View source for Egbert

'''Egbert''' was born around the year 770 and died in 839. Having been accepted as [[King]] of Essex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex and for a short time [[Mercia]], he has been referred to as the first King of all [[England]].

In 789 Egbert was forced into exile, and may have spent some of his time in the [[court]] of [[Charlemagne]]. He returned a few years later and succeded Beorhtric (who was one of those responsible for his exile) as King of [[Wessex]] in 802.

Egbert removed Wessex from the [[Mercia|Mercian]] confederation, and eventually defeated Beornwulf of Mercia in 825. He was proclaimed "Bretwalda", or King of all England, in 829, but lost Mercia to Wiglaf in 830.

In 836 Egbert suffered a further military setback, being defeated by the [[Denmark|Danes]]. However, he defeated them and their allies, the West [[Wales|Welsh]], in 838. He died soon after in 839, and was succeeded by his son [[Aethelwulf]].

He should also be remembered as initiating (at the behest of his wife Redburga))England's policy on immigration, by passing a law forbidding, on pain of death, any Welshman from crossing [[Offa's Dyke]].


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[[English Monarchs]]
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Succeeded by:<br>[[Aethelwulf]]
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[[category:monarchs (medieval)]]
[[category:people (medieval)]]
[[category:8th century]]
[[category:9th century]]