List of monarchs of Kent

This is a list of the kings of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent.

The regnal dates for the earlier kings are known only from Bede. Some kings are known mainly from charters, of which several are forgeries, while others have been subjected to tampering in order to reconcile them with the erroneous king lists of chroniclers, baffled by blanks, and confused by concurrent reigns and kings with similar or identical names. It is commonplace for the later kings to be referred to as subkings, but the actual rank used is always rex, never regulus (except for a late legend concerning Eormenred). The usual style was simply King of Kent (rex Cantiae) or King of the Kentish Men (rex Cantuariorum). Territorial division within Kent is not alluded to, except by Eadberht I (rex Cantuariorum terram dimidii) and Sigered (rex dimidie partis prouincie Cantuariorum).

List of kings of Kent

Reign Incumbent Style Notes 455–488 Hengest no charters father of Oisc or Octa 455 Horsa no charters brother of Hengest 488–512/516 Oisc no charters son of Hengest or Octa 512/516–534/540 Octa no charters son of Hengest 534/540– Eormenric no charters father of Æðelberht I – 24 February 616 (Bede) Æðelberht I no genuine charters first Christian King of Kent; married to Bertha, a Merovingian princess; father of Æthelburg, Queen Consort of Northumbria February 616 – 20 January 640 (Bede) Eadbald no genuine charters son of Æðelberht I; married to Emma of Austrasia, likely another Merovingian princess unknown Æðelwald no charters contemporary with Pope Boniface V (619–625) January 640 – 14 July 664 (Bede) Eorcenberht no charters son of Eadbald unknown Eormenred Irminredus brother of Eorcenberht July 664 – 4 July 673 (Bede) Ecgberht I no charters son of Eorcenberht acceded 674 or 675, Hlothhere Lotharius rex CantuariorumLotharius rex CancieClothariusHlotharius son of Eorcenberht; reigning jointly with Eadric 685–686 (Bede) Eadric Eadricus rex CantuariorumÆdricus rexEdricus son of Ecgberht I; reigning jointly with Hlothhere killed 687 Mul Mulo rege regnum Cantie brother of Cædwalla, King of Wessex acceded 687 or 688, still reigning 692 Swæfheard Suebhardus rex CantuariorumSueaberdus rex Cantie son of Sæbbi, King of Essex, reigning jointly in Kent with Oswine and Withred Swæfberht GabertusSuebertus rex Cantuariorum jointly with Oswine Oswine Oswynus rex CantieOswinus rex Cantuariorum jointly with Swæfberht and Swæfheard acceded c. 693, seven years after Edric's disposition (Malmesbury 1.15), died 23 April 725 Wihtred Wihtredus rex CantieWythredus rex CantuariorumWihtredus rex Cantuariorum son of Ecgberht I; reigned jointly with Swæfheard succeeded 725 Alric no charters son of Wihtred; succeeded jointly with his brothers Æðelberht II and Eadberht I 725–748 Eadberht I Eadbertus rex Cantuariorum terram dimidiiÆdbeortus rex Cantie son of Wihtred; reigned jointly with his brothers Æðelberht II and ÆlfricSubject to Mercian overlordship 725–762 Æðelberht II Æthilberhctus rex Cantie Athelbertus rex son of Wihtred; reigned jointly with his brothers Eadberht I and Ælfric, and nephew Eardwulf unknown Eardwulf Earduulfus rex CantuariorumEardulfus rex Cantiae son of Eadberht I; reigned jointly with Æðelberht II; contemporary with Archbishop Cuðbert (740–760) Eadberht II Eadberht rex CantiaeÆdbertus rexEadbertus rex Cantie jointly with Sigered Sigered Sigiraed rex CantiaeSigeredus rex dimidie partis prouincie Cantuariorum jointly with Eadberht II 762–764 Eanmund Eanmundus rex contemporary with Archbishop Bregowine (761–764) Heaberht Heaberhtus rex CantieHeaberhtus rex jointly with Ecgberht II Ecgberht II Ecgberhtus rex CantieEgcberhtus rex CantiaeEgcberht rex CantieEgcberth rex CantieEgcberhtus rex jointly with Heaberht Ealhmund Ealmundus rex Canciæ father of Ecgberht IIIUnder the direct rule of Offa of Mercia (785–796). 796–798, deposed Eadberht III Præn no charters; coins: EADBEARHT REX Deposed and mutilated by Cœnwulf acceded 797 or 798, Cuðred Cuthredus Rex CantiaeCuðred rex CantiaeCuðredus rex cantwariorum brother of Cœnwulf and Ceolwulf Cœnwulf Ceonulfus Christi gracia rex Merciorum atque provincie Cancie brother of Cuðred and Ceolwulf; also King of Mercia (796–821) Ceolwulf Ceolwulf rex Merciorum vel etiam ContwariorumCeolwulf rex Merciorum seu etiam Cantwariorum brother of Cuðred and Cœnwulf; also King of Mercia (821–823) deposed in 825 Baldred no charters; coins: BALDRED REX CANT expelled by Æðelwulf in 825 825–839 Ecgberht III Ecgberht rex occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum son of Ealhmund; reigned in Kent jointly with his son Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (802–839) 825–858 Æðelwulf Aetheluulf rexÆðeluulf rex CantrariorumÆthelwolf gratia Dei rex KanciaeÆtheluulf rex CancieAeðeluulf Rex CancieAetheluulf gratia Dei rex occidentalium Saxonum seu etiam CantuuariorumAeðeluulf gratia Dei rex occidentalium Saxonum nec non 7 CantuariorumEðelwulf rex occidentalium Saxonum nec non et CantuariorumEðeluulfus rex Occidentalium Saxonum necnon et CantuariorumÆðelulf rex misericordia Dei occidentalium Saxonum; necnon & Cantuuariorum jointly with his father Ecgberht III and son Æðelstan; also King of Wessex (839–856) Æðelstan I Edelstan rex KancieEthelstan RexAeðelstan rexAedelstan rex jointly with his father Æðelwulf Æðelberht III Aeðelberht rexEþelbearht rexEðelbearht rexÆthelbertus occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum rexAeðelbearht rex Occidentalium Saxonum seu CantuuariorumAeðælberht rex Occidentalium Saxonum seu CantuariorumEðelbearht rex occidentalium Saxonum nec non et Cantuariorum jointly with his father Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (860–866) 866–871 Æðelred I Eðelred rex occidentalium Saxonum . non et CantwariorumAeðered rex Occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum son of Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (866–871)

See also List of English monarchs Kentish Royal Legend Anglo-Saxon royal genealogies On the Resting-Places of the Saints (list of Anglo-Saxon saints - Secgan)

Sources Campbell, A. 1973. Charters of Rochester. Anglo-Saxon Charters 1. Fryde, E. B., Greenway, D. E., Porter, S., & Roy, I. 1986. Handbook of British Chronology, 3rd ed. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks 2. Garmonsway, G. N. 1954. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 2nd edition. Kelly, S. E. 1995. Charters of St. Augustine's Abbey Canterbury and Minster-in-Thanet. Anglo-Saxon Charters 4. King, J. E. 1930. Baedae Opera Historica. Loeb Classical Library 246 & 248. Kirby, D. P. 1991. The Earliest English Kings. Sawyer, P. H. 1968. Anglo-Saxon Charters: An Annotated List and Bibliography. Royal Historical Society Guides and Handbooks 8. Searle, W. G. 1899. Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings and Nobles. Sweet, H. 1896. The Student’s Dictionary of Anglo-Saxon. Yorke, B. 1990. Kings and Kingdoms of Early Anglo-Saxon England.

eo:Kent (regno)