(no subject)

[naath]

Died on this day in 902 Ealhswith (my toy,wikipedia). Wife of Alfred the Great. The daughter of Mercian nobles Ealswith is not recorded as taking part in ruling the country, after Alfred's death she founded a nunnery.

Born on this day in 1755 Charlotte of Hesse-Darmstadt (my toy,wikipedia). Wife of the brother of Charlotte who married George III. Her husband Charles had previous been married to her sister (who unfortunately died), which seems a very strange arrangement to me. The lived in Hanover, where Charles was governor-general for George III until her death (after her death he moved to live with her mother).

Comments

[heliopausa]

Her husband married his deceased wife's sister! Did they have to get a special dispensation? (From whom?)

[naath]

Well, they were Lutherans so I guess the Pope wasn't going to get any say in the matter.

[pavanne.livejournal.com]

So Ealhswith is the slightly older lady hanging out with Alfred in The Last Kingdom on BBC at the moment? I had not caught her name, and had I done so would not have been able to spell it.

(TLK is really good, by the way. Although I am a bit biased, being a Wessex person by birth and inclination and therefore willing to forgive them for being religious nutcases).

[naath.livejournal.com]

I expect she is, Alfred only had the one wife. The spelling probably wasn't consistent throughout her life, spelling in general being rather more mutable at the time.

I've not been watching it, perhaps I should.