Egbert may have contested the succession but Offa successfully intervened in the ensuing power struggle on the side of Beorhtric This sentence bugs me if Egbert s contestation is uncertain as the may suggests how can we claim that there was a power struggle in which Offa had to intervene Stenton states as a plain fact that Egbert and Beorhtric fought for the throne in 786 and that the latter won with Offa s help but on the other hand Yorke Kirby and the ODNB do not mention any part Egbert may have played in Cynewulf s succession Also according to Yorke it is not certain that Beorhtric rose to power with Offa s help she suggests he may have come under his influence later on