What is List of monarchs of Mercia?
The '''[[Mercia|Kingdom of Mercia]]''' was an important monarchy in the [[English Midlands]] from the [[6th century]] to the [[10th century|10th]]. From the mid-[[7th century]] until it ceased to exist as a kingdom, [[Mercia]] was the most powerful of the [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] kingdoms. Some of its rulers were the first to claim titles such as ''King of the English'' and ''King of Britain''. Mercia was one of the seven kingdoms of the [[:en:wikt:heptarchy|Heptarchy]]. This is a later name given to the seven [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] kingdoms of [[England]] during the [[early Middle Ages]].<ref>Michael Frassetto, ''The Early Medieval World'' (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2013), p. 308</ref> Besides Mercia it included [[Northumbria]], [[Wessex]], [[East Anglia]], [[Essex]], [[Kent]], and [[Sussex]].<ref>Michael Frassetto, ''Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe: Society in Transformation'' (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2003). pp. 201–02</ref> The first [[:en:wikt:dynasty|dynasty]] of Mercian kings are called the Iclingas. The name comes from Icel who ruled the Mercians {{circa|450}}.{{efn|Several names of places in the eastern parts of England appear to named for Icel or his people. Ickleton in [[Cambridgeshire]], Ickleford in [[Hertfordshire]] and Iklingham in [[Suffolk]] are examples. This may indicate Icel and his people may have been in [[Middle Anglia]] before moving into the midlands of Mercia.<ref name=Myres185/>}}<ref name=Myres185>John Nowell Linton Myres, ''The English Settlements'' (Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 1989), p. 185</ref> Members of this dynasty claimed to be [[:wikt:descendants|descendants]] the royal family of their homeland in [[Western Europe]]. Mercia became a dominant force under [[Penda of Mercia|Penda]] from about {{circa|632}} until his death in 655.<ref>Peter Hunter Blair, ''Roman Britain and Early England; 55 B.C.–A.D. 871'' (New York; London: W. W. Norton & Company, 1966), p. 178</ref> Bretwalda, his son, was the first Mercian overlord of the southern English.<ref