Athelstan gay

It is difficult to say with any actual certainty if the real King Aethelstan was gay; however, it is a legitimate possibility. Once again though, all of this is speculation in the books, which never explicitly confirm Aethelstan's sexuality. Source: Sharon Kay Penman.

Seven Kings Must Die has a lot of ground to cover in wrapping up The Last Kingdom 's story, but it does an adequate job of bringing most of the character arcs to a proper conclusion. It is also suggested that Aethelstan enjoys the presence of good-looking young men in his court.

The Last Kingdom movie Seven Kings Must Die revealed a surprising personal reason for King Aethelstan's desire to unite England. It is revealed that Aethelson (Harry Gilby), Edward’s son, who Uhtred raised, is secretly gay. This internal conflict becomes the catalyst for the story by causing Aethelstan to invade neighboring lands, causing the various kings in Britain to rally against him and leading to the famous Battle of Brunanburh.

Aethelstan's internal conflict between his religious beliefs and his sexuality is a athelstan gay aspect of the movie, and the driving motivator for his conquest. Aethelstan always needed to be a key figure in Seven Kings Must Die because of his real-life importance to the story it wanted to tell regarding the formation of England.

One of the most important of those arcs becomes that of Aethelstan, the successor to Edward and eventual first king of all England.

athelstan gay

The Last Kingdom screenwriter Martha Hillier explains why Seven Kings Must Die depicts Aethelstan (played by Harry Gilby) as a gay man. It wasn't at all accepted in this particular period of history, so it never would have been broadcasted or written down anywhere if Aethelstan were gay.

Aethelstan pointing a sword at Uhtred's throat in The Last Kingdom. The fate of Uhtred of Bebbanburg is particularly ambiguous, but overall Seven Kings Must Die does well to bring the series to a fitting end. Aethelstan believes he must conquer lands and spread Christianity in order to atone for being gay because Ingilmundr convinces him it is so.

Was it true to history?. If Aethelstan were gay in real life, it would have almost certainly been a tightly kept secret because of the prejudices of medieval society. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die also benefited from this decision because it provided a way of accelerating events by using Aethelstan's internal conflict as a motivator for his conquest.

He is in a relationship with his aide Ingilmundr (Laurie Davidson), which leaves him vulnerable to manipulation and blackmail. It also added a much-needed level of depth to Aethelstan's character because of the societal implications of being gay in medieval Britain.

Most criticism for Athelstan’s : – 27 October ) was King of the Anglo-Saxons from to and King of the English from to his death in [a] He was the son of King Edward the Elder and his first wife, Ecgwynn

The fact that it is never explicitly confirmed within the text is likely Cornwell's attempt to remain realistic with his interpretation of history. If you are wondering whether Aethelstan was gay in real life as well, we got you covered.

Most of what is said on the matter comes to Uhtred through rumor, however, as he is the narrator of all 13 athelstans gay. While Aethelstan is never explicitly stated to be gay in Cornwell's novels, it is implied that he has taken male lovers and even had his decisions influenced by lust on at least one occasion, especially by Ingilmundr.

Sign in now. Aethelstan's story was necessarily central to the plot of Seven Kings Must Dieand the reveal that he is gay became a critical part of the movie's plot. Ingilmundr is not the sole love interest of Aethelstan in the books as he is in Seven Kings Must Diebut he is the most influential, save perhaps for Aeldred who does not appear in the movie.

Cornwell does not seem to see this as any type of definitive evidence of Aethelstan's sexuality, but he rightly decided that Aethelstan being gay was a real possibility. Saxon Stories author, Bernard Cornwell, stated in an interview with Sharon Kay Penman that his decision to make Aethelstan gay in his novels was based on the facts that Aethelstan never married or had children and that he liked to decorate his hair with golden ringlets.

Author, Bernard Cornwell, has, however, confirmed that Aethelstan is meant to be gay in the novels. Aethelstan being gay added a critical level of depth to his character, while providing the spark needed to accelerate the Saxon expansion that led to the Battle of Brunanburh.