Wiglaf of Mercia

Category:Mercian monarchs Wiglaf (d. 839/40) was a King of Mercia (827 - 829, 830 - 839/40). His rule coincided with the rise of the rival Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex under Egbert. Wiglaf does not seem to have been a member of the traditional Mercian royal line, and it is unclear whether he had any relationship to it. He became king after his predecessor, Ludeca, was killed in a failed attempt to subjugate the rebellious East Anglians. At this time, Mercia was engaged in a conflict with the rising power of Wessex, which had begun during the reign of Beornwulf in 825, and in 829, Egbert of Wessex successfully invaded Mercia and drove Wiglaf from his throne. Historically speaking, this event marked the beginning of the domination of England by Wessex, but the Mercians regained their independence and brought Wiglaf back to power in the following year. The circumstances of this suggest it was a rebellion against West Saxon rule rather than a grant made by Egbert to Wiglaf, since Wiglaf did not act as a subordinate client king in the years that followed. If this was the case, however, Egbert does not seem to have retaliated. It is apparent that Wiglaf recognized the period of his overthrow, since in a charter from 831 he referred to his "second reign". He remained king until his death. {| align="center" cellpadding="2" border="2"\n|-\n| width="30%" align="center" | Preceded by:
Ludeca\n| width="40%" align="center" | King of Mercia
First Reign\n| width="30%" align="center" | Succeeded by:
Egbert\n|-\n| width="30%" align="center" | Egbert\n| width="40%" align="center" | King of Mercia
Second Reign\n| width="30%" align="center" | Wigstan\n|}