Aelfthryth, Queen of England (945-1000/1)

Aelfthryth (for the purpose of this story, let’s call her Elf.) came from good stock, and was said to be extremely beautiful. King Edgar (also known as Edgar the Peaceful) heard of her beauty and send his right-hand-man (Aethelwald) to go check her out.

Aethelwald fell madly in love with Elf and wanted to marry her himself- and after telling her to “unpretty” herself for the king’s visit, his attempts failed and Edgar married Elf in 965. King Edgar already had a son named Edward (Eddie), so Elf took him under her wing and also gave birth to a boy Aethelred (let’s call him Red.)

Elf had some serious pull on the King, so eventually King Edgar decided to have a huge coronation in which Queen Elf was consecrated and given loads of power and wealth.

When the King died at the age of 32, his first son Eddie was crowned king. But Elf wasn’t having it, so in 978, Eddie was invited to visit Elf and Red at Corfe Castle. When he arrived, he was charged at the gate and stabbed to death. Red ascended to the throne and everyone was happy or dead. Although- it is said that Elf beat up Red with a candlestick for not showing his appreciation of her efforts.

Eddie was posthumously renamed “Edward the Martyr” and Elf is depicted in history as a stereotypical evil queen and stepmother. She died in either 1000 or 1001 at Wherwell Abbey.