If Hart's suggestion that Ælfgifu was of royal Mercian descent and related to the latter family is correct, it might have been hoped that the marriage would give Eadwig some political advantage in exercising West-Saxon control over Mercia.
Jika sugesti Hart bahwa Ælfgifu merupakan keturunan kerajaan Mercia dan berhubungan keluarganya benar, barangkali diharapkan bahwa pernikahan itu akan memberikan Eadwig beberapa keuntungan politikal di dalam melatih kontrol Saxon-Barat atas Mercia.