This is a chronological list of the monarchs of East Anglia, formally known as The Kingdom of the East Angles, one of the seven traditional kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was founded in the 6th century and ceased being independent in 918, having been conquered by Wessex, another member of the Heptarchy.

Many of the dates of this time are considered unreliable, often being based on computation from known dates. Regnal years may be counted twice, since all or part of a year may be attributed: for instance, the period attributed below to Ricberht (the East Anglian apostasy) is said by the contemporary author Bede to have lasted for three years, and is computed allowing all or part of the years 627, 628 and 629 to this interregnum or unknown reign.

The names are given in modern English form, followed by the names and titles (as far as is known) in contemporary Anglo-Saxon English and Latin, being the recorded languages of the time. Note that the title 'REX' is not recorded specifically for any East Anglian ruler before Raedwald: the earlier names derive from the genealogical tally (not regnal list) in the Anglian Collection and the Historia Britonum. They are normally styled rulers of the East Angle people (Angli Orientales), not of East Anglia (Anglia Orientalis). The title Rex Anglorum is used of Raedwald, and Rex Ang. (indeterminate, probably Anglorum) of Aethelstan and Eadmund in their coinage.

This was a time when spellings varied widely, even within a document. A number of variations of the details below exist. Amongst these are the preference between þ and ð (voiceless and voiced th).

A character resembling '7' (the so-called Tironian et) was used as the ampersand '&' in contemporary Anglo-Saxon writings. The era pre-dates the emergence of forms of writing accepted today, notably minuscule, and the letters 'W' and 'U'. Where W was followed by U this was generally rendered as 'VV' (which was also used for 'W' alone).

.
Kings of the East Angles

Wehha - 'The first to rule over the East Angles' (Historia Britonum) - Wehha (died c. 571) was a sixth-century king of East Anglia, possibly the first after the union of Norfolk and Suffolk. He was the father of Wuffa, after whom the royal family of East Anglia called themselves (the Wuffings), and the great-grandfather of Rædwald, the likely candidate for burial in the Sutton Hoo ship burial. According to his genealogy, he was the son of Wilhelm, who was the son of Hryp, who was the son of Hroðmund, son of Trygil, son of Tyttman, son of Caser, son of Woden.

Wuffa 571 to 578 - Eponymous ancestor of the Wuffing dynasty, 'ruling' in 571 (Roger of Wendover) - Wuffa (died c. 578) was king of East Anglia from 571 to 578. He was the father of King Tytila and grandfather of King Rædwald of the Sutton Hoo ship burial. His name, which is a diminutive form of the Old English word for wolf, is the dynastic eponym for the kings of East Anglia, the Wuffings.

Tytila 578 to 599 - 'Took up the helm of the kingdom' (Roger of Wendover) - Tytila (died c. 593) was the King of East Anglia from about 578 until his death, and the father of Raedwald of East Anglia. His name is the Anglo-Saxon form of the Gothic Totila.

Raedwald 599 to 624 - Bretwalda (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle) - From c 616 he became the most powerful of the English rulers south of the River Humber. See King Raedwald

Eni 617 to 618 - not known to have reigned - Eni or Ennius was a supposed early 7th century King of East Anglia. He was certainly the son of Tyttla and brother of Raedwald, both Kings of East Anglia. There is no historical mention of Eni as a King of the East Angles, nor is there any clear evidence that he was one. The principal references to him are in Bede's Ecclesiastical History, and in the East Anglian dynastic tally preserved in the Anglian Collection. The tally is not a regnal list but a series of genealogical affiliations - hence it does not mention Raedwald, who was not a direct ancestor of the line of Eni.
It is possible, but nowhere indicated, that Raedwald associated Eni to his power as an East Anglian regent or sub-king during the period of his own ascendancy, 616-624. The sources we have indicate that Eorpwald, Raedwald's son, succeeded his father.
Eni is identified by Bede as the father of three East Anglian Kings, namely Anna (r. c636-654), Aethelhere (r. 654) and Aethelwold (r. 654-664). In the Anglian Collection tally he is also the grandfather of King Ealdwulf (r. 664-713), whose father was Aethilric son of Eni (Ening). Since the power reverted to Ealdwulf in 664 after the rule of his uncles, it is often supposed that Aethilric was an elder brother of Anna, Aethelhere and Aethelwold, and may be the same person as King Ecgric, who shared the throne with Sigeberht (c 629-634) and died with him in 636. Hereswith, Ealdwulf's mother, had already left East Anglia for a monastic life in Gaul by 647 (Bede, History, iv.23) so Athilric had probably died by then.
Many of Eni's descendants appear to have been extremely devout Christians, and as an immediate member of Raedwald's household he must certainly have been aware of, and possibly even shared in, Raedwald's baptism, which occurred in Kent under the sponsorship of King Aethelbert of Kent before 616, at the hands of the mission sent by Pope Gregory I. Eni's devout son Anna was presumably resident at Exning in 631 when Anna's daughter Etheldreda (Saint Audrey) was born there. Exning is close to the Isle of Ely where, at Cratendune, Saint Augustine of Canterbury himself (d. c604) is stated (in Liber Eliensis) to have established a church. It is possible, therefore, that the Christianity of Eni's descendants had its origins in an East Anglian phase of Augustine's own mission.

Eorpwald c.624 to c.627 - Murdered by Ricberht - became the first English king to suffer death as a consequence of his Christian faith. See King Eorpwald

Ricberht c.627 to c.629 - not known to have reigned - Ricberht is thought to have been King of East Anglia from 627 to 629 following his murder of Eorpwald of East Anglia. He was possibly an agent of the Pagan king Penda who opposed the spread of Christianity throughout the British Isles.

Sigeberht c.629 to ?634 - Joint king with Ecgric; abdicated; Slain in battle; Saint Sigeberht. Son or Stepson of Raedwald.
See King Sigeberht

Ecgric ante 634 to ?636 - Slain in battle; kinsman of Sigeberht - presumed son of Raedwald or Eni. Ecgric was an East Anglian king who shared the kingdom with his kinsman Sigebert until the abdication of Sigebert c 634. He then ruled alone until c 636, when both were killed together in a battle defending East Anglian from a Mercian military assault. See King Ecgric

Anna 636 to 654 - Slain in battle - Anna was a mid-7th century King of East Anglia. He was the nephew of Raedwald of East Anglia, and probably the second of the sons of Eni, Raedwald's brother, to hold the kingdom, ruling (c. 636–653/654).
See King Anna

Æthelhere 654 to 15 November 654 - Æthelhere was probably the third of the sons of Eni (brother of Raedwald), of whom four are certainly known. See King Aethelhere

Æthelwold late 654 to 664 - His rule spanned the last decade in which the Roman rite and the Celtic rite of Christianity coexisted in England. See King Aethelwold

Ealdwulf 663 or 664 to 713 - Ealdwulf's reign of forty-nine years was extraordinary in length: only Æthelbert of Kent's (c 560-616) and Offa of Mercia's (757-796) are comparable. See King Ealdwulf

Ælfwald c.713 to 749 - The two reigns taken together, with barely any record of external military action or internal dynastic strife, represent an unprecedented period of stability for East Anglia in that period. See King Aelfwald

Hun 749 to ? - Hun is barely a historical figure; Roger of Wendover suggests that in 749 (after the death of King AElfwald), 'Hunbeanna and Alberht divided the kingdom of East Anglia between themselves.' In recent years some aspects of this statement have been verified by the discovery of coins of King Beorna and of Alberht or AEthelberht. The recognition of Beorna's reality as a historical figure leaves the 'Hun' element in the annal word 'Hunbeanna' detached, because Beanna or Beorna is itself a shortened or hypocoristic form of a diathematic (two-part) name from which the second part has been reduced to '-a', with a hardening of the preceding consonants (sc. 'Jonathan', 'Jonny').
'Hun' could therefore be an epithet for Beorna (like Aethelwold Moll or Eadbert Praen), or possibly a third person whose name has been run together with Beonna's by a scribal copyist. The name Hun is familiar as an element in eighth and ninth century England, though usually as part of a diathematic name. AEthelhun, for instance, was among the West Saxons involved in the turmoil leading to the Battle of Burford Bridge in 752, and during the ninth century there were northern East Anglian bishops of Helmham named Hunferth and Hunberht: it also occurs as part of a moneyer's name. There are several placenames in East Anglia using this as a personal name element, such as Hunton and Hundon Suffolk, or Hunston and Hunstanton, Norfolk.
An alternative theory is that this annal, which is written in latin, was derived from an Old English source and that the translator scribe misread the opening word 'Here' for part of the name of Beorna. 'Her', (i.e. 'In this year') is the usual opening for an Old English annal, and the typical form of the letter r might easily be misread for an n. The person of Hun is therefore possible, but not quite substantial.

Beorna 749 to c.760 - Joint king who shared his reign with another ruler called Alberht (Æthelberht), and possibly with another named Hun. See King Beorna

Alberht 749 to ? - Joint ruler; - Alberht, Ethaelbert or AEthelberht (I) was an eighth century ruler of East Anglia, who shared the kingdom with Beorna and possibly with a ruler named Hun in 749. He may still have been ruling in c 760. See King Alberht

Æthelred I ?c.760 to ?c.779 - Possibly mythic

Æthelberht II ?779 to 794 - Saint Æthelbert. Executed at the command of Offa

Mercian Dynasty

Offa c.760 to 796 - see King Offa

East Anglian Dynasty

Eadwald after 794 to ? - Eadwald of East Anglia was the king of East Anglia c. 796-798. Eadwald was probably in exile during the oppressive reign of Offa (as was Eadberht Praen of Kent). After the death of Offa of Mercia, who had ruled East Anglia directly since deposing and beheading its king (later Saint) Aethelberht (Hereford Cathedral was dedicated to him) in 796. East Anglia briefly strove for independence under Eadwald, but he was stopped by Ecgferth of Mercia (son of Offa, ruled 796 only). Independence was then perhaps achieved after Ecgferths death, until the East Angles were reconquered by Coenwulf of Mercia in 798. Alternatively Eadwald may have been permitted his brief rule by Coenwulf of Mercia (796-821). He died, or was at least deposed in 798. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle omits any mention of an East Anglian monarch for this period. Almost the only knowledge of Eadwald comes from coins inscribed with his name. These are very rare today, with only around twenty known to exist.

Mercian Dynasty

Coenwulf c.796 to 821 - Held dominion over East Angles - See King Coenwulf

Coelwulf 821 to 823 - Held dominion over East Angles (d. ?) Brother of Cœnwulf. Deposed by Béornwulf. Ceolwulf I was King of Mercia and Kent, from 821 to 823. He was the brother of Cœnwulf, his predecessor, and was deposed by Beornwulf.

Beornwulf 823 to 826 - Held dominion over East Angles - Possible relation of Béornred. Chosen by the Mercian Witan. Died in battle. King Beornwulf

East Anglian Dynasty

Æthelstan c.821 to c.839 - styled Rex Anglorum (coins) - Æthelstan was king of East Anglia in the 9th century. As with the other kings of East Anglia, there is very little textual information available.
It is suggested that Æthelstan was probably the king who defeated and killed the Mercian kings Beornwulf (killed 826) and Ludeca (killed 827). He may have attempted to take seized power in East Anglia on the death of Coenwulf of Mercia (died 821). If this is the case, he was apparently defeated by Coenwulf's successor Ceolwulf.
The end of Æthelstan's reign is placed in the middle or late 840s. He was succeeded by Æthelweard.

Æthelweard c.839 to 855 - Æthelweard was of King of East Anglia in the middle of the 9th century. As with his predecessor Æthelstan, textual evidence for Æthelweard's reign is very limited. However, numismatic evidence in the form of surviving coinage suggests that he was an independent ruler, not subject to Mercia or Wessex.
The date when Æthelweard became king is uncertain, but is conventionally dated to the middle or late 840s. It appears that he died in 854. He was succeeded as king by his fourteen-year-old son Edmund (Saint Edmund), who was said to have been crowned on 25 December 854.

Eadmund - 855 to 20 November 870 - Born c. 840, Nuremberg and Died November 20, 869/870 Martyred; Saint Edmund. see Edmund the Martyr

Sub-kings under Norse Suzerainty

Oswald 870 to 876

Æthelred II 876 to 879 - Æthelred (floruit circa 875) was King of East Anglia. No textual evidence of his reign is known, but numismatic evidence points to his reign being in the 870s, perhaps together with Oswald of East Anglia, whose coins are known from the same period.

Guthrum the Old 879 to 890 - Norse ruler Guthrum the Old, took name Æthelstan at baptism and was king of the Danish Vikings in the Danelaw. see King Guthrum

Eohric (Eohric) (dates unknown) - Killed in battle December 902

Æthelwold of Wessex (dates unknown) - Killed in battle December 902? - Æthelwald was the eldest son of Æthelred of Wessex, . He was also the cousin of Edward the Elder of Wessex. Aethelwald fought his cousin during much of his early reign because he felt that he had more right to inherit the throne. When the throne was passed to Edward in 899 Æthelwald went to the Danelaw and was installed by them as King of Northumbria. In 890 he attacked Wessex with his Danish Allies. He defeated Edward but was himself killed in battle, thus allowing Edward to secure his position. His younger brother Æthelhelm chose not to challenge Edward for the throne and continued to reside in Wessex as Ealdorman of Wiltshire.

TOP