Could this be the best #DotheAethel yet?

A social media campaign encouraging people to #DotheAethel has gone up a level after being joined by actors from TV’s The Last Kingdom, who struck the pose in front of our Aethelflaed statue itself.
The celebrity guests posed for #DotheAethel last Tuesday during their visit to Tamworth to mark the 1100th anniversary of the death of one of the most influential people in the town’s history.
The visiting cast were David Dawson, who plays King Alfred in the popular TV drama, Eliza Butterworth who plays his wife Aelswith, Timothy Innes who portrays their son Edward and Millie Brady who plays Aethelflaed herself.
As well as attending the commemorative church service, the actors visited the town’s new Aethelflaed statue on the roundabout outside Tamworth Railway Station, the old stone statue in the Castle Grounds and enjoyed a tour of Tamworth Castle. The cast were delighted to get involved in the #DotheAethel campaign to help raise awareness of Aethelflaed and the important role she played in the history and making of England.
The Last Kingdom then tweeted the cast’s excellent Aethel poses and the photo has since been shared and commented on hundreds of times.
The group was impressed with the new Aethelflaed statue created by artist Luke Perry, describing it as a ‘fabulous modern interpretation’ and said they enjoyed their visit to Tamworth, which was Aethelflaed’s main seat of power as the capital of the ancient kingdom of Mercia.
The cast have just finished filming the third series of The Last Kingdom, which will be released on Netflix later this year, and have been researching the history of the characters they play.

#DotheAethel asks people to mimic the iconic pose of the statue and share their pictures on Twitter and Facebook tagging @VisitTamworth with the hashtag #DotheAethel. Anyone who takes part in #DotheAethel between now and the end of Tamworth’s activity-packed ‘Aethelfest’ weekend on Sunday, July 15, can be in with a chance of winning a stunning Mercedes C-Class AMG Line Cabriolet to drive for a weekend.
To be in with the chance of winning the Mercedes prize, you must also tag the Mercedes-Benz of Tamworth page on Facebook (@MercedesTamworth).
Poses can be as interesting and imaginative as you like, including props, lots of people or unusual events and impressive locations. Judges from Tamworth Borough Council and Mercedes Benz will choose the best pose after the July 15 closing date. People taking part are encouraged to nominate their friends, other businesses and organisations to join the fun.
All those who have previously taken part in #DotheAethel can re-share or tag their images with the Mercedes Benz of Tamworth link to enter the competition.
Cllr John Chesworth, Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Culture and Operational Services, said: “The aim of #DotheAethel is to raise awareness of Aethelflaed and the important, yet little known, part she played in the making of England as we know it today. To have The Last Kingdom ‘Royal Family’ join in the fun is really helping to highlight the ‘Lady of the Mercians’ as a great iconic figure of history and Ancient Mercia.
We were delighted to welcome the cast from The Last Kingdom to Tamworth, highlighting how significant the role of Aethelflaed, is to our history.    
“I am very excited to see the cast of The Last Kingdom joining our #DotheAethel campaign and the level of social media interest the photos are creating. This is also great news for Tamworth as the Aethelflaed story, and Tamworth’s part in it, is now being highlighted on a national stage and will hopefully encourage more people to visit and explore the rich heritage of our great historic town.
“The prize offer from Mercedes-Benz of Tamworth, which is sponsoring a number of Tamworth Borough Council events this year, should help drive the campaign even further.      

“The best picture will be chosen at the Aethelfest weekend of events in July; I’m looking forward to seeing what interesting #DotheAethel poses people come up with over the coming weeks.”
For more information about the programme of events and full instructions on how to #DotheAethel, please visit www.aethelflaed.co.uk.