Aethelwald was the eldest son of Ethelred of Wessex, Alfred the Great's predecessor and older brother. He was also the cousin of Edward the Elder of Wessex. Aethelwald fought his cousin during much of his early reign because he felt that he had more right to inherit the throne. When the throne was passed to Edward in 899 Aethelwald went to the Danelaw and was installed by them as King of Northumbria. In 890 he attacked Wessex with his Danish Allies. He defeated Edward but managed to die in battle, thus allowing Edward to secure his position. His younger brother Aethelhelm chose not to challenge Edward for the throne and continued to reside in Wessex as Earlderman of Wiltshire. King Ethelred I (c. ... Alfred (849? – 26 October 899) (sometimes spelt Ælfred) was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. ... Edward the Elder (871? – July 17, 924) was King of England (899 – 924). ... Wessex was one of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms (the Heptarchy) that preceded the kingdom of England. ... The Danelaw (from the Old English Dena lagu) was an area of England under the administrative control of the Vikings (or Danes, or Norsemen) from the late 9th century. ... Section from Shepherds map of the British Isles about 802 AD showing the kingdom of Northumbria Northumbria is primarily the name of an Anglian kingdom which was formed in Great Britain at the beginning of the 7th century, and of the much smaller earldom which succeeded the kingdom. ... Aethelhelm or Æþelhelm was the younger son of Ethelred of Wessex (Æþelræd). ... Wiltshire (abbreviated Wilts) is a large southern English county. ...