The Last Kingdom season 5: Fiction or History?
By Michael East
Is Uhtred of Bebbanburg a real-life historical figure?
When talking about the historical accuracy of The Last Kingdom, the first question you need to answer is whether Uhtred himself was a real guy. The character is based upon Uhtred the Bold, who was ealdorman of all Northumbria until his assassination in 1016. The real Uhtred was from an ancient family who ruled the area from the family seat at Bamburgh Castle on the Northumbrian coast. The castle’s exterior is used in the series to represent Bebbanburg.
On discovering he is a descendent of Uhtred the Bold, Bernard Cornwall was inspired to write the Saxon Chronicles novels (later renamed The Saxon Stories). Speaking with The Guardian back in 2015, Cornwell noted that his family tree “went all the way back to the 6th century.”
"They were the Lords of Bebbanburg in Northumbria; there was an Uhtred. We know sod all about him: we have his signature on the charter… the moment I met my real family I thought: ‘Shit, somehow this family survived the coming of the Danes, the Vikings, all the way through to King Canute, there was a family connection."
Several incidents throughout the series are true to life, including the Scottish attack on Bebbanburg seen in the fifth and final season. However, that’s where the real-life parallels end. Undoubtedly, the Uhtred of The Last Kingdom is not Uhtred the Bold; the two lived around 100 years apart. And TV Uhtred is Uhtred, son of Uhtred; not Uhtred, son of Waltheof, the name of Uhtred the Bold’s father.
While Uhtred of Bebbanburg was born a Saxon and raised a Dane, Uhtred the Bold had no such divided loyalties. Yet he was also pragmatic and would eventually enter into a political marriage to the daughter of a wealthy Dane when he became Earl of York.
There’s even an explanation in the show for why such an important figure in English history is unknown, with Alfred ensuring that Uhtred of Bebbanburg never appears in his chronicles despite his importance to Wessex and the project to create a unified England.