List of monarchs of Mercia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kingdom of Mercia was an important state in the English Midlands from the 6th century to the 10th. For some two hundred years from the mid 7th century onwards it was the dominant member of the Heptarchy and consequently the most powerful of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. During this period its rulers became the very first English monarchs to assume such wide ranging titles as 'King of Britain' and 'King of the English'.
This was a time when spellings varied widely, even within a single document, and a number of variants exist for the names given below. For example, the letter þ was sometimes replaced with ð, which stood for exactly the same sound: th.
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[edit] Kings of the Mercians
[edit] Iclings (House of Icel)
Son of Éomer, last King of the Angles in Europe. Led his people across the North Sea to Great Britain.
Son of Icel.
Son of Cnebba.
Son of Cynewald. Probable founder of the Mercian royal fortress at Tamworth.
Son of Créoda. Extended Mercian control into the western Midlands.
Possibly a brother or cousin of Pybba.
Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Last pagan ruler of England. Killed in battle by Oswiu of Northumbria.
Brother of Penda. Co-ruler. Killed in battle.
Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered.
Mercia was briefly conquered by Oswy of Northumbria.
Brother of Péada. Restored Mercian dominance in England.
Brother of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to a monastery at Bardney.
Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to Rome.
Son of Æþelred. Probably poisoned.
Brother of Céolred. May not have existed.
Grandson of Éowa. Proclaimed himself King of Britain in 746. Murdered by Béornred.
[edit] Usurping king
No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa the Mighty.
[edit] House of Offa
Supposedly a great-great-grandson of Éowa. The greatest and most powerful of all Mercian kings, he proclaimed himself King of the English in 774. Built Offa's Dyke.
Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father.
[edit] House of Cœnwulf
Claimed to be a seventh generation descendant of Pybba. Assumed the title of 'emperor'.
Son of Cœnwulf. Co-ruler. Murdered and later canonised.
Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Béornwulf.
[edit] Elected kings
Possible relation of Béornred. Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Died in battle.
Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Died in battle.
Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Deposed by Egbert of Wessex.
Mercia was briefly conquered by Egbert of Wessex.
Restored to the kingship, but from this time onwards Mercian dominance in England was lost.
Son of Wigláf, and son-in-law of Céolwulf. Probably co-ruler.
Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Béorhtwulf.
Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Chosen by the Mercian Witan.
Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Fled to Rome in the face of a Danish invasion.
Possibly a son of Wigmund. Set up by the Danes as a puppet ruler.
Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Recognised Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. Sometimes listed as 'éaldorman' rather than 'king', especially by the West Saxons.
[edit] Ladies of the Mercians
Widow of Æþelred Mucil and daughter of Alfred of Wessex.
Daughter of Æþelflæd and Æþelred Mucil. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder, who annexed Mercia to Wessex thus creating the Kingdom of England.
| The Heptarchy |
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| East Anglia | Essex | Kent | Mercia | Northumbria | Sussex | Wessex |
