The Lady of the Mercians
Michael Wood uncovers the story of Alfred's daughter Aethelflaed, who led armies, campaigned against the Vikings and was a brilliant diplomat.
In this second episode, Alfred's children continue the family plan to create a kingdom of all the English.
The tale begins with a savage civil war in a bleak decade of snow and famine, culminating in an epic victory over the Vikings near Wolverhampton in 910. Filmed in the Fens and Winchester, Gloucester, Oxford and Rome, the key figure in this episode is Alfred's daughter Aethelflaed, the ruler of Mercia. Michael Wood recovers her story from a copy of a lost chronicle written in Mercia in her lifetime which, in the film, we hear read in Old English.
One of the great forgotten figures in British history, Aethelflaed led armies, built fortresses, campaigned against the Vikings and was a brilliant diplomat. Her fame spread across the British Isles, beloved by her warriors and her people she was known simply as 'the Lady of the Mercians'. Without her, concludes Wood, 'England might never have happened'.
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Aethelflaed enters the story
Duration: 03:55
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Michael Wood |
Writer | Michael Wood |
Series Producer | Rebecca Dobbs |
Broadcasts
- Tue 13 Aug 2013 21:00
- Wed 14 Aug 2013 03:00
- Thu 15 Aug 2013 22:15
- Mon 27 Jan 2014 20:00
- Tue 28 Jan 2014 00:20
- Tue 19 Aug 2014 20:00
- Wed 20 Aug 2014 02:00
- Fri 22 Aug 2014 00:00
- Wed 28 Sep 2016 20:00
- Fri 28 Jul 2017 00:30
- Tue 24 Apr 2018 20:00
- Tue 25 Feb 2020 20:00