Saint Edward the Martyr
Also known as
- Edward II
Profile
Son of King Edgar the Peaceful, and Æthelflæd. On Edgar’s death in 975, there was a disputed succession between Edward and his younger half-brother, Æthelred, Edgar’s son by Ælfthryth, but Edward was chosen King of England at age 13; he reigned less than three years. Killed at the behest of his step-mother Elfrida so her son could take the throne, and popularly proclaimed a martyr.
Born
- stabbed to death in the evening of 18 March 978 at Corfe Castle, Dorsetshire, England
- buried at Wareham, England
- relics translated to Shaftesbury Abbey on 13 February 981, and resided there for over 500 years
- relics hidden in 1539 when the abbey was seized by the state
- relics re-discovered in 1931 during an archeological dig on the site
- relics re-interred in the Brookwood Cemetery, Saint Edward the Martyr Orthodox Church, Woking, England under the care of monks in the Greek Orthodox tradition
- king with dagger and cup
- king with dagger and falcon or hawk
- king with sceptre and sword
- king on horseback, drinking mead, while assassins move toward him
- king stabbed on horseback while drinking
MLA Citation
- “Saint Edward the Martyr“. CatholicSaints.Info. 28 February 2024. Web. 19 March 2024. <>