Alfred the Great is widely regarded as the founding father of a united England and it is true that many of his achievements are undeniable. Nevertheless, Alfred was not the first ‘king of England’ as he is sometimes assumed to be. He was only ruler of Wessex and, at best, only referred to himself as ‘king of the Anglo-Saxons’ once. The first true monarch of England was his equally talented – but far less known – grandson: Æthelstan.
Although known as a warrior king, Æthelstan was also more than that; he was noted for his piety. He founded religious houses, collected relics and had a keen interest in theological manuscripts. In fact, in 934, on his way north, Æthelstan stopped at Chester-le-Street to visit Saint Cuthbert. Admittedly, Cuthbert had been dead for around two and a half centuries, but his power as a saint and intercessor continued, made all the more potent for when the king arrived. The monks reverently opened the sarcophagus containing the saint’s body to reveal it as incorrupt.