List of monarchs of Mercia

The Kingdom of Mercia at its greatest extent (7th to 9th centuries) is shown in green, with the original core area (6th century) given a darker tint.

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.

Kings of the Mercians

Iclings (House of Icel)

*Icel c. 488-c. 501Son of Éomer, last King of the Angles in Europe. Led his people across the North Sea to Britain.
*Cnebba c. 501-c. 566Son of Icel.
*Cynewald c. 566-584Son of Cnebba.
*Créoda 584-593Son of Cynewald. Probable founder of the Mercian royal fortress at Tamworth.
*Pybba 593-606Son of Créoda. Extended Mercian control into the western Midlands.
*Céorl 606-626Possibly a brother or cousin of Pybba.
*Penda 626-655Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Last Pagan ruler of England. Killed in battle by Oswy of Northumbria.
*Éowa c. 635-642Brother of Penda. Co-ruler. Killed in battle.
*Péada c. 653-656Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered.
*655-658 Northumbrian RuleMercia was briefly conquered by Oswy of Northumbria.
*Wulfhere 658-675Brother of Péada. Restored Mercian dominance in England.
*Æþelred 675-704 (d. 716)Brother of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to a monastery at Bardney.
*CÅ"nred 704-709 (d. ?)Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to Rome.
*Céolred 709-716Son of Æþelred. Probably poisoned.
*Céolwald 716Brother of Céolred. May not have existed.
*Æþelbald 716-757Grandson of Éowa. Proclaimed himself King of Britain in 746. Murdered by Béornred.

Usurping King

*Béornred 757 (d. ?)No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa the Mighty.

House of Offa

*Offa the Mighty 757-796Supposedly 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.
*Egfriþ 787-796Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father.

House of CÅ"nwulf

*CÅ"nwulf 796-821Claimed to be a seventh generation descendant of Pybba. Assumed the title of 'emperor'.
*Cynehelm (St Kenelm) 812 or 821Son of CÅ"nwulf. Co-ruler. Murdered and later canonised.
*Céolwulf 821-823 (d. ?)Brother of CÅ"nwulf. Deposed by Béornwulf.

Elected Kings

*Béornwulf 823-826Possible relation of Béornred. Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Died in battle.
*Ludeca 826-827Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Died in battle.
*Wigláf (first reign) 827-829Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Deposed by Egbert of Wessex.
*829-830 West Saxon RuleMercia was briefly conquered by Egbert of Wessex.
*Wigláf (second reign) 830-840Restored to the kingship, but from this time onwards Mercian dominance in England was lost.
*Wigmund c. 840Son of Wigláf, and son-in-law of Céolwulf. Probably co-ruler.
*Wigstan 840 (d. 849)Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Béorhtwulf.
*Béorhtwulf 840-852Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Chosen by the Mercian Witan.
*Burgred 852-874 (d. ?)Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Fled to Rome in the face of a Danish invasion.
*Céolwulf the Foolish 874-883Possibly a son of Wigmund. Set up by the Danes as a puppet ruler.
*Æþelred Mucil 883-911Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Recognised Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. Sometimes listed as 'éaldorman' rather than 'king', especially by the West Saxons.

Ladies of the Mercians

*Æþelflæd 911-918Widow of Æþelred Mucil and daughter of Alfred of Wessex.
*Ælfwynn 918-919 (d. ?)Daughter of Æþelflæd and Æþelred Mucil. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder, who annexed Mercia to Wessex thus creating the Kingdom of England.

Traditional flag of Mercia