Saint Wenceslaus’s parents were Vratislaus I, Duke of Bohemia, and Drahomira, a pagan mother. His Christian grandfather was Bořivoj I of Bohemia and his paternal grandmother was Saint Ludmila of Bohemia who made sure he got a good education. Bořivoj I of Bohemia was converted to Christianity by Saints Cyril and Methodius.
When St Wenceslaus was only 13 years of age, his father died. Later his grandmother Ludmila became the regent of Bohemia but she was assassinated by his mother, Drahomíra on 15 September 921. His mother then took over the regency and started troubling Christians but after Saint Wenceslaus reached 18 years, he took over power and exiled his mother with the help of the Christians.
The Christians and the nobles of Bohemia assisted Wenceslaus to strengthen his government and neutralize the turbulence that his mother had created. He brought German priests to his region to spread Christianity and strengthen the Roman rite of worship.
Boleslav, Wenceslaus’s younger brother, was always jealous of him. He wanted to take over power from Wenceslaus. In September 935 AD, Boleslav, with the help of a group of nobles plotted to kill his brother. He invited Wenceslaus to celebrate with him the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian and during the celebration, his three sycophants pounced on Wenceslaus and stabbed him to death.
Immediately after his death, many Christians considered Wenceslaus a saint. His great piety inspired many people in Bohemia and in England who started to venerate him. During his rule, he generously helped those in difficulty, orphans, widows, and those in prison.
He was referred to as the righteous king. This was after Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, three decades later, posthumously conferred Wenceslaus the title of a king even though he was just a duke.
The Saint Wenceslaus Chorale, a Czech song that was composed around the 12th century AD, is a very popular religious song and anthem in Czechia. Saint Wenceslaus died as a martyr on 28 September, 935 AD in Stará Boleslav, Bohemia (now Czechia or Czech Republic), after he was stabbed to death by his younger brother Boleslav and his Psycophants.