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The Forgotten Founder: Why England's First King Was Sidelined by History facebook sharing buttontwitter sharing buttonwhatsapp sharing
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button 29-09-2025 02:37 PM


Ammon News -|athelstan (pronounced like the "a" in cat), the first king
to unite the disparate Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into what we now know as
England, has been surprisingly absent from historical memory, despite
his renowned status across Europe during his lifetime. The 1,100th
anniversary of his coronation in September 2025 highlights the need to re-examine the legacy of this pivotal, yet mysterious, monarch.

The Creation of England
|athelstan, the grandson of Alfred the Great, continued the military
expansion initiated by his father, Edward the Elder. Upon EdwardrCOs death
in 924 AD, |athelstan secured control of the kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons.

His key achievement came in 927 AD, when he peacefully took over
Northumbria following the death of its Viking rulerrCoa strategic consolidation that brought the previously separate regions of Wessex,
Mercia, and Northumbria under a single crown. This act made him the
first king of all England. Historians affirm that |athelstan was fully
aware of the new, unified realm he had created.

The unity of his kingdom was tested and affirmed at the Battle of
Brunanburh in 937 AD, where he decisively defeated a large alliance of Vikings, Scots, and Strathclyde Welsh.

An Outward-Looking and Diverse Realm
|athelstanrCOs England was far from the homogeneous culture sometimes incorrectly depicted, according to historians. His reign was
characterized by a cosmopolitan flair and diversity.

Cultural Mix: Royal Assemblies included people speaking a multiplicity
of languagesrCoincluding Old Welsh, Old Norse, Old English, and LatinrCoreflecting the kingdom's diverse makeup.

Foreign Policy: He actively pursued deep ties with Europe, marrying
several of his half-sisters into ruling European houses and encouraging scholars to visit England.

Historians, such as Professor David Woodman, caution against using the
term "Anglo-Saxon" due to its modern association with far-right groups
who falsely portray the 10th-century culture as one-dimensional. The
evidence points to a culturally varied and outward-looking society.

Overshadowed by Alfred
Despite his monumental achievements, |athelstan quickly faded from
popular consciousness after his death in 939 AD. While the kingdom
briefly fragmented, the idea of a unified England was later permanently restored by 954 AD.

The primary reason for his obscurity is a lack of contemporary
biographers. His grandfather, Alfred the Great, benefited from a
surviving biography written during his lifetime, which provided a wealth
of sources that brought him to life. |athelstan simply lacked a major contemporary account, making the task of reconstructing his life
challenging for later historians.

Nonetheless, |athelstan's legacy endures. He was an intellectually
curious king who established centralized oversight for governance, cared deeply about his royal image, and pioneered traditionsrCosuch as the
wearing of a crownrCothat remain central to the monarchy today. Many of
the prayers and rituals used in King Charles III's 2023 coronation were
the same as those performed at |athelstan's ceremony 1,100 years earlier.


BBC



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