Older son of King Edmund the Magnificent of England, Edwy succeeded his uncle Edred to the throne of England in 955 (at approximately the age of 14) with Archbishop Oda of Canterbury and Abbot Dunstan of Glastonbury as his advisors. He was either betrothed or secretly married to his relative Elfgifu (exactly how close a relative is unknown; possibly a first cousin). On discovering this violation of the rules of who one could marry, Dunstan is supposed to have attacked Elfgifu and her mother and physically dragged Edwy away from his beloved; not too long thereafter Edwy banished Dunstan from England. Oda declared the marriage or engagement invalid in 958, and Edwy died in suspicious circumstances less than a month after Elfgifu did in 959. Edwy was succeeded by his brother Edgar the Peacemaker.