ecgfrith was a younger son of king oswiu of northumbria and his wife enfleda. she was the daughter of king edwin of northumbria. he was born . in 655 he was ten years old when penda of mercia took him hostage. in 660, at age fifteen, ecgfrith was married to etheldreda, the daughter of king anna of east anglia. she was the widow of the "" tondberht of the south gyrwas. even though she had been married she had retained her virginity. after her marriage to ecgfrith she refused to her second marriage and remained a virgin. she was encouraged by bishop wilfrid to remain . this caused friction between ecgfrith and bishop wilfrid.