King Æthelberht II Captured and Executed

While seeking to marry princess Ælfthryth, King Æthelberht II of East Anglia was taken captive at the royal Mercian court in Sutton Walls. This took place under complicated political circumstances, as Mercia and East Anglia were often in conflict. The young king was beheaded, marking a significant power shift in the region and impacting the alliances between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.