Cwenthryth

Cwenthryth (also Quendreda, Old English: Cwēnþrȳð) was a princess of Mercia, an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in central England, who lived in the early 9th century.

For the 8th century Anglo-Saxon queen, see Cynethryth. For the fictional Thryth folces cwen (the people's queen), see Thryth.

She was the daughter of Coenwulf of Mercia and the sister of Saint Kenelm and also the sister of Burgenilda. Roger of Wendover names "Quendridam et Burgenildam" as the daughters of Kenulfus. And William of Malmesbury identifies "Quendrida" as the older sister of St Kenelm. In 811 she subscribed a charter (S 165) of King Coenwulf of Mercia to Beornmod, Bishop of Rochester, in which she is identified as "Quoenðryð filia regis", Quendreda the king's daughter.[1][2]

After Coenwulf's death, his son was killed fighting the Welsh, possibly due to Cwenthryth's treachery.[3]

Cwenthryth was also the Abbess of Minster-in-Thanet who inherited property and authority from Coenwulf. Wulfred, Archbishop of Canterbury, challenged her for the authority over her abbey estates. She was ultimately compelled to resign.[4]

References
  1. Charter S 165 https://esawyer.lib.cam.ac.uk/charter/165.html
  2. Charter S 165 Anglo-Saxons.net, http://www.anglo-saxons.net/hwaet/?do=seek&query=S+165
  3. "AngloSaxon England (821)". britannia.com. Archived from the original on 15 September 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  4. The Dictionary of National Biography, Volume 63 By Sir Sidney Lee p.173
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