Eadburh
- see also Edburga
Eadburh was the daughter of Offa of Mercia and his Queen, Cynethryth, and was the wife of Beorhtric of Wessex. She married Beorhtric in 789. According to Asser's account of the life of Alfred, Eadburh was something of an "éminence grise" behind her husband, and often demanded the executions or exile of those whom she saw as gaining too much of Beorhtric's affections. She was also alleged to have assassinated those men whom she couldn't compel Beorhtric to kill through poisoning their food or drink. In 802, according to the tales, Eadburh had sent a poisoned drink to a favourite of the king that he steadfastly refused to believe was plotting against him. Accidentally, the king ingested part of the poisoned drink, as did the favourite. Both soon died.
Eadburh subsequently fled to Francia, where she took refuge at the court of Charlemagne. Ironically, her husband's successor, Egbert of Wessex had been taken in by Charlemagne some years before after being exiled by Beorhtric. There, Asser relates that Charlemagne was smitten by the former queen, and brought in one of his sons. He then asked her which she preferred: Him or his son as a husband. She answered that given the son's youth, she would prefer him.
Charlemagne replied famously: "Had you chosen me, you would have had both of us. But, since you chose him, you shall have neither." He instead offered her a position as an abbess of a convent which she accepted. Soon, though, she was caught in a sexual affair with another Saxon man, and after being duly convicted was expelled on the direct orders of Charlemagne, penniless, into the streets. In her last years, she lived as a beggar on the streets of Pavia.
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