Anglo-Saxon England
The End of Kent
Jul 5, 2023
This podcast discusses the end of Kent as a kingdom, including the rebellion against Mercian rule, the reconquest with papal approval, and the post-fall period that led to the end of Kent's independence.
08:36
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Quick takeaways
- Mercian king Coenwulf used papal approval to invade Kent and crush the rebellion against his rule.
- Kent's independence ended when the West Saxon kings, descendants of the Kentish royal line, ruled directly in Kent under West Saxon rule.
Deep dives
The Rebellion and Excommunication of Ayyadbert
In 796, Ayyadbert Prian orchestrated a rebellion against Mercian rule in Kent, taking advantage of a power vacuum. With Carolingian support, he covertly returned to Kent, causing Archbishop Athleherd, a Mercian appointee, to flee. Coenwulf, the Mercian king, saw an opportunity to crush the rebellion without international outrage. By highlighting the disloyalty to the church and Ayyadbert's illegal forsaking of his ordination, Coenwulf obtained papal approval to invade Kent. In 798, after two years of independence, Coenwulf successfully invaded, captured Ayyadbert, who was later blinded and may have had his hands cut off.
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