Ecgfrith (died December 796) was a King of Mercia who briefly ruled in the year 796. He was the son and heir of King Offa of Mercia and his wife Cynethryth. In 787, Offa had Ecgfrith crowned as co-ruler. He succeeded his father in July 796, but despite Offa's efforts to secure his son's succession, it is recorded that Ecgfrith ruled for only 141 days. Since Offa died either on July 26 or July 29, this would mean that Ecgfrith died either on December 14 or December 17.
Offa thus appears to have moved to eliminate dynastic rivals to the succession of his son. According to a contemporary letter from Alcuin of York, an English deacon and scholar who spent over a decade at Charlemagne's court as one of his chief advisors,[1] however, "the vengeance of the blood shed by the father has reached the son". Alcuin adds, "This was not a strengthening of the kingdom, but its ruin."[2] The surviving sources do not record whether Ecgfrith died of natural causes or was assassinated, though Alcuin's letter seems to imply the latter.
Ecgfrith was the first Anglo-Saxon king to receive a Christian consecration as part of his coronation.[3]
| Titles of nobility | ||
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| Preceded by Offa |
King of Mercia 796 |
Succeeded by Coenwulf |
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