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This is a list of the Kings of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Kent.
The regnal dates for the earlier kings are known only from Bede, who piously expunged apostates (Unde cunctis placuit regum tempora computantibus, ut ablata de medio regum perfidorum memoria, idem annus sequentis regis), and seems also to have deliberately suppressed details of short or joint reigns in order to produce an orderly sequence (he had no place for Æðelwald or Eormenred). Generally more than one king ruled in Kent. Some kings are known mainly from charters, of which several are forgeries, while others have subjected to tampering in order to reconcile them with the erroneous king lists of chroniclers, baffled by blanks, and confused by concurrent reigns and kings with similar or identical names. Even modern historians are tempted to fill out the blank prehistoric period with mythological creatures, combine kings with similar names, and suppress multiple kingship, or at least reduce it down to some regular dyarchy. It is commonplace for the later kings to be referred to as subkings, but the actual rank used is always rex, never regulus (except for a late legend concerning Eormenred). The usual style was simply King of Kent (rex Cantiae) or King of the Kentish Men (rex Cantuariorum). Territorial division within Kent is not alluded to, except by Eadberht I (rex Cantuariorum terram dimidii) and Sigered (rex dimidie partis prouincie Cantuariorum).
List of Kings of Kent
| Reign | Incumbent | Style | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| mythical | Hengest | no charters | horse god (hengest means stallion) |
| mythical | Horsa | no charters | horse god (hors means horse) |
| mythical | Oisc (Oesc, Aesc, Oeric) | no charters | possibly a tree god (æsc means ash tree) |
| mythical | Octa (Octha) | no charters | |
| unknown | Eormenric | no charters | father of Æðelberht I |
| died 24 February 616 (Bede) | Æðelberht I | no genuine charters | first Christian King of Kent |
| February 616 to 20 January 640 (Bede) | Eadbald | no genuine charters | son of Æðelberht I |
| unknown | Æðelwald | no charters | contemporary with Pope Boniface V (619-625) |
| January 640 to 14 July 664 (Bede) | Eorcenberht | no charters | son of Eadbald |
| unknown | Eormenred | Irminredus | brother of Eorcenberht |
| July 664 to 4 July 673 (Bede) | Ecgberht I | no charters | son of Eorcenberht |
| acceded 674 or 675, | Hlothhere | Lotharius rex Cantuariorum | son of Eorcenberht; reigning jointly with Eadric |
| 685 to 686 (Bede) | Eadric | Eadricus rex Cantuariorum | son of Ecgberht I; reigning jointly with Hlothhere |
| killed 687 | Mul | Mulo rege regnum Cantie | brother of Cædwalla, King of Wessex |
| acceded 687 or 688, | Swæfheard | Suebhardus rex Cantuariorum | son of Sæberht, King of Essex, reigning jointly in Kent with Oswine and Withred |
| fl. 689 | Swæfberht | Gabertus | jointly with Oswine |
| fl. 689 to 690 | Oswine | Oswynus rex Cantie | jointly with Swæfberht and Swæfheard |
| acceded 691 or 692, | Wihtred | Wihtredus rex Cantie | son of Ecgberht I; reigned jointly with Swæfheard |
| succeeded 725 | Ælfric | no charters | son of Wihtred; succeeded jointly with his brothers Æðelberht II and Eadberht I |
| 725 to 748 | Eadberht I | Eadbertus rex Cantuariorum terram dimidii | son of Wihtred; reigned jointly with his brothers Æðelberht II and Ælfric |
| Subject to Mercian overlordship | |||
| 725 to 762 | Æðelberht II | Æthilberhctus rex Cantie | Athelbertus rexson of Wihtred; reigned jointly with his brothers Eadberht I and Ælfric, and nephew Eardwulf |
| unknown | Eardwulf | Earduulfus rex Cantuariorum | son of Eadberht I; reigned jointly with Æðelberht II; contemporary with Archbishop Cuðbert (740-760) |
| fl. 762 | Eadberht II | Eadberht rex Cantiae | jointly with Sigered |
| fl. 762 | Sigered | Sigiraed rex Cantiae | jointly with Eadberht II |
| unknown | Eanmund | Eanmundus rex | contemporary with Archbishop Bregowine (761-764) |
| fl. 764 to 765 | Heaberht | Heaberhtus rex Cantie | jointly with Ecgberht II |
| fl. 765 to 779 | Ecgberht II | Ecgberhtus rex Cantie | jointly with Heaberht |
| fl. 784 | Ealhmund | Ealmundus rex Canciæ | father of Ecgberht III |
| Under the direct rule of Osfrith of Mercia (785–796). | |||
| 796 to 798, deposed | Eadberht III Præn | no charters; coins: | Deposed and mutilated by Cœnwulf |
| acceded 797 or 798, | died 807Cuðred | ''Cuthredus Rex Cantiae | brother of Cœnwulf and Ceolwulf |
| fl. 809 | Cœnwulf | Ceonulfus Christi gracia rex Merciorum atque provincie Cancie | brother of Cuðred and Ceolwulf; also King of Mercia (796-821) |
| fl. 822 to 823 | Ceolwulf | Ceolwulf rex Merciorum vel etiam Contwariorum | brother of Cuðred and Cœnwulf; also King of Mercia (821-823) |
| deposed in 825 | Baldred | no charters; coins: | expelled by Æðelwulf in 825 |
| 825 to 839 | Ecgberht III | Ecgberht rex occidentalium Saxonum necnon et Cantuariorum | son of Ealhmund; reigned in Kent jointly with his son Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (802-839) |
| 825 to 858 | Æðelwulf | Aetheluulf rex | jointly with his father Ecgberht III and son Æðelstan; also King of Wessex (839-856) |
| fl. 839 to 851 | Æðelstan I | Edelstan rex Kancie | jointly with his father Æðelwulf |
| fl. 855 to 865 | Æðelberht III | Aeðelberht rex | jointly with his father Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (860-865) |
| 865 to 871 | Æðelred I | Eðelred rex occidentalium Saxonum . non et Cantwariorum | son of Æðelwulf; also King of Wessex (865-871) |
See also
"List of monarchs of Kent"