Edmund was the son of Edward the Elder, and the grandson of Alfred the Great. Edmund ascended to the throne in 939 at the age of 18, following the death of his elder half-brother King Aethelstan.
Edmund’s reign was a short one, lasting just shy of seven years. It was dominated by war and threats of Danish invasion. Additionally, there was a tense political atmosphere in England during this time, meaning that many people’s opinions of Edmund were rather sour. However, not all of Edmund’s reign was bad – he managed to stabilise the English borders, improve relations with Scotland, and oversaw the rebirth of the monasteries, which began to pop up around England with astonishing speed!
In 946 Edmund was assassinated by an exiled thief named Leofa, whilst attending Mass. Edmund was only twenty five years old. He was buried at Glastonbury Abbey, which has since been destroyed, his tomb with it. Although Edmund did have two male heirs, the throne passed to his brother Eadred, as his sons were deemed to young to rule.
