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Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, chosen by Tom Holland

Historian Tom Holland chooses the daughter of Alfred the Great, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. With Matthew Parris. From 2019.

She's the most influential woman that English history forgot, says Tom Holland - Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, daughter of Alfred the Great.

Living and ruling at a time when the Anglo-Saxons were fighting back against the Vikings, Aethelflaed became a key figure in the construction of what we know today as England.

But how much do we actually know?

Joining Tom and Matthew Parris in the studio is Sarah Foot, the Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical history.

Together they pick though the life of an astonishing character recently recreated in Bernard Cornwell's series 'The Last Kingdom' and played by Millie Brady; and who also might have inspired Eowyn in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

Producer: Miles Warde

First broadcast on 大象传媒 Radio 4 in April 2019.

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Sun 14 Aug 2022 05:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 16 Apr 2019 16:30
  • Fri 19 Apr 2019 23:00
  • Thu 11 Aug 2022 18:30
  • Fri 12 Aug 2022 00:30
  • Sat 13 Aug 2022 07:30
  • Sat 13 Aug 2022 17:30
  • Sun 14 Aug 2022 05:30

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