Saint Ethelreda (audrey)
Saint Ethelreda (also: Æthelthryth; known popularly as Saint Audrey; born c. 636 AD in Exning, Suffolk, England; died June 23, 679 AD at Ely, Cambridgeshire, England) was an Anglo-Saxon princess and queen who founded the great double monastery at Ely, which became one of the most important religious houses in medieval England. She is the patron saint of Ely and of the Isle of Ely. Her feast day is June 23. She gave her name to the word tawdry — silk lace necklaces sold at her annual fair (Saint Audrey's lace, corrupted to taudry and then tawdry).
Stored in Cargo: Saint Ethelreda (audrey)
| Saint Ethelreda (audrey) | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | June 23 |
| Profession | Queen (twice); founder of Ely Abbey; Benedictine abbess |
| Rel. Affiliation | Order of Saint Benedict; Ely Abbey |
| Patronage | Ely; Cambridge; throat diseases; neck complaints; the Isle of Ely |
| Attributes | Crown and abbess's staff (queen and abbess); lily (virginity preserved through two marriages); snake biting her throat; church model (Ely) |
| Birthplace | Exning, Suffolk, England |
| Death Place | Ely, Cambridgeshire, England |
| Cause of Death | Plague (a swelling in her throat, which she accepted as punishment for vanity over necklaces in her youth); died as abbess at Ely |
| Primary Shrine | Ely Cathedral, Ely — her principal shrine; one of the great medieval pilgrimage sites of England |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman Calendar; feast observed in Diocese of East Anglia; Church of England commemorates October 17 (translation) and June 23 |
| Historic Class | Not included |
Biography
Æthelthryth (Ethelreda) was born around 636 AD, the daughter of King Anna of East Anglia — a notably holy family that produced several saints including her sisters Seaxburh, Æthelburh, and Withburh.
She was married twice by political arrangement. Her first husband, Tonbert, Prince of the Gyrwe, respected her vow of virginity and she remained a virgin during their brief marriage; he died shortly after the wedding. She was then given in marriage to Ecgfrith, who later became King of Northumbria. For twelve years Ethelreda maintained her virginity in this marriage as well, despite Ecgfrith's increasing pressure and the intervention of Saint Wilfrid of York (who confirmed her vow). Ecgfrith eventually gave his reluctant consent for her to enter the religious life.
She became a nun at Coldingham Abbey under her aunt Saint Ebba the Elder of Northumbria, then returned south and founded the double monastery at Ely (672 AD) on land she had received as her dowry. She served as abbess until her death from plague on June 23, 679.
When her body was translated on October 17, 695, her niece and successor Seaxburh found it perfectly incorrupt — sixteen years after death, the body was fresh and the wound in her throat healed. The Venerable Bede records the eyewitness account of her physician. This miracle established her cult firmly.
The word tawdry derives from Saint Audrey (a corruption of Æthelthryth). At the annual Saint Audrey's Fair at Ely, cheap silk lace necklaces (Saint Audrey's lace) were sold as devotional souvenirs; these eventually gave the English language the adjective tawdry for cheap or showy goods.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Exning, Suffolk, England
Death location: Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Notable location: The great church built over the monastery she founded; her shrine was one of the greatest pilgrimage destinations in medieval England; the octagonal Lantern Tower and Lady Chapel are landmarks; she is patron of Ely (Ely Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgeshire, England)
Notable location: She fled her second husband Ecgfrith of Northumbria here and lived briefly as a nun under her aunt Saint Ebba the Elder before Ecgfrith gave up pursuit (Coldingham, Berwickshire, Scotland)
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Parishes
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Media
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Ely Cathedral, Ely, Cambridgeshire — her principal shrine; the pilgrimage center of East Anglia in the Middle Ages.
- Saint Æthelthryth's Catholic Church, Ely — the modern Catholic church in the city dedicated to her.
Feast day
June 23
Veneration
Saint Ethelreda (Audrey) is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England with a feast day on June 23.
Prayers
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