--- the Unready, early king of England (8)

I believe the answer is:

ethelred

(Other definitions for ethelred that I've seen before include "English king between nine hundred and seventy-eight and ten hundred and sixteen" , "King nicknamed the Unready" , "Old king" , "Unready monarch" , "English king from 978" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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