Egbert II of Kent - Definition

Egbert II (died c. 784) was King of Kent from about 765 to about 784.

King Offa of Mercia installed Heaberht as a client king in Kent in 764; perhaps Egbert was installed at the same time, but he was certainly king by 765, when he was named in a charter. By around the year 772, however, it appears that Offa was attempting to rule Kent directly, and this provoked a rebellion under Egbert. A bloody battle was fought at Otford in 776, and although the outcome was not recorded, the fact that Kent seems to have remained independent for several years afterward suggests that Egbert was victorious. It is known that he remained king until at least 779, but a charter from 784 is in the name of another Kentish king, Ealhmund, so it is likely that Egbert had died during the intervening period and had been succeeded by Ealhmund, who ruled briefly until another, more successful invasion by Offa in 785.