List of monarchs of Wessex

This is a list of monarchs of Wessex until 927. For later monarchs, see the List of English monarchs. Details for many of the later English monarchs are confirmed by a number of sources. But the earliest kings of Wessex predate many written sources.^[1] Wessex was one of the seven kingdoms of the British Heptarchy. This is a later name given to the seven Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England during the early Middle Ages.^[2] Besides Wessex it included Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, and Sussex.

Map of England c. 802–839

The year 865 saw the arrival of the Great Heathen Army in East Anglia.^[3] One by one the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were defeated by the Danes (Vikings). By the close of the ninth century the last four independent kingdoms of England had been reduced to just one.^[4] Wessex was the only remaining kingdom not destroyed by the Vikings.^[4] Under Alfred the Great Wessex became the core of a unified England.^[5] His grandson, Athelstan was the first King of England.^[6]

Monarchs of the West Saxons (Wessex)

Cerdicing Dynasty

• Cerdic (519–534)
• Creoda (534?) Likely disputed ^[7]
• Cynric (534–560)
• Ceawlin (560–591)
• Ceol (591–597)
• Ceolwulf (597–611)
• Cynegils (611–643)
• Cwichelm (626–636)^[a]
• Cenwalh (643–645)
• Centwine (probable) (645–648)^[b]
• Cenwalh (648–672) (restored to the throne)
• Seaxburh (672–674)^[c]
• Cenfus (674)^[d]
• Aescwine (674–676)
• Centwine (676–685)
• Caedwalla (685–688)
• Ine (688–726)
• Athelheard (726–740)
• Cuthred (740–756)
• Sigeberht (756–757)
• Cynewulf (757–786)
• Beorhtric (786–802)^[e]
• Egbert (802–839)
• Athelwulf (839–858)
• Athelbald (858–860)
• Athelbert (860–865)
• Athelred (865–871)
• Alfred the Great (871–899)
• Edward the Elder (899–924)
• Alfweard (924), son of Edward, ruled for 16 days.
• Athelstan (924–927), after 927 ruled as King of the English.

Related pages

• List of English monarchs
• Wessex monarchs

Image gallery

• 
  An image of Cerdic, King of Wessex
• 
  The death of Penda of Mercia
• 
  Bishop Wilfrid receiving a charter from Caedwalla, King of Wessex
• 
  Egbert, King of Wessex, from an illuminated manuscript
• 
  Athelwulf, King of Wessex
• 
  Alfred the Great, King of Wessex
• 
  The death of Cynewulf, King of Wessex

Notes

1. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle mentions him as being king of the west Saxons (AD 626) and a son of Cynegils (AD 628).^[8]
2. He was the son of Cwichelm and ruled under Penda.^[9]
3. Queen of Wessex also called queen of the Gewisse. She ruled Wessex for a year or two after the death of her husband, Cenwalh. It was extremely rare for a woman to rule in her own right in Wessex and she was the only woman to appear in a Wessex regnal list.^[10]
4. The father of Aescwine. Was a subking in Wessex.^[11]
5. A claimed descendant of Cerdic.