'The Last Kingdom': Who Is Constantin and Is He Based on a Real King?

The story of Uhtred of Bebbanburg (played by Alexander Dreymon) and The Last Kingdom has come to an end, for now. Thankfully, a follow-up movie, Seven Kings Must Die is currently in production in Hungary. The film is based on the last three novels in Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories series which will officially bring Uhtred's story to an end.

In the finale of The Last Kingdom Season 5, Uhtred had reclaimed his birthright at Bebbanburg after defeating his new archenemy, Constantin (Rod Hallett), with the aid of the Anglo-Saxons. Who is Constantin and is he based on a real person? Newsweek has everything you need to know.

Who Is Constantin in 'The Last Kingdom'?

King Constantin in The Last Kingdom is the Prince of Alba, under King Domnal, The King of Alba, also known as Donald II (Ross Anderson).

Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland.

Towards the end of Season 5, Lord Aethelhelm (Adrian Schiller) joined forces with Constantin to start a rebellion against King Edward (Timothy Innes) and the Anglo-Saxons, in a bid to secure the English throne for his grandson Aelfweard (Ewan Horrocks).

Constantin was motivated to join Aethelhelm's cause after he was tricked into believing King Edward planned to attack Scotland. Aethelhelm also manipulated Constantin into believing Edward and that he had killed his daughter Aelflaed (Amelia Clarkson).

Aethelhelm also promised if Aelfweard was to become King of Wessex, there would be no future invasion of Scottish lands.

At the battle for Bebbanburg, it at first seemed as if Constantin and his Scottish forces were heading towards victory until things took a turn for the worst. Uhtred had been able to ally with the Danes, led by his daughter Stiorra (Ruby Hartley), creating a much bigger force Constantin could never have imagined.

In the end, Constantin and his men were surrounded, fleeing the battlefield and not to be seen again.

Before their surrender, Uhtred struck a deal with Constantin. He promised to keep Northumbria as a buffer zone between England and Scotland until a monarch capable of unifying England and Scotland came to power.

Is Constantin Based on a Real Person?

Constantin is based on the real Constantine II of Scotland, which was known then as the Kingdom of Alba.

The real Constantine's reign was heavily affected by Viking rulers in and around the present-day United Kingdom. He also faced threats from the rulers of Wessex and Mercia, who wanted to extend their rule to the North.

As seen in The Last Kingdom, Constantine did invade the disputed kingdoms of Northumbria (where the fictional Bebbanburg is located) and fight against the Anglo-Saxons in the South. However, things did not quite play out the same way they did on screen.

At first, Constantine allied with the Southern rulers against the Vikings but in 934, Aethelstan invaded southern Scotland by land and sea. However, there is no historical record of any battles taking place and he withdrew that same year.

In 937, Constantine allied with Olaf Guthfrithson, King of Dublin, and Owain, King of Strathclyde, and invaded Anglo-Saxon England.

Just like the events in the finale of The Last Kingdom, Constantine and his allies were defeated. The real historical event is known as the Battle of Brunanburh.

In 943, Constantine abdicated the throne. He was succeeded by Malcolm I.

The Last Kingdom Seasons 1 to 5 are streaming on Netflix now.