Return to Table of Contents
365. Edgar Atheling
was born in 1053 in Hungary. He died in 1110. From Encyclopedia Britannica
Online, article titled "Edward the Atheling:"
"Anglo-Saxon prince, who, at the age of about 15, was proposed as king of
England after the death of Harold II in the Battle of Hastings (Oct. 14, 1066)
but instead served the first two Norman kings, William I, Harold's conqueror,
and William II. His title of aetheling (an Anglo-Saxon prince, especially the
heir apparent) indicates he was a prince of the royal family; he was a grandson
of King Edmund II Ironside.
"After the Norman Conquest, Edgar submitted to William I, although the new
king was occupied until 1069 in crushing rebellions in favour of the aetheling.
Edgar lived in Scotland (1068-72) with his brother-in-law, King Malcolm III Canmore,
and then went into exile when William and Malcolm came to terms. In 1074 he submitted
to William again, and in 1086 he led a Norman force sent by William to conquer
Apulia, in southern Italy.
"Under William II Rufus, Edgar was deprived of his Norman lands in 1091,
giving Malcolm an excuse for raiding the north of England. Edgar then mediated
between the two kings. In 1097, acting on William's orders, he overthrew Malcolm's
brother and successor, Donald Bane, a foe of the Normans, and installed Malcolm's
son Edgar on the throne of Scotland. About 1102 he went on a crusade to the Holy
Land. He sided with Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, against Henry I in the
struggle for the English crown. Edgar was captured by Henry in the Battle of
Tinchebrai (Sept. 28, 1106), was released, and spent the rest of his life in
obscurity."