General Notes

Ruled Wessex, 855-20 December 860.

Athelbald was the eldest son of ATHELWOLF (unless the mysterious ATHELSTAN was also Athelwolf's son), and was probably born about the year 831 or 832. He is first mentioned as fighting alongside his father at the battle of Acleah in 851, where they defeated a host of Danes. On his father's abdication in 855, Athelbald became king of Wessex, supported by Ealhstan the bishop of Sherborne, and with his younger brother ATHELBERT as king of Kent. There is no doubt that Athelbald was a strong and determined king, probably more ambitious than his father, inheriting some of the grit of his grandfather EGBERT. When the following year Athelwolf returned, perhaps unexpectedly, from his pilgrimage to Rome, Athelbald refused to concede the kingdom to him, and Athelwolf retired to Kent. After his father's death, Athelbald caused a scandal by marrying his step-mother, Judith, the daughter of Charles the Bald, king of the Franks. Since Judith had been crowned queen, Athelbald may well have believed that this confirmed further authority on his position and upon his likely children. He was twenty-seven and Judith was only fifteen, and there was every likelihood of a long reign and many children. However the church frowned on the marriage and within a year it was annulled. Judith returned to Francia where, six years later, she married Baldwin, count of Flanders. Their son, Baldwin, married Elfreda, the daughter of ALFRED THE GREAT. Athelbald lived only another year after this, dying in December 860, probably of an illness. He was buried at Sherborne Abbey.