Edward the Martyr (jul 9, 975 – mar 18, 978)

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Edward was the eldest son of King Edgar the Peaceful but was not his father's acknowledged heir, as he was possibly illegitimate. On Edgar's death, the leadership of England was contested, with some supporting Edward's claim to be king and others supporting his younger half-brother Æthelred the Unready, recognized as a legitimate son of Edgar by Aelfhryth. Edward was chosen as king and was crowned by his main clerical supporters, the archbishops Dunstan of Canterbury and Oswald of Worcester. Edward's short reign was brought to an end by his murder in 978. A number of lives of Edward were written in the centuries following his death in which he was portrayed as a martyr, generally seen as a victim of the Queen Dowager Ælfthryth, mother of Æthelred.

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