England: Aethelred the Unready, or Aethelred II (c. 923 - 1016), King of England (978 - 1013), (1014 - 1016), Illuminated manuscript, The Chronicle of Abingdon, c.1220

Aethelred the Unready, or Aehelred II was King of the English (978–1013 and 1014–1016). He was the son of King Edgar the Peaceful and Queen Aelfthryth and was between ten and thirteen years old when his half-brother Edward the Martyr was murdered on 18 March 978.

From 991 onwards, Aethelred paid tribute, or Danegeld, to the Danish king. In 1002, Aethelred ordered what became known as the St. Brice's Day massacre of Danish settlers. In 1003, King Sweyn Forkbeard of Denmark invaded England, as a result of which Aethelred fled to Normandy in 1013 and was replaced by Sweyn. He would return as king, however, after Sweyn's death in 1014.

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