Alfred the Great

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Covers

Records

Alfred the Great stands as the only English monarch to be called "the Great," a title that reflects his extraordinary impact. He is credited as the founder of the English navy, having built the first English warships to counter Viking longships. His legal code became the foundation for later English common law, and his translations of Latin works into Old English established English as a literary language. Historians consistently rank him among the greatest medieval European monarchs and the father of the English nation.

AwardsAlfred received the epithet "the Great" posthumously, making him the only English monarch with that title. He was venerated as a saint in some English calendars, with a feast day on October 26. A statue in Wantage was erected in 1877, and his image appeared on the British £2 coin in 1999.

Honours & Distinctions

Only English monarch called 'the Great'

Historical tradition·16th century

Posthumous epithet reflecting military, legal, and educational reforms.

Founder of the English Navy

Historical tradition·9th century

Credited with building the first English warships.

Reformer of English law

Historical tradition·9th century

His law code became the foundation for English common law.

Patron of learning

Historical tradition·9th century

Translations of Latin works into Old English established English as a literary language.

Statue in Wantage

Wantage Town Council·1877

Bronze statue depicting Alfred as a warrior-king.

British £2 coin

Royal Mint·1999

Commemorative coin for the 1100th anniversary of his death.

Rankings & Lists

#14

100 Greatest Britons

BBC·2002

Magazine Covers

History Today

May 1978

Alfred the Great: A Reassessment

BBC History Magazine

October 2019

Alfred the Great: The King Who Made England

Records & Feats

Only English monarch called 'the Great'

Historic First·9th century

Alfred is the only English king to be given the epithet 'the Great' by historians.

First English king to issue coins with his portrait and title Rex Anglorum

Numismatic·880s

Alfred's coins bore his image and the Latin title 'King of the English'.