May 28, 2023

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Die Eventually [2023]

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is considered the only one-episode sequel and the conclusion of the television series The Last Kingdom (5 seasons), based on the Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell.

@ The Last Kingdom | © Netflix, 📺.

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PLOT OF "SEVEN KINGS MUST DIE"

A few years after the events of Season 5, King Edward dies without naming any of his three sons (Aelfweard in Wessex, Aethelstan in Mercia, and Edmund) as his successor. Queen Eadgifu takes her son, the youngest Prince Edmund, to Ultred's Bebbanburg for refuge.

Although having laid down his sword after the war, when informed that Aethelstan was likely to attack Prince Aelfweard, Uhtred plans an operation to stop the bloodshed.

Before Uhtred leaves for Wessex, Ingrith prophesies that "seven kings must die" before England is unified.

Uhtred and his allies secretly travel to Aegelesburg by Prince Aelfweard, silently sabotage Aelfweard's defense plan to prevent a clash between Aethelstan and Aelfweard. When Edward's troops arrive, Uhtred advises Aelfweard to surrender; but contrary to his prediction, Aethelstan killes his brother with his own hands and murder everyone in the city.

With no rival to challenge his coronation, Aethelstan ascends the throne of the Anglo-Saxons (covering both Mercia and Wessex). Commander Ingilmundr, Aethelstan's secret gay lover, urges him to fulfill his grandfather's dream of uniting England and all Christians.

In Eoferwic, Aethelstan takes over the rule after the death of king Rǫgnvaldr and demands tribute from all vassal lords or facing conquest and forced baptism. King Hywel Dda submits to Aethelstan after his son was taken hostage, and the relics of the Pagan are destroyed.

Uhtred goes to see Aethelstan and tries to convince Aethelstan to follow the path of peace, but fails. Ingilmundr secretly plans to kill Uhtred, but Aldhelm alerts Uhtred and helps him flee back to Bebbanburg. Aldhelm is later branded a traitor by Aethelstan and gets hanged.

Ingilmundr goes to Bebbanburg to takes over the castle, being unaware that Uhtred had escaped, he is quickly captured and prisioned. Ingilmundr then convinces an old servant to lure Uhtred into a trap, causing Uhtred to be captured by Aethelstan's men; then Uhtred's son Osbert is forced to hand over Bebbanburg.

Osbert and the youngest Prince Edmund are exiled to Thelwael while Uhtred is expelled from England.

On the Isle of Man, Anlaf a Viking king from Ireland holds a gathering with Prince Domnal of Alba and the kings of Strathclyde, Orkney, Shetland and Man, warning them of the impending conquest of Aethelstan . The fact that Aethelstan embarks on an invasion of Scotland makes King Constantin and the other rulers to form an alliance to invade England.

Exhausted exiled Uhtred is found by the Danes and taken to Shetland, where he learns that Ingilmundr is a Danish spy. Anlaf and the other kings asks Uhtred to assassinate Aethelstan to prevent a war.

Uhtred goes to Winchester, instead of assassinating Aethelstan, he persuades the young king to stop the conquest but to no result, however he did tell Aethelstan the truth about his lover Ingilmundr.

Uhtred then returns to Bebbanburg and learns that Anlaf had sacked the castle, sealing Ingrith and the commoners in a cave to suffocation. Ingilmundr also leads an army to slaughter the Saxons at Thelwael, but fortunately Osbert and Edmund manages to hide and survive.

Anlaf and his allied forces gather at Brunanburh to defeat Aethelstan. Only then does Aethelstan repent and make peace with Uhtred. Knowing that Aethelstan would likely die in battle, Uhtred and his allies decide to aid Aethelstan.

Outnumbered, Uhtred and Aethelstan's troops make a tactical retreat which allows the Saxon cavalry to come in from behind, causing the Anlaf's army to fall apart. Domnal and the heirs of the other kings are killed. When seeing Ingilmundr attack Aethelstan, Uhtred tries to rush to help but he is seriously wounded.

After the battle, the other kings quickly abandon Anlaf, Ingilmundr is imprisoned, then executed. Aethelstan helps bring the mortally wounded Uhtred back to Bebbanburg. Finan concludes that the death of Edward and the five heirs - five kings who would never be crowned - is only a partial fulfillment of the prophecy that "seven kings must die" as there were only six dead, while Uhtred speculates that he maybe the seventh king to be so.

Uhtred agrees to hand over Northumbria to Aethelstan in exchange for Aethelstan agreeing never to marry and leaving the youngest Prince Edmund as his sole heir.

Aethelstan becomes the first king of a united England, fulfilling the dream of his grandfather King Alfred. Seemingly in a near death, Uhtred experiences a vision of the holy Valhalla, where he sees Brida and his deceased comrades seemingly waiting for him.

Is King Aethelstan really gay in history?

In the movie, Aethelstan's "being gay" became an important factor in many developments. Because of his guilt over his sexual orientation, which was contrary to his religion, Aethelstan was driven to conquer neighboring countries, unit England as a way of atonement. This urge was made stronger when there was the influence from his beloved handsome Ingilmundr.

Bernard Cornwell, author of the "Saxon Stories" shared that the decision to consider Aethelstan as gay in the novel was based on the fact that Aethelstan had never been married or had children and that he liked to decorate his hair with golden earrings.

However, in fact, there have been no documents in history stating that Aethelstan is gay and there is no historical figure considered to be Aethelstan's lover (like the character Ingilmundr in the film).

Did King Aethelstan kill his brother Aelfweard in history?

The Anglo-Saxon chronicles only record that after the death of King Edward at Mercia, Prince Aelfweard of Wessex was recognized as king of the land, however he died only 16 days later, without an heir. Aelfweard's cause of death was not specified.

After Aelfweard's death in July 924, Aethelstan faced a lot of protracted opposition to take over Wessex, and was not crowned Anglo-Saxon king until September 925. In the film, Aethelstan led his army to attack, kill Aelfweard and bring down Aegelesburg in a matter of moments.