Aethelflaed: Lady of the Mercians with Tim Clarkson at Derby Museums

Aethelflaed, the Lady of the Mercians – talk by Tim Clarkson

The subject of this talk is Aethelflaed, the Lady of the Mercians, daughter of King Alfred the Great. She was born c. 869 and died in 918. History remembers her as a strong ruler who successfully defended her people at a time when Viking armies had conquered a large part of England. Despite being one of the most important figures in early English history, her story is rarely told. In recent years, many more people have become aware of her, partly because of her portrayal in the television series The Last Kingdom. Here, Tim Clarkson discusses Aethelflaed’s life and achievements, drawing on research he undertook for a biography published in 2018, the 1100th anniversary of her death.

Tim Clarkson is an independent researcher and historian who writes about the early medieval period. He has an MPhil in archaeology and a PhD in medieval history, both from the University of Manchester. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and has worked on a number of heritage projects at Govan near Glasgow. He is the author of several books including Strathclyde and the Anglo-Saxons in the Viking Age and Columba: Pilgrim, Priest and Patron Saint.