If I could have lunch with one influential person it would be King Alfred the Great of Wessex.
One could call Alfred England 's father. He preserved Wessex through innumerable Danish Viking assaults, and lost most of his kingdom at one point. Throughout that he pushed back, sustaining what was left of Mercia's once great kingdom. One day his kids and later his grandson would unite the remaining English kingdoms to form a unified England. I would discuss his vision for England with him. I would ask him about its future goals. I should look into his faith and
commitment to the church to see if his intentions were sincere or just an expeditious way forward. I would speak to him about the dangers of a wealthy church, and make them rich and tax-free. This will be a fascinating glimpse at a crucial historical moment. Some of the great people and main moments are overhyped and nothing would have changed in their absence if they looked at the big picture. Alfred is one of the most noted cases, I believe. During a pivotal point in England he ruled over his kingdom and without him it is impossible that the Wessex dynasty would have lasted. Given the importance of England on the world stage and the way it's relationship with France and the other continental nations influenced both its history and later the world, without Alfred the world may well be radically different. It would be invaluable to go back to those crucial moments and chat with him.
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