He was kind of a shit. I think it’s fair to consider both him and his father a king of England but I’m glad he never officially held the title.

I never heard about the Mercian rebellion. But that would make sense. The Vikings had their own problems but it wasn’t a rebellion but a lack of leadership. I guess Æthelstan had a more stable situation all around

We all know his dad and aunt could have finished the job. It was for politics that they didn’t. What politics, we can only speculate. But I’m willing to bet that it had something to do with Edward’s hot head and his failed attempt to usurp his sister’s throne.

Yes

We all know the first ruler of a united England was the forefathers of Gwent and pretenders to Rome, the emperors of the briefly lived Gallic Empire.

Alfred united the kingdoms in spirit. The sibling monarchs, Edward of Wessex and Æthelflæd of Mercia united the kingdoms by sword. Æthelstan stood on their shoulders and died childless. Not a bad king, but only the first by a technicality.

William the Bastard was not the first King of England. There were about a dozen Saxons and Vikings and one possibly mythological native Briton before him.