Ealdgyth Edith OF MERCIA [7066] ¹⁶⁶⁷

   FamilySearch ID: 9CW5-JNL.

  General Notes:

Ealdgyth, was the daughter of Ælfgar, Earl of East Anglia and Earl of Mercia, and his wife Ælfgifu, sister of William Malet, Lord of Eye. She had 3 brothers: oldest brother Burgheard who died in 1061, Edwin, who became Earl of Mercia, and Morcar, who became Earl of Northumbria.

Ealdgyth's father, Ælfgar, was made Earl of East Anglia in 1051, when Earl Godwin of Wessex and his sons were exiled from England. When the Godwins were allowed to return, Ælfgar was deprived of his lands and in 1055 he was exiled. Ælfgar went to Ireland and then to Wales were his ally King Gruffydd ap Llywelyn agreed to join forces with him against King Edward of England.

It was about this time (or before) that Ealdgyth married Gruffydd ap Llywelyn, becoming his 2nd wife. It is not known if the marriage was to cement the alliance of Ælfgar and Gruffydd or if Gruffydd supported Ælfgar because he was already married to his daughter. It is thought Ælfgar and Gruffydd were already allied before Ælfgar was exiled. Ealdgyth may have gone to Wales before 1052 when Ælfgar lost his lands to the Godwins.

With his son in laws aid, Ælfgar was restored to his earldom and a peace treaty with England was made. Ealdgyth's father and husband remained allies until Ælfgar's death in 1062.

Gruffydd had children from his previous marriage, which are sometimes reported to be Ealdgyth's. However, Ealdgyth and Gruffydd are only recorded as having one child together, a daughter:

- Nest verch Gruffydd, married Osbern fitzRichard of Richard's Castle.

Gruffydd's sons Maredudd and Idwal are sometimes thought to have been Ealdgyth's children as well, however, this is unlikely.
They both died in 1069 at the Battle of Mechain. If Ealdgyth and Gruffydd married in 1055, as is thought, then if Maredudd and Idwal were born of this marriage, they would have been far too young to have fought in the battle in 1069.

After Ælfgar's death, in late 1062, Harold Godwinson, on the authority of King Edward the Confessor, launched a surprise attack on Gruffydd's court at Rhuddlan. Gruffydd was nearly captured but managed to escape. It is not known what Ealdgyth did at this time, it is believed she remained at Rhuddlan, and was taken into custody by Harold Godwinson, to be used as hostage against Gruffydd if needed.

Gruffydd took refuge in Snowdonia but was pursued by Tostig Godwinson, Harold's brother. He was killed there on August 5, 1063, and Tostig sent his head to Harold.

Most likely Ealdgyth was delivered to England to forestall retaliation by Wales, however she arrived there, by force or willingly, Ealdgyth is believed to have been at the court of Edward the Confessor by 1064.

Between 1064 and 1066 Ealdgyth married Harold Godwinson, the enemy of her husband Gruffydd. This is believed to have been an entirely political marriage, to increase Harold's power and support.

Ealdgyth was Harold's 2nd wife, he had been in a common-law marriage for over 20 years to Edith the Fair, also called Edith Swan-neck. Because Harold's first marriage was not recognized by the church, Edith the Fair was considered (by the church) to be his mistress, and therefore Harold was free to marry Ealdgyth in a canonized church sanctioned marriage. However, Harold did not set aside Edith the Fair or his children by her.

Because some sources record Edith the Fair as Harold's 1st wife and others only as his mistress, and Ealdgyth of Mercia is also recorded as his both his 1st wife and 2nd wife, the 2 women are often confused with each other and mistakenly believed to be the same person.

EALDGYTH OF MERCIA IS NOT THE SAME AS EDITH/EADGYTH SWAN-NECK.
CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN NOT TO CONFUSE THEM.

Ealdgyth and Harold were only married for a short time, possibly less than a year. But during that time Ealdgyth is believed to have become pregnant.

England's King Edward the Confessor died on 5 January 1066, having endorsed Harold Godwinson, Edward's brother-in-law, as his successor. He supposedly commended his widow (Harold's sister) and the kingdom to Harold's "protection". England faced invasion by William of Normandy (William the Conqueror). Edward's young kinsman Edgar Aethling was thought to be too young to command an army and Harold Godwinson was voted in as the new King of England, becoming King Harold II.

Ealdgyth, who had been Queen consort of Wales, then became Queen consort of England.

King Harold met William the Conqueror in battle at Hastings on 14 October 1066 and was killed, his forces defeated.

Queen Ealdgyth was now widowed for a second time.

It was Harold's common-law wife, Edith Swanneck, that was summoned to identify his body on the battlefield, not Queen Ealdgyth. However, Ealdgyth's maternal uncle William Malet claimed Harold's body and delivered it supposedly to Harold's mother for burial.

Upon Harold's death, Ealdgyth's brothers Edwin and Morcar swept her out of London and to Chester where it was thought she would be more safe. It is believed that she was pregnant at this time, and that sometime later in 1066/67 she gave birth to Harold's youngest child, a boy she named Harold after his deceased father.

It is not known what happened to Ealdgyth after this. Her brothers Edwin and Morcar submitted to William the Conqueror, and the newly crowned King kept the Earls at his court, even taking them to Normandy with him. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, the better to keep an eye on them. They left in 1068 and immediately rebelled against King William and were taken into custody.

Ealdgyth's parents were dead, her father died in 1062 and her mother before that because Ælfgar had married a 2nd time. Her grandfather Leofric had died in 1057, it is possible her grandmother Godiva was still living, Ealdgyth may have stayed with her for a time but fled before the forces of King William I could find her. It is believed that Ealdgyth most likely left the country with Harold's mother and sister, probably going first to Ireland with all of Harold's younger children. They probably found sanctuary eventually in Norway, at the court of the Norse king. It is known that Ealdgyth's son, Harold Haroldsson, was there in 1098 when he accompanied King Magnus III of Norway on an expedition to Orkney, the Hebrides, the Isle of Man and Anglesey.

It is not known when Ealdgyth died, only that it was after 1066 and the birth of Harold. The location of her burial is also not known.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Title Of Nobility: Queen Consort of England; Queen Consort of Wales, on an unknown date,. ¹⁶⁷⁰

2. Title Of Nobility: Countess of Northumbria, on an unknown date,. ¹⁶⁷⁰

3. Title Of Nobility: Queen of England and Wales, on an unknown date,. ¹⁶⁷⁰

4. WIDOWED WHEN GRUFFYDD KILLED BY FORCES OF HAROLD GODWINSON: After escaping a surprise attack by the forces of Harold Godwinson in 1062, Gruffydd lost his head to Harold's brother in Snowdonia on 5 August 1063., on 5 August 1063, in Snowdonia, Wales. ¹⁶⁷⁰

5. YOUNGEST OF 3 SISTERS ALL NAMED "AELFLEDA": Simeon of Durham identifies 3 daughters of Ealdred who were named "Aelfleda", this is the youngest, on an unknown date,. ¹⁶⁷⁰

6. MARR: in 1064, in York, , Yorkshire, England. ¹⁶⁷⁰

7. TAKEN TO CHESTER FOR SAFETY: At the news of Harold's death, Ealdgyth's brothers went to London to fetch her and immediately sent her to Chester for shelter. It is unknown what happened to her thereafter., on 14 October 1066, in Cheshire, England. ¹⁶⁷⁰

8. MARRIED 2X: 1st husband Gruffydd ap Llywelyn (as his 2nd wife), 2nd husband Harold Godwinson, on an unknown date,. ¹⁶⁷⁰

9. MARRIED FOR SECOND TIME TO MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR GRUFFYDD'S DEATH: Ealdgyth married for a 2nd time to Harold Godwinson. The marriage was likely politically motivated and is believed to have occurred shortly before or after he became king in January 1066., about January 1066, in London, , Greater London, England. ¹⁶⁷⁰

Ealdgyth married Gruffydd AP LLEWELYN King of Wales [7065] [MRIN: 5548], son of Llewelyn ap Seisyll King Of Gwynedd Powys and Deheubarth [7073] and Angharad ferch MAREDYDD [7074], about 1055.¹⁶⁶⁹ (Gruffydd AP LLEWELYN King of Wales [7065] was born about 1010 in Gwynedd, , , Wales,¹⁶⁶⁷ died on 5 August 1063 in , , , Wales ¹⁶⁶⁷ and was buried in 1063 in Abbey-Cwmhir, , Radnor, Wales ¹⁶⁶⁷.)

Ealdgyth next married Harold II King of England [7205] [MRIN: 5587] in 1064 in York, , Yorkshire, England. (Harold II King of England [7205] was born in 1022 in Thanet, Kent, England, United Kingdom ¹⁶⁷⁰, christened in Isle of Thanet, Kent, England,¹⁶⁷⁰ died on 14 October 1066 in Battle of Hastings, Battle, Sussex, England ¹⁶⁷⁰ and was buried after 14 October 1066 in Waltham Abbey, Essex, England ¹⁶⁷⁰.)

  Marriage Notes:

Between 1064 and 1066 Ealdgyth married Harold Godwinson, the enemy of her husband Gruffydd. This is believed to have been an entirely political marriage, to increase Harold's power and support.