Æthelwold was the son of Æthelred I, the older brother of Ælfred, better known as Alfred the Great. Cerdicing succession rules were somewhat pragmatic, and allowed for succession to pass to brothers in the event that passing the crown to a son would result in a minority. When Æthelred I was killed in 871, Æthelwold was still a child, and as a result the throne passed to Æthelred's brother Ælfred. In the 890s, Alfred was in the process of establishing his own son Edward as his heir. Æthelwold, however, had reached adulthood by this time and believed that as his father had been king, the line of succession should have by rights reverted to him, and that Alfred should hand over the throne.