The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die premiered on Netflix on April 14, 2023. The British historical drama is a sequel and continuation of The Last Kingdom TV series, a five-season series on Netflix based on Bernard Conwell’s Saxon Stories.
The 2023 film finished the stories that the series started, though the material was heavily edited to fit the two-hour compacted runtime. The film depicts the life of Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who brings England together under one rule, sometimes with or against the other three great kings.
A prophecy dictates seven kings must die, and by the film’s end, they do. But some can question the identity of these seven “kings” and who they were in real history.
The novel series, TV show, and film are all based on actual events in British history, but what’s fiction and what’s reality? Let me set the story straight while pointing out the difference between the film and show and actual historical events.
The First to Fall, But Not the Last
Edward of Wessex was the son of Alfred the Great and shared his father’s dream to see a unified England. After Alfred’s death, his son, with the help of his sister Aethelflaed, expanded the kingdom beyond Wessex and Mercia’s borders to include East Anglia.
The show followed the same story, except he also recruited Uhtred’s help in the expansion. The Anglo-Saxon king was the first to die, both in fiction and history and was indeed one of the kings in the prophecy. He didn’t appear in the 2023 film, but his death set the film’s events in motion.
In the fictional series, the king died of old age, and his vision of one kingdom was left incomplete. But by the time of his passing away, Edward had managed to spread his kingdom, leaving only Northumbria unconquered. So, all in all, great effort!
A King Not in Name but a King All the Same
Constantine II, the King of Alba (modern Scotland), defended his kingdom from Saxon and Viking invaders. He eventually joined with Dublin’s king to fight Aethelstan in the Battle of Brunanburh, though he was cruelly defeated.
But he did survive the battle and the prophecy in real life and the film. But though he was spared, his son was killed in the fight, and once again, fiction reflected reality. Thus, his son was one of the “kings,” or would-be-king, who had to die according to the prophecy.
According to historical records, the old king fled Brunanburh after his defeat, continuing his rule over modern Scotland till 643, then he abdicated the throne and spent the rest of his days in peace at a monastery.
The Son Carries the Weight of his Father’s Sins
King Owain of Strathclyde ruled over his kingdom for an unknown number of years before dying in the Battle of Brunanburh. But the old king only appears in the film on Dublin and Alba’s side against Aethelstan, only to be defeated but not killed.
His son dies in the battle, even before his coronation, and though he remains unnamed, he is considered one of the seven kings of the prophecy. But in real life, Owain died in battle and was succeeded by his son as the ruler of Strathclyde.
A Ruler is Not Always King
In reality, the King of Norway held power over the islands of Shetland, but the film had another “king” of Shetland. In real life, this “king” might have been an earl or lord who oversaw Shetland’s day-to-day activities for his king.
But despite that, The Last Kingdom makes this lord the King of Shetland for the sake of editing or consistency. Once again, Shetland’s ruler survives, but his son is lost in battle, thus fulfilling another death the prophecy dictated.
The Same Tale Again and Again
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die makes up yet another king! Orkney was another cluster of islands near Scotland, which once again came under the King of Norway.
But to keep with the prophecy, the lord of Orkney was labeled “king” in the film, and his son died in battle, fulfilling another part of the prophecy.
Another One Bites the Dust
Now this one is a brain teaser. According to British history books, Ragnall ruled over Mann and Northumbria, but this was almost two decades before the bloody battle of Brunanburh. The Viking ruler died well before that fight, and the next recorded ruler was Anlaf, Dublin’s king, who led the alliance against Aethelstan.
It is unclear whether the King of Mann and the Isles in Seven Kings Must Die was Ragnall or Anlaf. Nevertheless, he also lost a son to the battle, adding another body to the prophecy.
The Prophecy is Complete
Uhtred of Bebbanburg was quite possibly the last king to fall prey to the ominous prophecy in The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die. While we never see him die on screen, it is safe to say his fatal wounds did their work, and the lord was the last piece to the puzzle.
Though he held no monarch’s title, the warrior was considered the “king” in the eyes of his people, so it makes sense if he were the last king who had to die in the Battle of Brunanburh. Though a Northumbrian lord of the same name exists in history books, the film character is entirely fictional.
Uhtred in The Last Kingdom was probably based on the Bold of Bamburgh, who wasn’t involved in England’s formation but was a bold ruler of his people.
With that, we come to the end of the list of the seven kings who died according to the prophecy in The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die. Fiction or reality, we are grateful that Netflix finally gave us such a perfect conclusion to the famous series.
About The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die
The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die is a British historical drama film directed by Edward Bazalgette, written by Martha Hillier, and based on The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell. It is a sequel to The Last Kingdom television series. Alexander Dreymon reprised his role as Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
In the wake of King Edward’s death, Uhtred of Bebbanburg and his comrades adventure across a fractured kingdom in the hopes of uniting England at last.
It was released by Netflix on 14 April 2023. It is also the conclusion of the series and the story. The movie stars Alexander Dreymon, Harry Gilby, Mark Rowley, Cavan Clerkin, and James Northcote among others.
Source: Netflix
No Comments on Seven Kings in The Last Kingdom: Movie, Show & Actual History Explained