Królewska matka, żona i kochanka - Aelfgifu z Northampton

Abstract

She was the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon nobleman, the mother of two royal sons, and the concubine of one of the most important rulers of the era. Her fate, political ambitions and family perturbations revolved around her two sons — Cnut and Svein, born to the king of England and Denmark, Cnut the Great. Although we don’t know much about Ælfgifu of Northampton, and historical reality is intertwined with (mostly black) legends, it goes beyond any doubt that this high-born and charismatic woman took part in political games of England and Scandinavia in the first half of the 11th century, thus attracting the attention of history investigators.