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List of monarchs of Wessex

This is a list of monarchs of Wessex until 924. For later monarchs, see the list of British monarchs. While the details of the later monarchs are confirmed by a number of sources, the earlier ones are in many cases obscure.

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 (hard and soft 'th').

The character '7' was used as represent ampersand '&' in contemporary Anglo-Saxon writings.

Monarchs of the West Saxons (Wessex)

Reign Incumbent Notes
The Kingdom of the Gewissae
Cerdic Dynasty
519 to 534 Cerdic Cerdic Elesing Gevvissæ Cyning
Cerdic Rex Gevvissæ
534 to 560 Cynric Cynric Cerdicing Gevvissæ Cyning
Cynric Rex Gevvissæ
560 to 591 Ceawlin Ceawlin Cynricing Gevvissæ Cyning
Ceawlin Rex Gevvissæ
591 to 597 Ceol Ceol Cuþing Gevvissæ Cyning
Ceol Rex Gevvissæ
597 to 611 Ceolwulf Ceolvvulf Cuþing Gevvissæ Cyning
Ceolvvulf Rex Gevvissæ
611 to 643 Cynegils Cynegils Ceoling Gewissæ Cyning
Cynegils Rex Gevvissæ
c.626 to 636 Cwichelm Cvvichelm Cynegilsing Gevvissæ Cyning
Cvvichelm Rex Gewissæ
643 to 645 Cenwalh Cenwalh Cynegilsing Gewissæ Cyning
Cenwalh Rex Gewissæ
Deposed
Mercian Dynasty
645 to 648 Penda Penda Pybbing Miercna 7 Gewissæ Cyning
Penda Rex Miercna et Gewissæ
The Kingdom of the West Saxons
Cerdic Dynasty
648 to 674 Cenwalh Cenwalh Cynegilsing WestSeaxe Cyning
Cenwalh Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
Restored; reigned jointly with his wife Queen Seaxburh 672 to 674
672 to 674 Queen Seaxburh Seaxburg WestSeaxe Cuen
Seaxburh Regina Saxonum Occidentalium
Reigned jointly with her husband Cenwalh until his death 674
674 to 674 Cenfus Cenfus Cenferþing WestSeaxe Cyining
Cenfus Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
674 to 676 Aescwine Æscvvine Cenfusing WestSeaxe Cyning
Æscvvine Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
676 to 685 Centwine Centvvine Cynegilsing WestSeaxe Cyning
Centvvine Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
Deposed by Caedwalla
685 to 688 Caedwalla Cædvvalla Cenbryhting WestSeaxe Cyning
Cædvvalla Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
Usurper; abdicated
688 to 726 Ine
(Ina)
Ine Cenreding WestSeaxe Cyning
Ine Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
Abdicated
726 to 740 Aethelheard Æþelheard WestSeaxe Cyning
Æþelheard Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
740 to 756 Cuthred Cuþred WestSeaxe Cyning
Cuþred Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
756 to 757 Sigeberht Sigebryht WestSeaxe Cyning
Sigebryht Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
Deposed (and killed?) by Cynewulf
757 to 786 Cynewulf Cynevvulf WestSeaxe Cyning
Cynevvulf Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
Assassinated by Cyneheard, brother of Sigeberht
786 to 802 Beorhtric Beorhtric WestSeaxe Cyning
Beorhtric Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
802 to 839 Egbert Ecgbryht Ealhmunding WestSeaxe Cyning
Ecgbryht Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
839 to 856 Ethelwulf Æþelvvulf Ecgbryhting WestSeaxe Cyning
Æþelvvulf Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
856 to 860 Ethelbald Æþelbald Æþelvvulfing WestSeaxe Cyning
Æþelbald Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
860 to 865 Ethelbert Æþelbryht Æþelvvulfing WestSeaxe Cyning
Æþelbryht Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
865 to 871 Ethelred Æþelred Æþelvvulfing WestSeaxe Cyning
Æþelred Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
878 to 899 Ælfred the Great; Ælfred Æþelvvulfing ðe Great WestSeaxe Cyning;
Ælfred Magnus Rex Saxonum Occidentalium;
899 to 925 Edward the Elder Eadvveard Ælfreding ðe Eldra WestSeaxe Cyning
Eadvveard Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
925 to 927 Athelstan Æþelstan Eadvvearding WestSeaxe Cynning
Æþelstan Rex Saxonum Occidentalium
became the first king of a united England


Heptarchy
East Anglia | Essex | Kent | Mercia | Northumbria | Sussex | Wessex
Others: Lindsey, Hwicce