The Last Kingdom: Why Fans Hate Edward As King (But Love Alfred)

The Last Kingdom: Why Fans Hate Edward As King (But Love Alfred)

Like Canute from Vikings: Valhalla, Alfred is sharp and skilled even before he ascends the throne. Alfred sees the value in recording threats to the kingdom, as he explains to Uhtred that “whatever I discover about my enemies is written down.” To gain knowledge of his enemies, Alfred develops skills in espionage, as he has “eyes and ears in each of the kingdoms,” and isn’t afraid to become a spy himself. In the first season, he dons a hood and hides amongst a crowd to witness the betrayal of Odda the Younger (Brian Vernel) and rallies the surprised crowd to his side when he steps out after Young Odda is killed. By knowing how those around him think and act, Alfred can anticipate the actions of allies and enemies, and force them to work to his advantage. 

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Despite rivaling Tyrion Lannister of Game of Thrones fame in intelligence, Alfred is aware of his own limitations. Remarking that “a good king relies on good advice,” he employs the skill of others to defend Wessex and create the foundations of a united England. He often uses Uhtred’s battle plans to achieve several military successes, and he values advisors like Father Beocca (Ian Hart), Odda the Elder (Simon Kunz), and his wife Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth). While he is always attentive to others, he is also wary of potential betrayal. Even when he takes Uhtred’s advice, he knows that the warrior will never truly be loyal. Accordingly, he takes precautions to throw Uhtred in jail or have him killed if he proves too ambitious. Thankfully, poor Uhtred is primed for a happy ending in the upcoming movie, making up for his tumultuous relationship with Alfred and the constant threats. Although Uhtred repeatedly proves his loyalty, King Alfred thinks ahead and trusts only God, making him difficult to betray. When his ambitious nephew Aethelwold (Harry McEntire) claims to have been spying for Wessex, Alfred sees right through his charade and takes one of his eyes to punish him for his treachery in joining the Danes.

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Alfred’s Pious Personality Made For An Interesting Relationship With Uhtred

Perhaps even more than his skill as a king, Alfred’s shaky relationship with Uhtred makes him a beloved character. Although Alfred may seem overly pious to modern viewers, his faith is historically accurate and fits the precedent set by similar shows. Alfred’s unshakeable beliefs are also important to the plot, as they bring him into an unpredictable and dynamic contention with Uhtred. Uhtred’s refusal to embrace Christianity leads Alfred to consider that the devil may have sent the heathen warrior to cloud his judgment. This distrust is fuelled by Uhtred’s unholy actions as he murders priests on several occasions, draws his sword in a church, and desecrates sanctified ground. Recognizing that Uhtred “is not godly and never shall be,” Alfred sometimes appears to truly hate Uhtred for his heathen crimes, and threatens to have him killed. Uhtred puts up with Alfred’s godly ways for a long while before the warrior loses his patience and holds a knife to the king’s throat. While the series has now ended with viewers asking about what comes next for The Last Kingdom, throughout the first three seasons, they were constantly questioning what would happen next between Uhtred and Alfred.

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Despite their religious differences, Alfred also admires Uhtred and rewards him. He gives Uhtred a settlement at Coccham, and orders that Uhtred should be freed from slavery. Close to death, Alfred apologizes to Uhtred for failing to acknowledge his sacrifices and he makes it clear that he is indebted to the warrior. This is a respectable admission that makes Alfred more likable as he reconciles with the protagonist. After all, Uhtred helps save baby Edward’s life, repeatedly saves Alfred’s beloved daughter Aethelflaed (Millie Brady) from capture, and prevents Wessex from falling into Viking hands. As Alfred has a strong sense of duty to his kingdom and is extremely dedicated to protecting his family, it is only right that he should make amends with The Last Kingdom protagonist Uhtred of Bebbanburg before succumbing to his illness.

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Edward Has Terrible Political Instincts & Makes Stupid Decisions

In contrast to his father, Edward is an extremely reluctant king. He stubbornly proclaims “I do not wish to do my duty,” and stands by his marriage to a pauper woman rather than marrying a woman of wealth and status. As he is young, this reluctance to fulfill expectations is perhaps forgivable. However, Edward’s awful political instincts and incompetence as king quickly become apparent. Unlike his father, Edward is overly trusting and listens to his ambitious father-in-law Aethelhelm (Adrian Schiller), who turns out to be an incompetent traitor. Aethelhelm joins another key character in being omitted from Uhtred’s montage in season 5, despite his pivotal role in betraying Edward and starting a war by accidentally killing Edward’s wife (and his own daughter) Aelfflaed (Amelia Clarkson).
As well as trusting traitors, Edward is hot-headed and frequently makes rash decisions based on his emotions. In his ambition to fulfill his father’s dream of a united England, he leaves his family totally undefended in Wintancaester, and the city is captured by the Danes. After a failed siege lasting a month, Edward grows impatient and insanely suggests that the city should be torched with his heirs inside. Thankfully, Uhtred steps in to sacrifice himself in exchange for releasing the king’s sons. Uhtred saves Edward again as he convinces him to negotiate in the middle of the battle for Wintancaester, and in The Last Kingdom season 5, Uhtred’s daughter Stiorra (Ruby Hartley) rescues the king when his army is being pushed from a cliff by the Scots at Bebbanburg.

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Edward Cares About Nothing But His Own Selfish Glory

Rather than caring for his family and working in the interest of Wessex, Edward only seems to want the glory of being a better king than Alfred. Aside from allowing his family to be captured in Wintancaester, he allows his mother to be imprisoned on the orders of Aethelhelm, and he turns on his sister Aelthelflaed when all she attempts to save Mercia from the Danes. He even neglects his sister, niece, and son as they roam the countryside while a plague ravages England. Alfred would never have stood idle and allowed such injustice to be enacted on his own family.
Ultimately, Edward relies on the superior tactics of Uhtred and Aethelflaed, who dies in The Last Kingdom season 5. A couple of funny lines and an interesting relationship with Lady Eadgifu (Sonya Cassidy) hardly compensate for Edward’s inability to deal with traitors, terrible battle tactics, and lack of regard for his family. While he almost achieves Alfred’s dream of England, Edward doesn’t deserve the glory he receives for his victories. In contrast, Alfred uses Uhtred’s help and his own wits to secure Wessex and gain lasting alliances, wealth, and men. Even on the brink of death, Alfred mounts his horse and draws his sword as the people of Wintanceaster chant “long live the king!” Despite his illness, Alfred proves iconic and thus audiences love him just as much as the people of Wessex do. Taking an entire series to secure a legacy to stand the test of time, he forges a name for himself as Alfred the Great. Out of the two kings of Wessex in The Last Kingdom, it makes sense that Alfred is the more beloved, while Edward has a mixed reception as a king amongst viewers at best.

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#Kingdom #Fans #Hate #Edward #King #Love #Alfred

The Last Kingdom: Why Fans Hate Edward As King (But Love Alfred)

Like Canute from Vikings: Valhalla, Alfred is sharp and skilled even before he ascends the throne. Alfred sees the value in recording threats to the kingdom, as he explains to Uhtred that “whatever I discover about my enemies is written down.” To gain knowledge of his enemies, Alfred develops skills in espionage, as he has “eyes and ears in each of the kingdoms,” and isn’t afraid to become a spy himself. In the first season, he dons a hood and hides amongst a crowd to witness the betrayal of Odda the Younger (Brian Vernel) and rallies the surprised crowd to his side when he steps out after Young Odda is killed. By knowing how those around him think and act, Alfred can anticipate the actions of allies and enemies, and force them to work to his advantage. 

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1535570269372-ccr2’); });

Despite rivaling Tyrion Lannister of Game of Thrones fame in intelligence, Alfred is aware of his own limitations. Remarking that “a good king relies on good advice,” he employs the skill of others to defend Wessex and create the foundations of a united England. He often uses Uhtred’s battle plans to achieve several military successes, and he values advisors like Father Beocca (Ian Hart), Odda the Elder (Simon Kunz), and his wife Aelswith (Eliza Butterworth). While he is always attentive to others, he is also wary of potential betrayal. Even when he takes Uhtred’s advice, he knows that the warrior will never truly be loyal. Accordingly, he takes precautions to throw Uhtred in jail or have him killed if he proves too ambitious. Thankfully, poor Uhtred is primed for a happy ending in the upcoming movie, making up for his tumultuous relationship with Alfred and the constant threats. Although Uhtred repeatedly proves his loyalty, King Alfred thinks ahead and trusts only God, making him difficult to betray. When his ambitious nephew Aethelwold (Harry McEntire) claims to have been spying for Wessex, Alfred sees right through his charade and takes one of his eyes to punish him for his treachery in joining the Danes.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1535570269372-ccr3’); });

Alfred’s Pious Personality Made For An Interesting Relationship With Uhtred

Perhaps even more than his skill as a king, Alfred’s shaky relationship with Uhtred makes him a beloved character. Although Alfred may seem overly pious to modern viewers, his faith is historically accurate and fits the precedent set by similar shows. Alfred’s unshakeable beliefs are also important to the plot, as they bring him into an unpredictable and dynamic contention with Uhtred. Uhtred’s refusal to embrace Christianity leads Alfred to consider that the devil may have sent the heathen warrior to cloud his judgment. This distrust is fuelled by Uhtred’s unholy actions as he murders priests on several occasions, draws his sword in a church, and desecrates sanctified ground. Recognizing that Uhtred “is not godly and never shall be,” Alfred sometimes appears to truly hate Uhtred for his heathen crimes, and threatens to have him killed. Uhtred puts up with Alfred’s godly ways for a long while before the warrior loses his patience and holds a knife to the king’s throat. While the series has now ended with viewers asking about what comes next for The Last Kingdom, throughout the first three seasons, they were constantly questioning what would happen next between Uhtred and Alfred.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1535570269372-ccr4’); });

Despite their religious differences, Alfred also admires Uhtred and rewards him. He gives Uhtred a settlement at Coccham, and orders that Uhtred should be freed from slavery. Close to death, Alfred apologizes to Uhtred for failing to acknowledge his sacrifices and he makes it clear that he is indebted to the warrior. This is a respectable admission that makes Alfred more likable as he reconciles with the protagonist. After all, Uhtred helps save baby Edward’s life, repeatedly saves Alfred’s beloved daughter Aethelflaed (Millie Brady) from capture, and prevents Wessex from falling into Viking hands. As Alfred has a strong sense of duty to his kingdom and is extremely dedicated to protecting his family, it is only right that he should make amends with The Last Kingdom protagonist Uhtred of Bebbanburg before succumbing to his illness.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1535570269372-ccr5’); });

Edward Has Terrible Political Instincts & Makes Stupid Decisions

In contrast to his father, Edward is an extremely reluctant king. He stubbornly proclaims “I do not wish to do my duty,” and stands by his marriage to a pauper woman rather than marrying a woman of wealth and status. As he is young, this reluctance to fulfill expectations is perhaps forgivable. However, Edward’s awful political instincts and incompetence as king quickly become apparent. Unlike his father, Edward is overly trusting and listens to his ambitious father-in-law Aethelhelm (Adrian Schiller), who turns out to be an incompetent traitor. Aethelhelm joins another key character in being omitted from Uhtred’s montage in season 5, despite his pivotal role in betraying Edward and starting a war by accidentally killing Edward’s wife (and his own daughter) Aelfflaed (Amelia Clarkson).
As well as trusting traitors, Edward is hot-headed and frequently makes rash decisions based on his emotions. In his ambition to fulfill his father’s dream of a united England, he leaves his family totally undefended in Wintancaester, and the city is captured by the Danes. After a failed siege lasting a month, Edward grows impatient and insanely suggests that the city should be torched with his heirs inside. Thankfully, Uhtred steps in to sacrifice himself in exchange for releasing the king’s sons. Uhtred saves Edward again as he convinces him to negotiate in the middle of the battle for Wintancaester, and in The Last Kingdom season 5, Uhtred’s daughter Stiorra (Ruby Hartley) rescues the king when his army is being pushed from a cliff by the Scots at Bebbanburg.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-1535570269372-ccr-REPEAT6’); });

Edward Cares About Nothing But His Own Selfish Glory

Rather than caring for his family and working in the interest of Wessex, Edward only seems to want the glory of being a better king than Alfred. Aside from allowing his family to be captured in Wintancaester, he allows his mother to be imprisoned on the orders of Aethelhelm, and he turns on his sister Aelthelflaed when all she attempts to save Mercia from the Danes. He even neglects his sister, niece, and son as they roam the countryside while a plague ravages England. Alfred would never have stood idle and allowed such injustice to be enacted on his own family.
Ultimately, Edward relies on the superior tactics of Uhtred and Aethelflaed, who dies in The Last Kingdom season 5. A couple of funny lines and an interesting relationship with Lady Eadgifu (Sonya Cassidy) hardly compensate for Edward’s inability to deal with traitors, terrible battle tactics, and lack of regard for his family. While he almost achieves Alfred’s dream of England, Edward doesn’t deserve the glory he receives for his victories. In contrast, Alfred uses Uhtred’s help and his own wits to secure Wessex and gain lasting alliances, wealth, and men. Even on the brink of death, Alfred mounts his horse and draws his sword as the people of Wintanceaster chant “long live the king!” Despite his illness, Alfred proves iconic and thus audiences love him just as much as the people of Wessex do. Taking an entire series to secure a legacy to stand the test of time, he forges a name for himself as Alfred the Great. Out of the two kings of Wessex in The Last Kingdom, it makes sense that Alfred is the more beloved, while Edward has a mixed reception as a king amongst viewers at best.

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#Kingdom #Fans #Hate #Edward #King #Love #Alfred