Statue of Ethelbert, King of Kent, in Lady Wootton´s Green, Canterbury, Kent, UK. Canterbury Cathedral is in the background.

---

Ethelbert lived from about 560 AD to 616AD. As well as being King of Kent, he was also Bretwalda, meaning that he was the leading king amongst the ANglos Saxon kingdoms. He married Bertha, the Christian daughter of Charibert, king of the Franks. Their marriage created conditions for increased trade between Kent and Europe. More importantly, Pope Gregory I sent Augustine as a missionary from Rome. Augustine landed in Kent in 597AD. Shortly afterwards, Ethelbert converted to Christianity and wide scale conversion began across the kingdom. Ethelbert provided the new mission with land in Canterbury, sowing the seeds for Canterbury´s position as the centre of the Church in England and the eventual building of Canterbury Cathedral and St Augustine´s Abbey.

---

Size: 2989px × 4400px
Location: Canterbury, Kent, UK
Photo credit: © Paul Martin / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: aethelberht, aethelbert, anglo, augustine, bertha, bretwalda, britain, britain-ruler, british, canterbury, cathedral, christian, christianity, conversion, convert, england, english, ethelbert, green, imperium, kent, king, lady, mission, missionary, overlord, religion, saxon, uk, wootton, wootton´