Vikings: Valhalla season 1 saw king Canute of Denmark marrying Emma, but Canute was already married to Queen Ælfgifu – and here’s what happened to King Canute's first wife in real-life after he married Emma. Vikings: Valhalla follows Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter) as they embark on a journey that takes them across oceans and battlefields, with the conflict between Vikings and English royals (pagans vs Christians) as the backdrop. After a conflict between Freydis and Olaf Haraldsson (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson), Leif joined King Canute’s (Bradley Freegard) crew to invade England, and so viewers also got to know Canute and his plans.
After destroying the London Bridge and taking over England, Canute decided to share the throne with Edmund (Louis Davison), so he became king of both Denmark and England. Canute got involved with Emma and after receiving a letter about an attack on Denmark by the Wends, he quickly married Emma before joining the fight. During his absence, his other wife, Queen Ælfgifu (Pollyanna McIntosh), arrived in England to claim her place as queen, and after trying to manipulate Canute’s father, Sweyn Forkbeard (Søren Pilmark), and Emma, she ended up being the one sent back to Denmark without her sons and fleet. Here's what happened to King Canute's first wife.
The Real Life Ælfgifu From Vikings: Valhalla
Just like most of the characters in Vikings: Valhalla, King Canute's first wife, Ælfgifu, is based on a real person, and her story was changed to fit the series. Ælfgifu of Northampton was born into a noble family based in the Midlands (Mercia), who came under suspicion during the invasion of England by Forkbeard. To seal their loyalty, Forkbeard married Canute to Ælfgifu, and they had two sons: Sweyn Knutsson and Harold Harefoot. Canute married Emma of Normandy in 1016 after his conquest of England, and just like in Valhalla, he was still married to Ælfgifu.
Back then, it was acceptable to put aside one wife and take another if the first marriage was through the non-Christian pagan ceremony of “handfasting” and for reasons of political advantage, so his marriage to Emma was valid. It’s unknown, however, how Canute’s marriage to Emma affected Ælfgifu’s status as his first wife, but there’s no evidence that suggests King Canute's first wife was repudiated. Following the defeat (and death) of Olaf by Canute’s forces, he sent Ælfgifu and Sweyn to rule Norway, but their rule was so harsh that Norwegians rebelled against them, and were driven out about five years later.
After Canute’s death in 1035, King Canute's first wife was determined to make her son, Harold, the next king of England, and she was able to secure the throne for him. There are no records of Ælfgifu’s activities after 1036, and it’s unknown when and how she died. Given the lack of information and detail on Ælfgifu, it’s not surprising that Vikings: Valhalla had to add a lot to it in order to flesh out the character, and it’s to be seen what else she will do in seasons 2 and 3 now that her fleet was taken, and she was sent back to Denmark.
How The Real Ælfgifu's Son Harold Became King Of England
It hasn't happened yet in Vikings:Valhalla, but in the future its possible that the series could depict the death of King Canute in 1035, which would then grease the wheels for a storyline that would see King Canute's first wife pulling the strings to put her son Harold on the throne. In real history, Canute's son with Queen Emma, Harthacnut, was the proper heir to both the thrones of Denmark and England. However, he was unable to leave Denmark for his coronation because it was under threat from both Norway and Sweden. It's because of this that English magnates decided to crown Harold as regent in Harthacnut's absence.
However, Harold wanted more power than simply regent for a time, and attempted everything from bribery to threats against the Archbishop of Canterbury to perform an official coronation. King Canute's first wife also attempted to get her son on the throne with various bribes and threats. Ælfgifu was somewhat successful in winning the aristocrats to her side, making many swear fealty to Harold. An unofficial deal was struck between Harold and Harthacnut, with Harold ruling everything north of the Thames and everything south of it ruled by Emma and Godwin Earl of Wessex in Harthacnut's stead.
It's at this point that history becomes murky, and Harold goes from being co-ruler or king regent to fully being the King of England. Many historians believe that it was really King Canute's first wife that sat on the throne for most of his reign. Ælfgifu was the one responsible for ousting Canute's other offspring and garnering enough support for Harold to tip the scales. This would certainly be an intriguing storyline for Pollyanna Macintosh's Ælfgifu in a future Vikings: Valhalla season. The Walking Dead actress certainly has a talent for playing complex and power-hungry characters, fitting this story right into her wheelhouse.