Problema 2 · Inglés PAU Madrid Extraordinaria 2026

How England Forgot Its First King

During his lifetime, the first king of England was a well-known figure across Europe, but over the centuries, he has been almost forgotten by history. For a king who achieved so much, Æthelstan remains a very mysterious person. (The “Æ”, by the way, is pronounced like the “a” in cat). Around 1,100 years ago, he united several small kingdoms, each with different cultures and identities, to create what we now call England. He also set trends, becoming the first English monarch to wear a crown—a tradition that continues today. However, despite his importance, he has been strangely absent from most history books. It is time to remember this monarch better, argues David Woodman, a professor of history at the University of Cambridge and author of a new biography of Æthelstan. A closer look at his reign reveals some interesting lessons about what it means to be English.

Æthelstan’s story, for example, challenges the old idea that England began as a single, uniform culture, says Woodman. It is a misunderstanding that still appears today, but the truth was very different. “England was actually a very diverse place in the early 10th century. I always think about Æthelstan’s royal assemblies, where people came from many different kingdoms within Britain, and from Europe. They spoke a mix of languages—Old Welsh, Old Norse, Old English, Latin,” he explains. In addition, Æthelstan brought a cosmopolitan spirit to his new kingdom. Today, early England is often shown as isolated from the rest of Europe, but in reality, Æthelstan built strong connections with other nations in a way earlier kings had not. “He was very connected with the rest of Europe,” says Woodman. “He married off some of his half-sisters into European royal families and encouraged scholars from across the continent to visit England.”

After his death, however, Æthelstan’s fame quickly disappeared, overshadowed by that of his grandfather, Alfred the Great. There are many sources about Alfred’s life, including a biography written during his lifetime by the Welsh monk Asser. These documents help bring Alfred’s character to life. However, for Æthelstan, such sources are missing. A biography of him was written in the 10th century—we know this because a later text mentions it—but the original has not survived. “That’s one of the reasons Æthelstan is so little known today,” says Woodman. “He just didn’t have a major contemporary biographer writing about his life in the same way his grandfather did.” Despite having no biographer of his own in his lifetime, historians today are rising to the challenge of piecing together Æthelstan’s life and legacy, and restoring England’s first king to his right place in history.

Adapted from Martha Henriques’s “How England Misplaced its First King.” BBC, 29 Sept. 2025. <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250926-why-england-forgot-its-first-king>

2.- In your own words and based on the ideas in the text, answer the following questions. Do not copy from the text.

a)

How did Æthelstan improve international relations like no king before? Give two examples.

b)

Why is King Alfred better remembered than Æthelstan?