Æthelthryth
Æthelthryth | |
|---|---|
| Virgin, Abbess of Ely | |
| Born | c. 636 Exning, Suffolk |
| Died | 23 June 679 Ely, Cambridgeshire |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church Catholic Church Anglican Communion |
| Major shrine | St Etheldreda's Church, Ely Place, Holborn, London; Originally Ely Cathedral (now destroyed) |
| Feast | 23 June (Catholic), 17 October (Anglican) |
| Attributes | Abbess holding a model of Ely Cathedral |
| Patronage | Throat complaints |
Æthelthryth (or Æðelþryð or Æþelðryþe; c. 636 – 23 June 679) was an East Anglian princess, a Fenland and Northumbrian queen and Abbess of Ely. She is an Anglo-Saxon saint, and is also known as Etheldreda or Audrey, especially in religious contexts. She was a daughter of Anna, King of East Anglia, and her siblings were Wendreda and Seaxburh of Ely, both of whom eventually retired from secular life and founded abbeys.