2021-07-08 Thu

Edgar was King of the English from 959 until his death. He was the younger son of Edmund I and Elfgifu of Shaftesbury, and came to the throne as a teenager, following the death of his older brother Eadwig.

As king, Edgar further consolidated the political unity achieved by his predecessors, with his reign being noted for its relative stability. His most trusted advisor was Dunstan, whom he recalled from exile and made Archbishop of Canterbury. The pinnacle of Edgar's reign was his coronation at Bath in 973, which was organised by Dunstan and forms the basis for the current coronation ceremony. After his death, he was succeeded by his son Edward, although the succession was disputed.

While Edgar may not have been a particularly peaceable man, his reign was peaceful. The Kingdom of England was well established, and Edgar consolidated the political unity achieved by his predecessors. By the end of his reign, England was sufficiently unified that it was unlikely to regress back to a state of division among rival kingships, as it had to an extent under the reign of Eadred. William Blackstone mentions that King Edgar standardised measures throughout the realm.

Depicted here is a coin of Edgar, struck in Winchcombe.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org