The commencement of dominant Kings, 613
613-731.
Northumbria Kings rule over the whole of England except Kent. The three great Northumbrian Kings were:

• Ethelfrith. 607. Noted for a decisive victory against the Welsh at Chester
• Edwin 617. Noted for being persuaded to become a Christian by his wife Ethelburga who was the daughter of the Christian King of Kent. Edwin was defeated by the Mercian overlord Penda at a battle near Doncaster.
• Egfrith 685. The last dominant King of Northumbria and England, defeated by a joint raiding party of Picts and Scots.

The Kings of Mercia rule England
679    The Mercians now become the most powerful Kingdom and by 757 rule all of Wessex. Mercia is populated by Angles. Their first notable King is Penda 735-55.
757    Offa 757-96 becomes King of Mercia, and overlord of all England below Northumbria. Noted for having a good trading and religious relationship with Charlemagne, introducing a new currency, the Penny with the same silver content as a French coin thus being interchangeable for trade. Noted also for building a formidable, 26 foot high, 120 mile long earth dyke to defend England from the “Britains” in Wales. Some say the first King of all England.

Saxon Kings rule all England
Egbert 802-839
820    England’s southern Kingdom, Wessex (Saxon) under King Egbert (802-839) breaks the military supremacy of Mercia (Angles) creating the powerbase to unify England. The only remaining Roman British stronghold (Cornwall) is also brought under Wessex control. Egbert is considered the first king of all England. Egbert married a French princess, none other than Redburga, sister of Charlemagne and with her he sired the future king Ethelwulf.

Ethelwulf 839-858
839    The son of Egbert, Ethelwulf rules 839-858 all of England but in 855 he is forced to allow the first permanent settlement of Vikings on the Island of Sheppey off the north coast of Kent. Ethelwulf travels to Rome in 856 to see the Pope he is so worried about the Vikings from Denmark. On the return journey he marries princess Judith, daughter of Charles the Bold, king of the Franks.
Ethelwulf, previously in 830 married an English girl Osburga and they had four sons all becoming kings of England; (Osburga died c. 850)
Ethelbald, Ethelburt, Ethelred 1st and Alfred (The Great)

865 England is completely over run by the “Great Army” of Danish Vikings