How England misplaced its first king

In his lifetime, the first king of England was renowned throughout Europe. But over the centuries, he has been sidelined by ...
The Conversation

It’s a myth that England was created on the battlefield – most of it happened at the negotiating table

Clare Downham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond ...
Smithsonian Magazine

These Ninth-Century Coins Change Our Understanding of Alfred the Great

Ninth-century coins taken from Craig Best upon his arrest Durham Police Several years ago, police in England conducted a dramatic sting operation to recover 44 missing ninth-century coins. Now, two ...
The New Criterion

The man who would be king

On The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom, by David Woodman. England is old. The history of its foundation remains shrouded in mystery and the allure of myth. Undeniably the ...
Archaeology

The Kings’ Dues

Clockwise from top left: Silver penny of Offa, Anglo-Saxon king of Mercia (front and back); silver coin of Cynethryth, Anglo-Saxon queen of Mercia (front and back); silver penny of Alfred the Great, ...
The New York Times

How an Old Laptop Is Transformed Into 9-Karat Gold Earrings

For more than a thousand years, the primary purpose of Britain’s Royal Mint has been to make coins. It has forged into metal the likeness of England’s kings and queens from Alfred the Great, the ninth ...
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Æthelflæd – The Lady of the Mercians

Æthelflæd, daughter of Alfred the Great, ruled Mercia in the early 10th century, defending it from Viking invasion and forging alliances that shaped England’s future. What Trump’s £150bn investment in ...