Wikipedia:Today's featured article/February 9, 2015

Æthelred was King of Mercia from 675 until 704. He was the son of Penda of Mercia and came to the throne in 675, when his brother, Wulfhere of Mercia, died. Within a year of his accession he invaded Kent, where his armies destroyed the city of Rochester. In 679 he defeated his brother-in-law, Ecgfrith of Northumbria, at the Battle of the Trent in a major setback for the Northumbrians; it effectively ended their military involvement in English affairs south of the Humber and permanently returned the kingdom of Lindsey to Mercia's possession. Nevertheless, Æthelred was unable to re-establish his predecessors' domination of southern Britain. He was known as a pious king, and he made many grants of land to the church. His wife, Osthryth, was a daughter of King Oswiu, one of the dominant 7th-century Northumbrian kings. Osthryth was murdered in unknown circumstances in 697, and in 704 Æthelred abdicated, leaving the throne to Wulfhere's son Coenred. Æthelred became a monk at Bardney, a monastery which he had founded with his wife, and was buried there. His son Ceolred became king after Coenred; it is also possible that Æthelred had another son named Ceolwald who was briefly king before Ceolred. (Full article...)

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