by Susan Flantzer
© Unofficial Royalty 2025
Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English; Credit – Wikipedia
Saint Wulfthryth of Wilton may have been the second wife of Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English. King Edgar had relationships with three women, but whether he married all three is uncertain. Born circa 937, Wulfthryth was a noblewoman who may have been abducted from Wilton Abbey by Edgar. Bride abduction was a traditional part of Anglo-Saxon society, but whether Edgar took Wulfthryth by force is unknown. She did stay with Edgar for at least a year, but it is uncertain whether Edgar married Wulfthryth. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury made Edgar do penance for the crime of abduction by not wearing his crown for seven years. Edgar and Wulfthryth remained on good terms, and Edgar gave financial support to Wilton Abbey for the rest of his life.
Edgar and Wulfthryth’s daughter Edith; Credit – Wikipedia
Edgar and Wulfthryth had one daughter:
- Saint Edith (circa 963 – circa 984), a nun at Wilton Abbey
Eventually, Wulfthryth returned to Wilton Abbey and took Edith with her. If Edgar and Wulfthryth were married, the dissolution of their marriage probably coincided with Wulfthryth’s re-entry into Wilton Abbey. Wulfthryth later became the Abbess of Wilton, and Edith became a nun.
Ruins of the Wilton Abbey church where Wulfthryth and Edith were buried; Credit – Wikipedia
Edgar and Wulfthryth’s daughter Edith died on September 15, 984, at around the age of 21, and was buried in the church at Wilton Abbey. Wulfthryth survived her daughter, living a life of repentance and holiness at Wilton Abbey, where she died on September 21, 1000. She was buried before the main altar of the Wilton Abbey church. Both Wulfthryth and Edith were regarded as saints locally in Wiltshire after their deaths. Local bishops initially had the authority to declare saints. Over time, the process became increasingly centralized, with the papacy eventually gaining exclusive authority over the canonization of saints in 1234.
Works Cited
- Contributeurs aux projets Wikimedia. (2006). sainte anglo-saxonne. Wikipedia.org; Fondation Wikimedia, Inc. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wulfthryth
- Flantzer, Susan. (2019). Edgar the Peaceful, King of the English | Unofficial Royalty. Unofficialroyalty.com. https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/edgar-the-peaceful-king-of-the-english/
- Saint Wilfrida (937-988) – Find a Grave Memorial. (2022). Findagrave.com. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9431451/wilfrida
- Venning, Timothy. (2013). The Kings & Queens of Anglo-Saxon England. Amberley Publishing Limited.
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Wilton Abbey. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikipedia Contributors. (2025). Wulfthryth of Wilton. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation.
- Wulfthryth of Wilton. (2023). Swords and Sceptres. https://www.swordsandsceptres.co.uk/queens-of-england-19/wulfthrythofwilton
