List of monarchs of Mercia
Kings of the Mercians
The traditional rulers of Mercia were known as the Iclingas, descendants of the kings of the Angles. When the Iclingas became extinct in the male line, a number of other families, labelled B, C and W by historians, competed for the throne.

List of monarchs of Mercia

Section Title: Kings of the Mercians
Table Section Text: The traditional rulers of Mercia were known as the Iclingas, descendants of the kings of the Angles. When the Iclingas became extinct in the male line, a number of other families, labelled B, C and W by historians, competed for the throne.

Ruler	Reign	Biographical notes	Died

Icel	c. 527 (or c. 515)–?	Son of Eomer, last King of the Angles in Angeln. Led his people across the North Sea to Britain.	?

Cnebba	?	Son of Icel.	?

Cynewald	?	Son of Cnebba.	?

Creoda	c. 584–c. 593	Son of Cynewald. Probable founder of the Mercian royal fortress at Tamworth.	c. 593

Pybba	c. 593–c. 606	Son of Creoda. Extended Mercian control into the western Midlands.	c. 606

Cearl	c. 606–c. 626	Named as king by Bede, not included in later regnal lists.	c. 626

Penda	c. 626–655	Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.	15 Nov 655

Eowa	c. 635–642	Son of Pybba. Co-ruler. Killed in battle.	5 Aug 642

Peada	c. 653–656	Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered.	17 Apr 656

Oswiu of Northumbria	655–658	Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the death of Penda. Also King of Northumbria (655–670).	15 Feb 670

Wulfhere	658–675	Son of Penda. Restored Mercian dominance in England. First Christian king of all Mercia.	675

Æthelred I	675–704	Son of Penda. Abdicated and retired to a monastery at Bardney.	716

Cœnred	704–709	Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to Rome.	?

Ceolred	709–716	Son of Æthelred I. Probably poisoned.	716

Ceolwald	716	Presumed son of Æthelred I (may not have existed).	716

Æthelbald	716–757	Grandson of Eowa. Proclaimed himself King of Britain in 736. Murdered by his bodyguards.	757

Beornred	757	No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa.	?

Offa	757–796	Great-great-grandson of Eowa. The greatest and most powerful of all Mercian kings, he proclaimed himself King of the English in 774, built Offa's Dyke, and introduced the silver penny.	29 Jul 796

Ecgfrith	787–796	Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father.	17 Dec 796

Cœnwulf	796–821	Seventh generation descendant of Pybba, probably through a sister of Penda. Assumed the title of 'emperor'.	821

Cynehelm	c. 798–812	Son of Cœnwulf. Although he existed, his status as co-ruler and his murder are legendary. Canonised (St Kenelm).	812

Ceolwulf I	821–823	Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Beornwulf.	?

Beornwulf	823–826	Conjectured kinsman of Beornred. Killed in battle against the East Anglians.	826

Ludeca	826–827	No known relation to his predecessors. Killed in battle against the East Anglians.	827

Wiglaf (1st reign)	827–829	No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Ecgberht of Wessex.	839

Ecgberht of Wessex	829–830	Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the deposition of Wiglaf. Also King of Wessex (802–839).	4 Feb 839

Wiglaf (2nd reign)	830–839	Restored. Although Mercia regained its independence, its dominance in England was lost.	839

Wigmund	c. 839–c. 840	Son of Wiglaf and son-in-law of Ceolwulf I. Probably co-ruler.	c. 840

Wigstan	840	Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Beorhtwulf. Canonised (St Wystan).	849

Ælfflæd	840	Daughter of Ceolwulf I, wife of Wigmund and mother of Wigstan. Appointed regent by Wigstan.	?

Beorhtwulf	840–852	Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Usurped the kingship and forced Ælfflæd to marry his son, Beorhtfrith.	852

Burgred	852–874	Conjectured kinsman of Beorhtwulf. Fled to Rome in the face of a Danish invasion.	?

Ceolwulf II	874–879 or c. 883	Possibly a descendant of the C-dynasty, of which Ceolwulf I was a member, perhaps via intermarriage with W-dynasty. Lost eastern Mercia to the Danes in 877.	879

Æthelred II (Lord)	c. 883–911	Recognised Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. Regarded as an 'ealdorman' by West Saxon sources.	911

Æthelflæd (Lady)	911–918	Wife of Æthelred and daughter of Alfred of Wessex. Possibly descended from earlier Mercian kings via her mother.	12 Jun 918

Ælfwynn (Lady)	918	Daughter of Æthelred II and Æthelflæd. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder, Dec 918, who annexed Mercia to Wessex.	?

Sentence(s)

Cearl was a king of Mercia until 626.
Cearl was the king of Mercia who ruled during the 7th century until 626.
Cearl was king of Mercia, who ruled during the early part of the 7th century, until 626.

final_sentence: Cearl was a king of Mercia until 626.
final_sentence: Cearl was the king of Mercia who ruled during the 7th century until 626.
final_sentence: Cearl was king of Mercia, who ruled during the early part of the 7th century, until 626.