ABSTRACT
This chapter offers a biography of Eadgifu, the third consort of King Edward the Elder. Eadgifu is, in many ways, an overlooked figure despite having been a presence in royal politics for nearly 50 years. More than just a queen consort, Eadgifu was queen mother to the kings Edmund I and Eadred, and queen grandmother to the kings Eadwig and Edgar. Eadgifu was, through this time, extremely politically active, supporting the leaders of England’s monastic reforms, Dunstan and Æthelwold (making her way into their hagiographies), witnessing many charters in the reigns of her sons, and herself obtaining and disposing of lands. She did, however, also experience setbacks, apparently being exiled from court during the reigns of her stepson Æthelstan and grandson Eadwig, the latter also depriving her of property. This biography takes especial interest in the life cycle of Eadgifu’s queenship, her lands and prerogatives, her support of the reformers, and the nature of her exiles.
