The following year her husband died. Æthelflæd had already been the primary decision maker in Mercia for nearly a decade, following the example of influential Mercian queens, but in an unprecedented move, the noblemen of Mercia elected her as ruler – a rare occurence indeed in early medieval history.73 Their choice was wise, as she continued to be a shrewd ruler who set about extending the work of her father, particularly with regards to burh building. She strengthened the old royal capital of Tamworth, and laid the groundwork for Stafford, Hereford, Shrewsbury and Warwick. Many of these
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