10 best The Last Kingdom characters not named Uhtred
By Joel Wagler
No. 2: Aethelflaed (Millie Brady)
Aethelflaed is the oldest of King Alfred's (legitimate) children and is married off as a political pawn to Aethelred of Mercia. The marriage is loveless and abusive, but Aethflaed is a passionate woman who wants the best for her people, even though her husband is self-serving.
The audience starts to get a sense of her passion when she is taken hostage by the Dane brothers Erik and Sigefrid. During her captivity she discovers a passion in herself that never manifested with her husband when she falls in love with Erik. As happens with Dane warlords, things don't go well for Erik and Sigefrid, and they are defeated and the princess is rescued by Uhtred, of course.
Over the course of the series, the Lady of Mercia becomes the leader her husband is not. She cares for her people in a way he never will. She also falls in love with Uhtred. They have a torrid affair and he often offers her advice and his sword. He is probably the love of her life.
When her husband is murdered, there is a power play over who will become the new leader of Mercia. To prove that she will put her people over her own self-interest and that she will not be controlled by her passions, she swears an oath of celibacy. The oath shocks Uhtred, but he understands why she does it and he honors her decision. Aethelflaed, for her part, maintains her oath and leads the people of Mercia well.
In season 5, she grows gravely ill with cancer and her health deteriorates fairly rapidly. When Uhtred learns of her illness, he rushes to her side and she dies in his arms.
Aethelflaed is flawlessly portrayed by Brady. Aethelflaed is passionate, but her truest passion is her love for her people, and she makes the ultimate sacrifice to protect them as well as she can. Her death was one of the more beautiful, touching scenes of the whole series.