University of Manchester Reveals 1,100-Year-Old Charter Securing England’s First King Æthelstan’s Power

An expert from The University of Manchester has uncovered that a 1,100-year-old parchment, initially perceived as a simple farmland lease, was a strategic political tool used by King Æthelstan to quell rival factions and assert his legitimacy as the first King of England. This document, known as “Sawyer 1417,” was publicly read to reinforce Æthelstan's royal lineage by linking the land agreement to his illustrious ancestors, Alfred the Great and Edward the Elder, thereby reshaping alliances and calming tensions in a divided Winchester. Meanwhile, a recent book review highlights Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) as a central figure in the Middle East, skillfully navigating the region's conflicts post-Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, maintaining Saudi security from Iranian aggression and aiding Israel's counteractions. The book, "The Man Who Would Be King," underscores MBS’s emergence as a significant regional statesman amid ongoing geopolitical upheaval. These historical and contemporary examinations reveal the enduring importance of political symbolism and leadership in shaping power dynamics, whether in early medieval England or modern Middle Eastern affairs.