Netflix's The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is a straight-to-streaming sequel to the five-season historical drama based on The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cromwell. The series follows Uhtred Ragnarsson — or Uhtred of Bebbanburg, as he comes to be known — a Saxon raised by Danes who is on a lifelong quest to regain his lordship of his family’s castle and lands.
Uthred crosses paths with real figures from English history and participates in the defining moments of the unification of Medieval England. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die finishes the series’ story and sees England finally united under one king. The show blends real historical drama and Uhtred’s quest to take back his home and learn to live as both a Dane and a Saxon. Important figures of history oppose and align with Uhtred, and the series finale sees the culmination of his journey. The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is accurate in the broad strokes of history, but some major changes are made to real-life events.
King Æthelstan’s Sexuality & His Relationship With Ingilmudr
Æthelstan (Harry Gilby) is the deuteragonist of The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, and his bid to unite England in its entirety is fraught with moral and physical dilemmas. A major character note added by the writers is that the future king is gay and in a secret relationship with his advisor, Ingilmundr (Laurie Davidson). Ingilmudr, a possibly real character from history according to Fiction Horizon, preys upon the king’s guilt about his sexuality to urge him to continue warring. In the time since the show ended, the Æthelstan of the movie has committed to his Christianity, despite the church’s Medieval teachings on homosexuality.
Æthelstan’s sexuality in The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is not a historical fact, but it’s long been speculated by historians. According to The Cinemaholic, there is little proof that the king was gay, but Æthelstan’s life does leave the possibility open. Æthelstan did die unwed and without an heir, which was very unusual for a king. Some scholars point to his deep religiosity as to why he never married, and the movie does make that an important aspect of his character. The decision to so clearly define his sexuality is an artistic choice, but it’s a good one that makes Ingilmundr’s betrayal that much more emotional and personal.
The Battle Of Brunanburh
In The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, the climax of the movie comes at the Battle of Brunanburh, a historical conflict between the Army of England and the Army of the Danes. The victory leads to the formation of a united England, for the first time, and under King Æthelstan, fulfilling the dream of King Alfred from the start of the series. While this battle did occur, it did not happen exactly as depicted in the movie, primarily for the reason that Uhtred is depicted as one of the leading figures when that character didn’t exist, at least not as he’s described in The Last Kingdom.
The Battle of Brunanburh was a battle between Anglo-Saxon forces and Danes, but the order of battle was much different. According to the end of The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die may have been more cinematic, but the real-life fight shows why Æthelstan and the Anglo-Saxons were able to conquer most of the island in the first place.
The Seven Kings Were Not All Real People
The title of The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is a reference to the prophecy told early in the movie to Uhtred. A woman, Ingirth (Ilona Chevakova), in Uhtred’s castle of Bebbanburg prophesies that “seven kings must die and the woman you love” before England can ever be united. Uthred ignores the prophecy, as all the women he has loved have died, and he is no king. The end of the film does indeed show that the prophecy was fulfilled. Ingirth turns out to be the “loved woman” who dies, King Edward perishes at the beginning of the movie, and five princes of Scottish kings die in the Battle of Brunanbarh.
The kings in The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die are not all based on real figures, and some had their fates changed. The son of King Constantin is the only true character to have died in real life — the son of Owain Of Strathclyde survived the battle and succeeded his father. The other three kings and their sons all seem to be amalgamations or completely invented. The Kings of Shetland, Orkney, and Mann And The Isles are not historical figures, but there were many minor lords fighting against the Anglo-Saxons at the Battle of Brunanburh, which the kings in the movie represent.
Uhtred Of Bebbanburg Is A Fictional Creation
The main character of the Last Kingdom TV series and The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, Uhtred of Bebbanburg, is partially based on a real person, but his story and nearly all of his characterization were created by Cromwell for The Saxon Stories. Uhtred of Bamburgh was an ealdorman of Northumbria who was named Uhtred the Bold for his daring. The Last Kingdom’s Uhtred is partially true to the real person, but for the most part, he is a fictional creation. As far as where he’s from, his multiple marriages, his nobility, and his reputation as a warrior go, The Last Kingdom is accurate to the real Uhtred.
As far as the rest of Uhtred’s life goes in The Last Kingdom, Cromwell created a fantastical story for the historical ealdorman. Uhtred was born decades after The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die and so would never have met the historical characters he encounters. Another important distinction between the real-life and fictional Uhtred is that the Uhtred of history was not raised by Danes. He didn’t share their religion and didn’t participate in their culture as a child. However, he did marry the daughter of a wealthy Dane at one point, but in that case, it was most likely his wife who became Anglicized.
Bebbanburg Went By A Different Name
Most of the Last Kingdom TV series follows Uhtred attempting to reclaim his ancestral home of Bebbanburg. In The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die, Uhtred is the ealdorman of Bebbanburg and a powerful and respected lord. The castle and lands upon which his fortress sits are based on a real location, but some changes were made in the adaptation. A more accurate name for the castle would have been “Bamburgh Castle." it was only known as Bebbanburg during the 7th century, before the start of the Last Kingdom series.
