Athelstan and the making of England
I can describe how Athelstan united his kingdoms to create England.
Athelstan and the making of England
I can describe how Athelstan united his kingdoms to create England.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- In 925, Edward’s son, Athelstan, was consecrated King of Mercia and Wessex with a crown: a new ceremony of coronation.
- In 927, Athelstan captured the last Viking stronghold, York and began to mint coins bearing the title ‘rex Anglorum’.
- The north had not had a southern king; Athelstan assembled the rulers of Scotland and Northumbria to submit to him.
- The Welsh kings already recognised the overlordship of the King of Wessex.
- Athelstan was now the overlord of all of Britain and some historians have called him the first ‘King of England’.
Common misconception
Pupils may think Athelstan easily united the kingdoms to create England.
It is likely that Aethelstan was able to achieve so much due to the success and influence of his father, Edward, and aunt, Aethelflaed.
Keywords
Consecrated - to be consecrated, a ceremony takes place to show you are dedicated to the service and worship of God
Crown - a crown is worn by a monarch (King or Queen) as a symbol of authority
Submit - to submit means to accept the authority of another person
overlordship - overlordship means to have great power or authority over other lords
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
- Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
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