One of the most remarkable women in British history was Aethelflaed (869-918). She was the daughter of Alfred the Great. He was considered great because he defeated the Danes and pushed them into northern England. He ruled Wessex wisely from 877-899. He named his daughter “noble beauty”. At age 15, she was wedded in a political marriage to a Mercian nobleman named Aethelred. The wedding almost did not take place as on the day of, the Danes attempted to assassinate her. She grabbed a sword and helped repulse the attackers. She and Aethelred formed a partnership and jointly ruled Mercia. Some would say she wore the pants in the family. They built fortified villages to counter Danish invasions. In 911, her husband died and she took over as sole ruler. She earned the title “Lady of the Mercians”. She continued to fight off Viking incursions with her army winning several battles.
– Amazing p. 391
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86thelfl%C3%A6d
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