Really not happy with the framing of this. Far too much like a plain textboook. Also, if people want it, I have a list of post-PoD kings, but I can't think of a decent way to show it "In universe"
The Real Royals: The Portrayal of the Early Kings.
By Morwen Aidansholm
Laudenwic Press, 2013
The Real Royals: The Portrayal of the Early Kings.
By Morwen Aidansholm
Laudenwic Press, 2013
It is a common theme in stage and screen that Aedwine manipulated and shaped his half brother Ecgfrith into a compliant, submissive king who would allow Aedwine to remain as regent (Later retitled Lord Minister) for the rest of Aedwine’s life. This has been shaped by such sources as the 15th century plays of Aldred Lichfield and later works such as Steiner’s History of the Early Kingdom. This impression carried on into the Kino show Royals with the calm and sinister portrayal of Aedwine, prone to fits of anger. We do not know for sure how much was true and how much wasn’t. It is possible Ecgfrith was just a quiet person, it is documented that he had a troubled birth and was quite a sickly man, prone to periods where he was stuck in bed.
However if Aedwine did shape and mould Ecgfrith, it could be said that he tried again and failed with his own son, Osred. Osred was born in 684 to Aedwine and Edlyn, daughter of Oswald of Bernicia (Burmecia) whose role appears to be the King’s senior representative in the northern parts of the kingdom, what might later be called a Lord or Thegn. Its recorded that the young Prince Osred (as was his title) would travel with his father on tours of the kingdom. It is recorded in Bede’s History of Britain that Osred, at the age of sixteen, visited Lindisfarne in 700 with Aedwine. He also travelled to the south to be a guest of Aldred, regent of Mercia, following the pronunciation of the unification of the two kingdoms under Aethelfrith’s eventual heir.
Series 5 of Royals portrays Osred as an insecure, violent man who has taken his father’s desires for him as almost divine providence that he should rule. This isn’t recorded in any journals or records of the time it is recorded that following the death of Aedwine in 705 (and seen in Royals season 5, episode 1) he was made Lord Minister. It could be argued this fits with the image of Aedwine being obsessed with his legacy and overcoming his illegitimate birth. It wasn’t just Osred, Aedwine had two daughters, who he had married to nobles both within and outside of Northumbria and he many noblemen loyal to him.
Osred’s first test was in putting down an army of Britons in the Hrybeorgs(1). He lead the army out from Bamburgh and was defeated in a crushing blow that left the lands west of the Hrybeorgs free from Northumbrian (then Anglish) rule for several decades. Osred did however escape with his life and perhaps inflicted significant damage on on the British army as they didn’t actually cross into Northumbria proper. Far from stabbing people for disagreeing with him or hanging men for treason out of paranoia and delusions, it is recorded that Osred was known for having a temper. Later mishandling of military and diplomatic occasions have been recorded. When discussing what to be done with the city of Glecaster in , Bede again records in book three of his History of Britain.
But with fire in his heart and anger in his mind Prince Osred left negotiations with the King of Wessex without conclusion to the disagreements over Glecaster as he could not find any accommodation from that king of the south west.
But other historians of the time, (who continued in Bede’s tradition) such as Moira of Hereford give the a different portrayal
Prince Osred marched North back to Bambrugh, King Ine of Wessex later stated in court that the Prince was “stubborn and angry child who would have Wessex for himself”
Although it should be noted that Moira of Hereford was known to be a recipient of King Ine’s patronage so some bias may be expected.
The other thing the Aedwine didn’t neccesarily account for was Eanfrith, who reigned as the first offocial King of Angland from 709 onwards (as portrayed in the finale of series five of Royals). Eanfrith didn’t have the same quite and reserved demeanor that his father and grandfather had and instead took more after his mother Cynedryth of Mercia. Osred failed to or simply didnt try to overturn Aethelfrith’s decree in 710 that the capital be moved to Dunholm, for a more central position compared to Bamburgh given the incorporation of Mercia into the King’s lands. Eanfrith is recorded as putting down Pictish rebellions in the North of Angland with armies directly under his command. He also made multiple decrees over the next few years about establishment of abbies and assigning people to positions of state, something that under the two previous kings was carried out by the Lord Minister.
Osred died in 717 and historical myth as well as the show Royals suggest Eanfrith poisoned Osred. Although tests on Osred’s remains in Dunholm Abbey have found evidence of poison, it is conjecture to say it was Eanfrith who did it. What is known and recorded (Again by Bede) Eanfrith was quick to abolish the role of Lord Minister and once again became directly involved in running the kingdom (At least, directly). Eanfrith ruled from Dunholm as sole supreme power of his Kingdom of the Anglish, stretching from the Severn to the Forth and with his marriage to Cwenburgh of East Angliain 716 , east to the Danish sea.
- OTL Pennines, my awful old english bastardisation of “Spine Hills”