Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians

Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of the TFAR nomination of the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page unless you are renominating the article at TFAR. For renominations, please add   to the top of the discussion and   at the bottom, then complete a new TFAR nom underneath.

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/August 3, 2014 by BencherliteTalk 07:07, 20 July 2014 (UTC)



Æthelred, Lord of the Mercians, was the ruler of western Mercia in the English midlands at the end of the ninth century. Eastern Mercia at this time was part of the Viking conquered Danelaw. Æthelred’s origin is unknown, and he was first recorded as the probable leader of an unsuccessful Mercian invasion of Wales in 881. Shortly afterwards, he married Æthelflæd, a daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex, and submitted to Alfred’s lordship, an important step towards the unification of England in the next century. In the 890s the Vikings renewed their attacks, and in 893 Æthelred led a joint force of Mercians, West Saxons and Welsh to a decisive victory over the Vikings at the Battle of Buttington. He spent much of the decade fighting the Vikings in cooperation with Alfred’s son, the future Edward the Elder. His health may have deteriorated shortly after Alfred’s death in 899, and Mercia may then have been ruled by Æthelflæd. Historians disagree whether he governed Mercia as Alfred’s deputy or whether he was a ruler of a semi-independent territory. He died in 911 and was succeeded his widow, and then briefly by his daughter, before Mercia was annexed by Edward the Elder in 918.
 * Most recent similar article(s): There have been a number of TFAs on earlier Anglo-Saxon history, but none so far as I know on the later period.
 * Main editors: User:Dudley Miles
 * Promoted: 2014
 * Reasons for nomination: This would be my first FA to appear at TFA. Æthelred was an important figure in the period, as outlined in the blurb.
 * Support as nominator. Dudley Miles (talk) 21:27, 30 June 2014 (UTC)
 * Support. A well-sourced article on an interesting historical figure. Also will help combat Wikipedia's lack of prominent words using Æ ;) –Prototime (talk · contribs) 01:57, 2 July 2014 (UTC)
 * Support, agree with comment by, above. Cheers, &mdash; Cirt (talk) 19:29, 6 July 2014 (UTC)
 * support: I ægree entirely. Brianboulton (talk) 10:16, 17 July 2014 (UTC)