The Last Kingdom: A Medieval Epic Examined

Introduction to the Series

When The Last Kingdom premiered in 2015, it immediately captured the imagination of medieval enthusiasts and casual viewers alike. Based on Bernard Cornwell’s best-selling The Saxon Stories, the series follows Uhtred of Bebbanburg—a fictional Northumbrian noble raised by Danes—through the turbulent formation of what would become England. Spanning five seasons and a concluding film (Seven Kings Must Die), the series fuses gripping personal drama with the clash of swords, shields, and kingdoms.

But how much of what we see on screen is grounded in historical reality? As with any historical drama, creative liberties abound, but The Last Kingdom also offers a vivid window into the 9th and 10th centuries, a formative time in English history.

Overview of Historical Context (9th–10th Century England)

The backdrop to The Last Kingdom is one of conquest and consolidation. England, as we know it, did not exist. Instead, it was a patchwork of rival kingdoms—Wessex, Mercia, Northumbria, and East Anglia—facing an existential threat from waves of Norse invasions, particularly the Great Heathen Army (865 AD onward).

King Alfred of Wessex (r. 871–899), later known as Alfred the Great, played a pivotal role in resisting Viking incursions and laying the intellectual and political groundwork for a united England. His successors—especially Edward the Elder and Æthelstan—continued this mission, gradually absorbing the Danelaw territories into a singular English identity.

The show loosely follows these historical arcs, from Alfred’s resistance and reforms to Æthelstan’s eventual unification efforts. However, it does so through the eyes of Uhtred—a character who, though fictional, embodies the cultural duality of this era.

Fact vs Fiction Analysis

Uhtred of Bebbanburg

Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon)

Uhtred of Bebbanburg, as portrayed in The Last Kingdom, is a fictional character created by Bernard Cornwell but loosely inspired by the historical figure Uhtred the Bold, ealdorman of Northumbria in the early 11th century. The historical Uhtred ruled from Bamburgh Castle (the real Bebbanburg) and played a prominent role in defending Northumbria, notably repelling a Scottish invasion in 1006. He shifted political allegiances between Æthelred the Unready, Sweyn Forkbeard, and Cnut, a reflection of the turbulent politics of the era. He was eventually assassinated around 1016–1018, reportedly on Cnut’s orders.

The fictional Uhtred, however, is placed more than a century earlier, during the reign of Alfred the Great in the 9th century. His story—being born a Saxon, raised by Danes, and driven by a lifelong quest to reclaim Bebbanburg—is an imaginative construct that dramatises the cultural duality and identity struggles of the Anglo-Saxon and Viking period. While no historical evidence supports such a figure in Alfred’s time, Uhtred serves as a compelling lens through which the series explores loyalty, faith, and the forging of a nation.

This blending of historical inspiration with narrative invention allows the series to anchor itself in a real time and place while crafting a hero whose journey reflects the broader tensions and transformations of early medieval England. Uhtred’s character bridges history and myth, embodying both the spirit of a warrior and the shifting allegiances that defined a nation in the process of formation. Through which The Last Kingdom tells the story of England’s birth, not through the halls of power alone, but in the mud, blood, and contradictions of its margins.

King Alfred

King Alfred (David Dawson)

David Dawson’s portrayal of Alfred is one of the series’ standout performances, marked by restraint, intensity, and inner conflict. Historically, Alfred was a deeply pious and scholarly king, often referred to as the “father of the English nation.” He not only fought bravely against the Vikings but was a patron of learning and legal reform. The show depicts his creation of fortified burhs to resist Viking attacks and his establishment of a navy, reflecting his real historical innovations in military strategy.

Alfred’s commitment to education and the translation of Latin texts into Old English is another element rooted in fact. His reign marked the revival of learning and a conscious effort to unify the English people under a shared Christian identity. However, the show dramatises Alfred’s relationship with Uhtred, painting him as often cold and calculating—a necessary fictional foil to Uhtred’s passion and spontaneity.

The tension between his faith and his pragmatism forms a central axis of the series. Alfred is shown struggling with illness, aware that his time is short and that the dream of a united England must survive him. This vulnerability, coupled with a king’s burden of vision, makes Alfred not just a ruler but a man wrestling with legacy, mortality, and faith.

Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians

Æthelflæd (Millie Brady)

Historically, Æthelflæd (c. 870–918) was Alfred’s daughter and a formidable ruler in her own right. The series does an admirable job of portraying her as a strategic leader and negotiator, though her romantic arc with Uhtred is purely fictional. In reality, Æthelflæd’s marriage to Æthelred of Mercia and her rule as Lady of the Mercians marked one of the rare moments when a woman wielded autonomous power in early medieval England.

Her death in 918 marked a pivotal moment in Anglo-Saxon politics. The show presents her passing with emotional weight, portraying a woman who sacrificed personal desires for the greater good. Historically, Æthelflæd died in Tamworth and was buried in Gloucester. Her daughter Ælfwynn briefly succeeded her before Mercia was absorbed into Wessex under Edward the Elder. The show alludes to this transition, though it condenses the succession’s complexities. Æthelflæd’s legacy as a warrior-queen and bridge between Saxon kingdoms is one of the most compelling, and perhaps underappreciated, aspects of English history.

Battle of Edington

One of the series’ most pivotal early moments, the Battle of Edington depicts Alfred’s defining victory over the Viking leader Guthrum. Historically, the battle took place in May 878 after months of retreat and guerrilla warfare by Alfred. The series accurately conveys the strategic importance of this victory, which led to Guthrum’s baptism and the Treaty of Wedmore, securing a fragile peace and marking a shift in power dynamics.

Fall and Retaking of Bebbanburg

Uhtred’s long quest to reclaim his ancestral home is central to the series’ emotional arc. Historically, Bebbanburg (modern-day Bamburgh Castle) was a stronghold in Northumbria, though there is no evidence of such a dramatic dispossession and reconquest. This storyline, while fictional, represents the broader theme of displaced nobility and the struggle for legitimacy during times of shifting power.

Sieges of Mercia and Æthelflæd’s Campaigns and Her Fictional Romance with Uhtred

The show presents Mercia as a contested kingdom, torn between Saxon and Dane control. Historically, Æthelflæd played a crucial role in regaining key Mercian cities such as Derby (917) and Leicester (918). Her leadership of Mercia after her husband Æthelred’s death is understated in the series, though it acknowledges her role as a military and political leader in a male-dominated age.

The series also introduces a deeply emotional, though entirely fictional, romance arc between Æthelflæd and Uhtred. Their relationship, filled with tension, sacrifice, and unfulfilled longing, adds dramatic depth to both characters and serves as a powerful narrative symbol of the political and personal choices that shaped the era. While no historical evidence supports a romantic connection between the two, the series uses this bond to humanise their political alliance and underscore the costs of duty in a world ruled by lineage, loyalty, and legacy.

Unification under Æthelstan

In Seven Kings Must Die, Æthelstan’s rise culminates in the unification of England under a single crown. The film dramatises his campaign against a coalition of northern and foreign rulers, drawing inspiration from the real Battle of Brunanburh, fought in 937 AD. This historic battle was a defining moment in English history, where Æthelstan led a decisive victory over an alliance of Vikings, Scots, and Strathclyde Britons under King Anlaf (Olaf Guthfrithson).

While the film compresses timelines and simplifies political complexities, it captures the weight of this conflict. The Battle of Brunanburh is often considered the moment when England truly became a unified kingdom, and Æthelstan its first true king. Seven Kings Must Die reflects the scale and consequence of this battle, even if some historical details are sacrificed for narrative cohesion. Through Uhtred’s perspective, the film adds emotional and symbolic gravitas to this monumental event in the forging of England.

The Treaty of Wedmore and the Christianization of the Danes

Although not shown in extensive detail, the Treaty of Wedmore is a major historical event implied in the series after Edington. The baptism of Guthrum and the Christianization of his followers marked a turning point in Viking-English relations. The show uses this to reflect the tensions between faiths, with Uhtred frequently caught between belief systems.

Religion and the Church

The influence of Christianity is well represented, with monks, bishops, and the church’s grip on political life. The tension between pagan and Christian beliefs—especially through Uhtred’s scorn for priests—offers a dramatic but simplified view of a society in religious flux.