Was Alfred the Great a hero?

St Edmund and St Edward can be seen supporting Richard II on the Wilton diptych, and members of the later medieval royal houses were named after them. Nor were Alfred’s heroic defeats of the pagan Vikings enough to make him the favoured military hero of the post-Conquest period.

Was Alfred a good king?

Alfred spent much of his reign defending his kingdom of Wessex from Danish invaders. He won a great victory at the Battle of Edington in 878 but continued to struggle with Danish advances until 896, when the invasions ceased. His success in quelling the attacks was largely due to his superlative defensive strategy.

Why could King Alfred be considered a hero?

More than any other single individual, Alfred created the country we know as England. As an administrator, Alfred championed social order and justice. He studied law-giving and authored a legal code, curtailing the ancient practice of the blood feud and establishing trial by jury.

What is Alfred’s legacy as king?

Having successfully defended his kingdom against Viking conquest, Alfred had become England’s dominant ruler. He was noted too for social and educational reforms – and remains one of only two English monarchs to be known as “the Great”, the other being Canute.

What was Alfred the Great’s greatest achievement?

Alfred’s major achievement was that he began the process of uniting Anglo-Saxon England, when it appeared that Saxon society might be completely overrun. He respected the traditions of other Saxon kingdoms, shown most clearly with Wessex’s besieging and conquest of London in 886.

Who is the hero of Britain?

Top 10

Rank	Name	Advocate
1	Sir Winston Churchill (1874–1965)	Mo Mowlam, British politician.
2	Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859)	Jeremy Clarkson, TV presenter.
3	Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997)	Rosie Boycott, journalist and feminist activist.
4	Charles Darwin (1809–1882)	Andrew Marr, journalist and TV presenter.