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Birth:          ABT 1041 of Mercia
Death:          AFT 1086 

Notes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibyl_de_Neufmarch%C3%A9
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ealdgyth,_daughter_of_Earl_%C3%86lfgar
Ealdgyth (fl. c. 1057–1066), also Aldgyth or in modern English, Edith, was a daughter 
of Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia, the wife of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn (d. 1063), ruler of all 
Wales, and later the wife and queen consort of Harold Godwineson, king of England 
in 1066.[1] She was described by William of Jumièges as a considerable beauty.
Family[edit]

Ealdgyth was the daughter of Ælfgar, who had been earl of East Anglia a number of 
times in the 1050s and was appointed earl of Mercia in c. 1057, in succession of his 
father Earl Leofric. Ælfgar's wife Ælfgifu was probably her mother, and Eadwine, the 
later earl of Mercia, and Morcar, earl of Northumbria, were her brothers.[1]

In 1055, Ælfgar was exiled on the charge of treason. He went to Ireland to muster 
troops and formed an alliance with Gruffudd ap Llywelyn, who had been king of 
Gwynedd (1039–1055) but assumed the sovereignty of all Wales in 1055. Ælfgar and 
Gruffudd invaded England and plundered Hereford, bringing great humiliation to Earl 
Ralph, who needed to call in external support to repel the invaders. When peace was 
made, Ælfgar resumed office before succeeding his father as earl of Mercia in c. 
1057.[2]

Marriages and issue[edit]

Gruffudd ap Llywelyn[edit]
See also Gruffydd and Harold
It was presumably in the year of her father's appointment (c. 1057) that Ealdgyth 
married his political ally, King Gruffudd ap Llywelyn. William of Jumièges describes her 
as a woman of considerable beauty.[1] Walter Map also wrote of a beautiful lady much 
beloved by the king and so he may have had Ealdgyth in mind.[3] On her marriage, 
she was given a modest amount of land in England, though the only estate which can 
be certainly identified as having belonged to her is one at Binley, Warwickshire. She 
bore the king a daughter called Nest. Nest later became the wife of Osbern fitz 
Richard, a marcher lord on the Herefordshire border, who acquired Binley.[1][4] Nest 
and Osbern had a daughter who married Bernard de Neufmarché, also a marcher lord.
[3] The chronicles also record two of Gruffudd's sons, Maredudd and Ithel, probably 
for Idwal, who died in 1069, and a third son may be Owain ap Gruffudd (d. 1059).[3]

The alliance between Ealdgyth's father and husband was of great significance in 
resisting the growing power of the Godwinesons. On the death of Earl Ralph in 1057, 
Hereford was added to Harold's earldom. The following year, Ælfgar was outlawed for 
a second time, but he was restored to office before long. Ælfgar is last heard of in 
1062 and seems to have died by 1063, when Harold Godwineson invaded Wales. 
Gruffudd was killed in the event.[2]

Harold Godwinson[edit]

Ealdgyth later became the wife and queen consort of her late husband's enemy 
Harold. The date of the marriage is unknown, but it must have taken place at some 
stage before the Conquest, whether before or after Harold's coronation as king of 
England (January 1066). It seems that Harold's choice of bride was "aimed not only at 
securing the support of the Mercian house for himself in his royal ambitions, but also 
at weakening the links between that same house and the rulers of north Wales".[1] In 
any event, Ealdgyth was soon to be widowed for a second time. In October that year, 
Harold was defeated and died in the Battle of Hastings, which was fought against the 
invading forces of William, Duke of Normandy, who would subsequently ascend the 
English throne. At the news of Harold's death, Ealdgyth's brothers went to London to 
fetch her and immediately sent her to Chester for shelter. It is unknown what 
happened to her thereafter.[1] Harold had a number of children with his common law 
wife Edith the Fair, but his marriage to Ealdgyth may not have produced any offspring. 
It has been suggested that Ealdgyth may have been the mother of Harold's son 
Harold, but this possibility is not universally accepted.[1][2][5]

Parents
____ Alfgar III (ABT 1025 - ABT 1060)
OF THE SEVEN BOROUGHS Aelfgifu (ABT 1014 - )

Siblings
OF MERCIA Ealdgyth (Aldgyth) (Edith) (ABT 1041 - AFT 1086)

Marriage To AP LLEWELYN Gruffydd (ABT 1011 - 5 Aug 1063)
    m.  

Notes

Parents
AP SEISYLLT Llywelyn (ABT  980 - 1023)
VERCH MAREDYDD Angharad (ABT  982 - )

Children by AP LLEWELYN Gruffydd ABT 1011 - 5 Aug 1063
VERCH GRUFFYDD Nest (ABT 1057 - )

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