Ealhswith was a ninth-century queen consort of King Alfred the Great and the mother of King Edward the Elder. Born into a Mercian noble family, her marriage to Alfred in 868 served as a vital political alliance, linking the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex. Following the death of her husband, she lived as a chaste widow and eventually entered religious life. She is remembered for her royal lineage, which helped support Alfred's authority, and for her later devotion as a nun.