King Eadwig died on 1 October 959, ending a reign that had begun less than four years earlier. He was only about eighteen or nineteen years old.

Eadwig was the elder son of King Edmund I and succeeded his uncle Eadred in 955, when he was about fifteen. His reign was marked by disputes with leading nobles and churchmen. However, much of the surviving criticism came from writers aligned with his opponents.

By 957, royal authority had been divided between Eadwig and his younger brother Edgar. Eadwig continued to rule south of the Thames, while Edgar was accepted as king in Mercia and farther north. The reason for the division is uncertain. It was traditionally regarded as evidence of opposition to Eadwig. Still, historians have also argued that it may have reflected an accepted form of shared kingship rather than a straightforward rebellion.

Eadwig’s death ended the arrangement. Edgar succeeded to his territory and became king of the whole of England. Eadwig was buried at the New Minster in Winchester.