List of monarchs of Mercia


The Kingdom of Mercia was a state in the English Midlands from the 6th century to the 10th century. 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 first English monarchs to assume such wide-ranging titles as King of Britain and King of the English.
Spellings varied widely in this period, even within a single document, and a number of variants exist for the names given below. For example, the sound th was usually represented with the Old English letters ð or þ.
For the Continental predecessors of the Mercians in Angeln, see List of kings of the Angles. For their successors see List of English monarchs.

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.
All the following are kings, unless specified. Those in italics are probably legendary, are of dubious authenticity, or may not have reigned.
RulerReignBiographical notesDied
Icelc. 515-c.535Son of Eomer, last King of the Angles in Angeln. Led his people across the North Sea to Britain.c.535
Cnebba?Son of Icel.?
Cynewald?Son of Cnebba.?
Creodac. 584-c. 593Son of Cynewald. Probable founder of the Mercian royal fortress at Tamworth.c. 593
Pybbac. 593-c. 606Son of Creoda. Extended Mercian control into the western Midlands.c. 606
Cearlc. 606-c. 626Named as king by Bede, not included in later regnal lists.c. 626
Pendac. 626-655Son of Pybba. Raised Mercia to dominant status amongst the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Last pagan ruler of Mercia. Killed in battle by Oswiu of Northumbria.15 Nov 655
Eowac. 635-642Son of Pybba. Co-ruler. Killed in battle.5 Aug 642
Peadac. 653-656Son of Penda. Co-ruler in the south-east Midlands. Murdered.17 Apr 656
Oswiu of Northumbria655-658Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the death of Penda. Also King of Northumbria.15 Feb 670
Wulfhere658-675Son of Penda. Restored Mercian dominance in England. First Christian king of all Mercia.675
Æthelred I675-704Son of Penda. Abdicated and retired to a monastery at Bardney.716
Cœnred704-709Son of Wulfhere. Abdicated and retired to Rome.?
Ceolred709-716Son of Æthelred I. Probably poisoned.716
Ceolwald716Presumed son of Æthelred I.716
Æthelbald716-757Grandson of Eowa. Proclaimed himself King of Britain in 736. Murdered by his bodyguards.757
Beornred757No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Offa.?
Offa757-796Great-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
Ecgfrith787-796Son of Offa. Co-ruler, died suddenly a few months after his father.17 Dec 796
Cœnwulf796-821Seventh generation descendant of Pybba, probably through a sister of Penda. Assumed the title of 'emperor'.821
Cynehelmc. 798-812Son of Cœnwulf. Although he existed, his status as co-ruler and his murder are legendary. Canonised.812
Ceolwulf I821-823Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Beornwulf.?
Beornwulf823-826Conjectured kinsman of Beornred. Killed in battle against the East Anglians.826
Ludeca826-827No known relation to his predecessors. Killed in battle against the East Anglians.827
Wiglaf 827-829No known relation to his predecessors. Deposed by Ecgberht of Wessex.839
Ecgberht of Wessex829-830Briefly took direct control of Mercia after the deposition of Wiglaf. Also King of Wessex.4 Feb 839
Wiglaf 830-839Restored. Although Mercia regained its independence, its dominance in England was lost.839
Wigmundc. 839-c. 840Son of Wiglaf and son-in-law of Ceolwulf I. Probably co-ruler.c. 840
Wigstan840Son of Wigmund. Declined the kingship and was later murdered by Beorhtwulf. Canonised.849
Ælfflæd 840Daughter of Ceolwulf I, wife of Wigmund and mother of Wigstan. Appointed regent by Wigstan.?
Beorhtwulf840-852Claimed to be a cousin of Wigstan. Usurped the kingship and forced Ælfflæd to marry his son, Beorhtfrith.852
Burgred852-874Conjectured kinsman of Beorhtwulf. Fled to Rome in the face of a Danish invasion.?
Ceolwulf II874-879 or c. 883Possibly 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 c. 883-911Recognised Alfred of Wessex as his overlord. Regarded as an 'ealdorman' by West Saxon sources.911
Æthelflæd 911-918Wife of Æthelred and daughter of Alfred of Wessex. Possibly descended from earlier Mercian kings via her mother. With her brother, Edward the Elder, reconquered eastern Mercia.12 Jun 918
Ælfwynn 918Daughter of Æthelred II and Æthelflæd. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder, Dec 918, who annexed Mercia to Wessex.?

Titular kings following Mercia's annexation

RulerReignBiographical notesDied
Æthelstan924Son of Edward the Elder and nephew of Æthelflæd. Became King of Mercia on Edward's death, and King of Wessex about 16 days later.27 Oct 939
Eadgar957-959Nephew of Æthelstan. Seized control of Mercia and Northumbria in May 957, before succeeding to the reunited English throne in Oct 959.8 Jul 975

Ealdormen and Earls of the Mercians

The chief magnate of Mercia as an English province held the title of ealdorman until 1023/32, and earl thereafter. Both offices were royal appointments, but the latter in effect became hereditary.
RulerReignBiographical notesDied
Ælfhere957-983Appointed ealdorman of Mercia in 957 by Eadgar, when the English kingdom was disunited.983
Ælfric Cild983-985Brother-in-law of Ælfhere. Deposed by Æthelred the Unready in 985.?
Wulfric Spot?-1004Possibly ealdorman of Mercia after the deposition of Ælfric Cild.22 Oct 1004
Eadric Streona1007-1017Appointed by Æthelred. A notorious turncoat, he was later murdered by Cnut for his treachery.25 Dec 1017
Leofwine1017-1023/32Possibly appointed by Cnut as ealdorman of Mercia, he was also ealdorman of the Hwicce.1023/32
Leofric1023/32-1057Son of Leofwine, appointed by Cnut as earl. Chiefly remembered for his famous wife, Godgifu.31 Aug
or 30 Sep 1057
Ælfgar1057-1062Son of Leofric. Had previously been Earl of East Anglia until succeeding his father to Mercia.1062
Eadwine1062-1071Son of Ælfgar. Submitted to William the Conqueror in 1066, but later rebelled, and was betrayed by his own men. Mercia was then broken up into smaller earldoms.1071

Earls of March

The title Earl of March was created in the western Midlands for Roger Mortimer in 1328. It has fallen extinct, and been recreated, three times since then, and exists today as a subsidiary title of the Duke of Richmond and Lennox.

Kings of Mercia family tree