The Wicked Queen and Her Scandalous Daughter: How Murder & Mayhem Took a Saxon Princess from Palace to Poverty

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Some Saxon Queens had killer reputations. (Public Domain);Deriv.

The Wicked Queen and Her Scandalous Daughter: How Murder & Mayhem Took a Saxon Princess from Palace to Poverty

While we might be gripped by the intrigues, the machinations, and the violence of the Lannisters and the Starks in the Game of Thrones television series and the Song of Ice and Fire series of novels, at the end of each episode or chapter, we can all breathe a sigh of relief and say “Well, it’s just fiction, an entertaining made-up story.” Or can we?

Regular Ancient Origins contributor Charles Christian has been digging through the dustier pages of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and uncovered a tale of two Saxon queens whose antics would have caused even Cersei Lannister to shake her head in disbelief…

A Powerful Woman Brought Down

The time is the late eighth century; the location is England, and we are looking at the bloody careers of Queen Cynethryth (the closest modern equivalent would be Gwyneth) and her daughter Princess, later Queen Eadburh, (also spelled as Eadburgh or Edburga – the modern equivalent would be Edith) who was born in circa AD 773.

Bust of Queen Cynethryth, wife of Offa of Mercia. (Public Domain)


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