Edwy the Fair
955-959
The fifteen year old Edwy, or Edwig, the eldest son of the former King
Edmund the Elder and St. Elgiva, succeeded his uncle Edred to the throne of England in the year 955.
Edwy was reputed to be an extremely good-looking youth and is remembered for preferring the charms of the fair lady Elgifu's bedroom to his seat in the council chamber. St. Dunstan, angered by the King's neglect of duty, dragged him back. Edwy was never to forgive this assault on his royal dignity and thereafter detested Dunstan.
Edwy later married Elfgifu, but it seems that his attraction for the lady only lead him into more trouble, she was said to be the daughter of his former mistress and step-mother, Ethelgiva. The marriage was considered uncanonical by the church and he was made to banish her from the court by Archbishop Odo who imposed this separation on the couple on the grounds that they were too closely related.
The fires of the King's active dislike for Dunstan were fuelled by the vindictive Elgifu. Dunstan retired to his cloister, but the monk's abbey was plundered by the King's forces. Dunstan fled for his life, though hotly pursued, he managed to reach the continent where he took up residence at a monastery at Ghent, wisely remaining there for the rest of Edwy's short reign. This naturally did not endear Edwy to the church.
Edwy, never a particularly pleasant character, was rash and profligate. The King shamefully stripped his grandmother, Edgiva, (the widow of King Edward the Elder ) of all her possessions and seems to have made himself further unpopular by enforcing unpopular high taxes and displaying a preference for Wessex over the other provinces he ruled.
Judging from the large number of charters granted in his reign, Edwy appears to have been lavish in the granting of privileges.
The Mercians and Northumbrians, frustrated at Edwy's policies, rose in rebellion. The rebels were lead by his brother Edgar and Archbishop Odo of Canterbury, to whom the King had displayed an active dislike. Edwy met them at Gloucester but was defeated and forced to flee. Elgiva was branded and tortured, badly scaring her face, she died shortly after. A meeting was arranged by the men of Kent and Wessex, to sue for peace. In the ensueing negotiations, the Witan forced Edwy to accept his brother, Edgar as King of all the area north of the Thames.
Edwy was possibly murdered, on 1st October, 959 after only a four year reign, he was never particularly popular was not greatly mourned by his subjects.