He Wasn't Interested In Fighting When He Was Younger

He was the oldest of the five kids, so his chances of becoming king were quite slim. He was not raised to be a warrior in part because of this. Alfred was a bright youngster who enjoyed memorizing poetry. He visited Rome as a boy and met the Pope there. Alfred was appointed by the pope as a Rome honorary consul. He underwent military training, of course, just like other people born into affluent families, but no one expected him to be a great fighter.

His mother cultivated in him a strong passion for education, particularly poetry. When he returned home, his mother made a pledge that the first of her boys could read aloud to her from a book of English poetry. Alfred won by memorizing the book with the aid of his instructor so he could repeat it from memory. He was also quite interested in Latin, presumably as a result of his trips to Rome. His passion for study had a significant influence on his rule.