2006-11-15 08:23:23 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Royalty
King Egbert of Wessex (also spelled Ecgberht or Ecgbryh), sometimes known as Egbert the Saxon, helped make Wessex such a powerful kingdom that England was eventually unified around it. Because he was accepted as king in Essex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex and for a time also managed to conquer Mercia, he has been called "the first king of all England."
Because Alfred the Great unified most of the various English kingdoms under one rule, the English monarchy traditionally begins with him. However, the House of Wessex, from which Alfred hailed and which served as the nucleus of the future kingdom, is sometimes considered the first royal house, with Egbert of Wessex regarded as "the first king of all England"; so it is included here as well.
http://historymedren.about.com/library/who/blwwegbert.htm
2006-11-15 08:25:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
It depends upon how you define "King" and "England". The first single person who ruled over all of England was the Roman Emperor Claudius (43AD). However England was not called by that name then, nor was Claudius a king (he ruled as a king but that was not his actual rank).
The next contender would be King Egbert (832AD) who ruled England. Before him England was made of several smaller kingdoms. However England during this time did not extend as far north as it currently does now as the northern kingdoms remained indepedant for longer.
King Svein Forkbeard conquored the north and defeated the armies of King Aethelred in 1014. He was the first man to rule all the land of modern day England. He was also the KIng of Denmark. He died a few months after his coronation.
After King Forkbeard England passed back and forth between native kings and Danish rulers until Cnut (Forkbeard's heir) became king in 1016, he ruled 19 years and is known as Cnut the Great.
So depending upon how you want to define it several people were the first King of England.
2006-11-15 08:42:58 · answer #2 · answered by monkeymanelvis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
King Alfred the Great, who was the first unified king of england in the 800s AD. Before then there were little Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.
2006-11-16 12:14:18 · answer #3 · answered by Sarah* 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alfred the Great.
"Alfred (Old English: Ælfrēd) (c. 849 – 26 October 899) was king of the southern Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex from 871 to 899. Alfred is famous for his defence of the kingdom against the Danish Vikings, becoming the only English monarch awarded the epithet 'the Great'. Alfred was also the first King of the West Saxons to style himself 'King of the Anglo-Saxons'"
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2006-11-16 11:54:12 · answer #4 · answered by Mike J 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Henry II was the first monarch to be described as "King of England" as opposed to the previous preferred description, "King of the English," thereby making him the 'first King of England'.
2006-11-15 08:30:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Canute was the first king of England 1016 before him there were several kings who ruled large areas like Wessex or Mercia
2006-11-15 08:27:33 · answer #6 · answered by Jane S 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
William the Conqueror
2006-11-15 08:33:03 · answer #7 · answered by Snowboarder91 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Edward long shanks, after he stole the Stone of Destiny (Coronation Stone) from the Scottish in 1296.
2006-11-15 08:50:28 · answer #8 · answered by Matthew. 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Frank the Caveman - 300,000 years ago!
Some say he wore a crown of ROCKS!
2006-11-15 11:51:38 · answer #9 · answered by John Trent 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alfred the Great.
2006-11-15 08:26:38 · answer #10 · answered by rcarmchl2000 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋