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Yeavering Saxon Royal Palace: King Edwin
Edwin was King of Northumbria from 616 until his death in 633. His early years were spent in exile in Wales and East
Anglia while Ethelfrith ruled Northumbria. Edwin was originally from Deira, the southern part of Northumbria, while
Ethelfrith was from Bernicia, the northern half. He married Cwenburg of Mercia and they had two sons. In 616, with
the help of Redwald, king of East Anglia, Edwin defeated Ethelfrith and won back his lands and the right to be king.
Cwenburg presumably died and Edwin sought to marry Ethelburga, a Christian princess from Kent. Permission to marry
Ethelburga was granted on the condition that she be free to practice her own religion and that Edwin seriously
consider adopting the religion for himself and his people. And so, Ethelburga travelled to Northumbria with her
chaplain Paulinus, who would spread Christianity throughout the north. It was not until Easter 627 that Edwin finally
agreed to be baptized.
Edwin expanded his kingdom north and west so that it came to include the Isle of Man and Anglesey. However, he was
unable to defeat Penda of Mercia who killed him at the battle of Hatfield Chase in 633. Penda, with help from the
Welsh king Cadwallon, went on to defeat the Northumbrians, many massacres followed and
Yeavering was destroyed.
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