Kings of all England

John Philpotts of Silbury Coins traces the complicated history of the kings of all England following the death of King Alfred in 899.

Under the rule of Alfred, a status quo had been achieved. Following his successes at the Battle of Edington in 878 and treaty with Guthrum in 880, breathing space had been achieved against the marauding Scandinavians. A ‘levelling up’ of the country thus began, with Alfred as its de-facto ruler following his assumption of the title ‘King of the Anglo-Saxons’. Social identities were beginning to change, while economic, legal and educational reforms were pushed through. These were balanced by the construction of local fortifications (burghs), creation of standing mobile garrisons and improving the royal fleet. THE SCANDINAVIANS RETURN The relative peace and stability achieved through the 880s was abruptly interrupted in 892–93 when Scandinavian incursions resumed. Two expeditions made landfall in Kent, though these were markedly different in character to the ‘Great…

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Stamp Collector (Digital) - 1 Issue, August 2024

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