Eliza Butterworth Plays a Queen in ‘The Last Kingdom’ — Who Is She in Real Life?

English actress Eliza Butterworth gained fame as Queen Aelswith of Wessex in the series “The Last Kingdom.” Here’s a glimpse into her life away from the series.

The English series “The Last Kingdom” has just ended, seven years after it first aired. Fans of the show have begun to binge-watch the series as they look to relive the thrilling experience from the movie.

The award-winning period drama, which chronicles the tale of Uhtred, a British-born and Danish-raised warrior in 9th-century Europe, did not start with the stardom with which it ended. “The Last Kingdom” began as a BBC America series until Netflix joined as a co-producer for the show’s season 2.

“The Last Kingdom” Actress Eliza Butterworth | Source: Getty Images

The series was far from an overnight hit; instead, it became a slow-burn phenomenon via recommendations from friends and a massively loyal fan following. As a result, “The Last Kingdom” rose to become one of the most viewed series in the world.

Season five had 63.5 million hours of viewing in its first five days on Netflix in March, ranking second that week among English-language shows on the streaming service. Such records were unimaginable when the show first began.

Eliza Butterworth at the second worldwide screening of “The Broken Butterfly” at the BFI Southbank on November 05, 2019 | Source: Getty Images

Despite the obvious difference between Wessex and Westeros, many touted “The Last Kingdom” as the next “Game of Thrones.” However, the English series will be remembered for carving its own path.

“The Last Kingdom” raised the status and profile of many of its cast members, and one character who caught the eyes of viewers was Queen Aelswith of Wessex, played by English filmstar Eliza Butterworth.

The 28-year-old was introduced to acting at a young age, but her fortunes only changed when she embraced on-screen royalty as the wife of King Alfred the Great.

BUTTERWORTH IS NOTHING LIKE AELSWITH

Butterworth was in her early twenties when she played Queen Aelswith. But after spending eight years as the movie’s queen, Butterworth claims her personality remains apart from the on-screen monarch.

Butterworth stated that the qualities she portrays in Aelswith are things fans would never see her do in reality. While Aelswith is manipulative, ferocious, and calculative on the surface, Butterworth believes those are deeply entrenched qualities she rarely exercises.

The “Say Your Prayers” star admits that, like everyone else, she grew into the show’s fame, and her character played a stronger role as the show progressed.

However, Butterworth believes the show hit mainstream adoption during its fourth season, aided by the lockdown and the lack of “Game of Thrones.”

THE LAST KINGDOM CO-STAR INSPIRED BUTTERWORTH

While viewers grew to enjoy every scene and episode of the show, shooting “The Last Kingdom” was a unique experience for Butterworth as it was one of her first roles in a television series.

However, Butterworth claimed she relied on co-star David Dawson, who played King Alfred the Great, for help. Seeing how her on-screen husband commanded his role inspired the “The North Water” actress to see off her part with class.

With the show coming to an end, Butterworth has nothing but good tales to tell about her experience and adventure on the show. However, she confessed that she would miss the sense of family crafted amongst the cast members.

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