æthelred means noble counsel so his name means Noble Counsel the Bad Counsel. It may have been given to him based on the bad advice he had received from his advisors.
Æthelred was only about 10 when he followed his murdered half brother to the throne. Since Æthelred's mother was implicated in the murder, Æthelred did not receive the full support of his subjects. The first couple years of his reign were quit, but in 980 England was under attack by the Danes again. Little by little the Danes took more and more territory until 1002 when Æthelred ordered all the Danes in the country to be massacred in St. Brice's Day. That infuriated Sweyn, the Danish King, and in 1013 Sweyn over through Æthelred and made himself King of England. Æthelred was in exile in Normandy. When Sweyn died a year later, Æthelred was allowed to return as long as he promised to be a better King and not take any retribution. Æthelred was able to force Sweyn's son out. Shortly after that, the Danes were back and Æthelred had died.

Æthelred married Ælfgifu of York - about 985. Ælfgifu (daughter of Thored -) was born about 970; died in 1002. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Biography:
Ælfgifu was the first wife of Æthelred but was never given the title of Queen like her mother-in-law. It's not clear who her parents were, but she was supposed to have been from a noble English family. She had six sons and between two and five daughters.

Notes:

Biography:
His reign was from 1 October 959 through 8 July 975.
It was Edgar's reign that was peaceful, not necessarily Edgar. While his older brother was still king, Edgar seized the Kingdoms of Northumbria and Mercia and when his brother died young, Edgar became king. England was at the height of its power under the house of Wessex. There were few external threats and no internal ones.
In 973, 14 years after he became king, Edgar arranged for a lavish coronation, more so than any in the past and is still used as the model for coronation ceremonies today. As part of the ceremony, six of the other kings of Britain, including the King of Scots and the King of Strathclyde pledged their allegiance to Edgar. As part of the coronation, his new wife Ælfthryth was the first queen to be officially crowned.
After Edgar, the power of the House of Wessex started to wane and none of the pre-Norman kings took the throne uncontested.

Edgar married Ælfthryth -, Queen of the Kingdom of England in 965. Ælfthryth (daughter of Ealdorman Ordgar of Devon -) was born in 945; died in 1000. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Biography:
Ælfthryth was the first second or third wife of Edgar. Edgar had a son, a daughter and a son again through three different woman, but it was only Ælfthryth that we know he was married to. Her son Æthelred was called legitimate son of the king while the king while Edward, the older brother, was called the son of the king.
Ælfthryth was an ambitious queen. There is an interesting story of how she became queen. She was known throughout the land the first wife of a king to be crowned queen. She was known throughout the kingdom for her beauty (and probably political connections). Edgar sent his aid Æthewald to see if Ælfthryth was as beautiful as they said. If so, Edgar would marry her. Æthewald found she was so beautiful that he decided to marry her himself. When Edgar heard about this he demanded to see her. Æthewald told Ælfthryth to make herself look ugly for the King but instead she looked her best. Edgar ended up killing Æthelwald while a hunt and married Ælfthryth for himself.
Ælfthryth was the first wife of an English King to actually be crowned Queen. When Edgar died, Edward was just entering adult age and her son Æthelred was still very young. It was not clear who Edgar wanted to follow him so Ælfthryth petitioned for Æthelred. Edward was chosen instead. A couple years later when Edward was visiting Ælfthryth some of her servants killed him allowing Æthelred to become queen.

Notes:

Biography:
He was Ealdorman in [southern] Northumbria (York).

Notes:

Biography:
He was King from 27 October 939 through 26 May 946.
Edmund was also known as the Deed-doer, the Just, or the Magnificent. He followed his half brother to the throne and preceded his younger brother. He reigned for only seven years until his death. Shortly after taking the throne he lost much of northern England to King Olaf III Guthfrithson. After Olaf's death in 942, Edmund re-took the territory. In 945 he conquered Strathclyde in what is now southern Scotland. Instead of keeping it he ceded it to King Malcolm I of Scotland in exchange for a mutual defense treaty.
On May 26, 946 during a feast on St Augustine's Mass Day, Edmund spotted exiled thief Leofa in the crowd. When Edmund challenged him, they both ended up dead.

Edmund married Saint Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury - in 940. Ælfgifu (daughter of Wynflæd -) died in 944. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Biography:
Ælfgifu seems to have been unspectacular in life. Like her mother she was associated with nunnery at Shartesbury Abbey. She was not likely ever elevated to the level of queen even though two of her sons went on to be king. Her title was king's concubine (concubine regis). She at or shortly after the time of Edgar's birth.
However, shortly after her death she was made a saint. Many people were cured of their afflictions at her tomb and her powers became famous. Someone in the 970s wrote of a blind man who had traveled to Shaftesbury because “the venerable St Ælfgifu […] at whose tomb many bodies of sick person receive medication through the omnipotence of God”. Her grandson, King and Saint Edward the Martyr who was also buried there did not have nearly as strong a following. In the 12th century William of Malmesbury wrote (in Latin):
For some years she suffered from illness

In his clemency with countless miracles.
If a blind man or a deaf worship at her tomb,
They are restored to health and prove the saint's merits.
He who went there lame comes home firm of step,
The madman returns sane, rich in good sense.

Notes:

Biography:
Ordgar had been a wealthy land owner and the son of an ealdorman. The year his daughter Ælfthryth married King Edgar he was made Ealdorman and may have been one of Edgar's closest advisors.