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King Ethelred is the father of Princess Daphne. He first appears in the cartoon series as a regular recurring character. The King is also named in the manual of Software Projects' Dragon's Lair (but spelled as Aethelred) with Daphne being his only offspring.[1] In the animated series, Ethelred is short, rotund and stutters, but he is very fond of his daughter, who appears to be his only living relative as no queen is ever mentioned. His knights express unwavering loyalty to him (with the occasional exception of the cowardly and selfish Sir Hubert Blunt) and he trusts Dirk the Daring as his most capable knight.

In the episode "The Tournament of the Phantom Knight", Ethelred is revealed to have been the first and only person to have defeated the Phantom Knight as a youthful prince. The Knight returns for revenge years later to abduct the aged Ethelred with intent to turn the king into a phantom like himself.

Trivia[]

  • The name Ethelred is borrowed from the many Anglo-Saxon Kings with the name Æthelred. The name means "noble counsel".
  • Logically, King Ethelred is the husband of Daphne's unnamed mother, who appears only in Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp and does not seem very regal or lady-like.
  • In Cardsmiths Dragon's Lair Trading Cards Series One released in 2024, Ethelred is referenced in the description on the reverse side of the #1 card ("DIRK THE DARING"): “Stalwart and true, if occasionally a little clumsy, Dirk the Daring is a loyal knight in the service of King Ethelred. The only thing stronger than his fealty to the kingdom is his love for the enchanting Daphne.”[2]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. Dragon's Lair Instructions (Software Projects, 1986)
  2. "DIRK THE DARING" #1, Cardsmiths Dragons Lair Trading Cards Series 1
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