The First king to die in battle?

[Lee77]

Who was the first English King to die in battle?

[jake-the-peg]

Ethelred I died in 871 in consequence of a wound received in battle

If you don't count him I guess it's Harold II at hastings

[dzug]

As far as I can make out it was Harold. Others, earlier, died unnatural deaths, but not in battle.

Though you do say 'English kings', not 'kings of England'. There could well have been someone earlier who was king of only (say) Wessex.

[Octavius]

dzug is right, according to the details of historical fact that we are left with.

Alfred the Great was King of Wessex and was also procalimed the first "King of England". Alfred died on 26 October 899, though the year is uncertain. How he died is unknown.

His predecessor, Ethelred I was only King of Wessex.

Athelstan (ATG's grandson) is generally regarded as the first de facto English king. He died in 940 but not in battle. The Edmund I (Deed-Doer) was murdered by a thief in 946, then Edred I died of ill health in 955, then Edwy died in 959, Edgar I died in 975, King Edward I (the Martyr) was stabbed in the back but not in battle in 978, Ethelred II (the unready) also just died in 1016, King Edmund II died of natural causes in Oxford in 1016, Canute the Great died naturally in 1035, as did Harold I (Harefoot) in 1040, Harthacanute in 1042 and Edward III (the Confessor) in 1066.

Harold Godwinson, or Harold II of England, was the last Anglo-Saxon King of England. He ruled from January 5 to October 14, 1066 when he was killed at the Battle of Hastings.

[jake-the-peg]

Seems quite a difference of opinion on the net as to whether Ethelred was a king of England or just Wessex.

Burkes peerage have him as a king of England:

http://www.burkes-peerage.net/sites/common/sitepages/roking01.asp

Given that his Grandfather Egbert was the first recognised king of England (Not Alfred) it may be that he was king of England in name rather than being able to completely impose his authority.

Ethelred was Alfred's brother

Still he died of battle wounds rather than actually in battle so it looks like we agree on Harold

[Octavius]

Though frequently fighting among themselves, the Anglo-Saxons accept in principle the idea that one of their kings is the overlord of all the English with the title bretwalda, meaning 'ruler of Britain'. According to Bede, the first such ruler is a king of West Sussex by the name of Aelli. In the late 5th century Aelli is accepted as the bretwalda of all the English south of the Humber.

I guess it does depend on where you get your info.

[jake-the-peg]

Well Idi Amin was King of Scotland so anything's possible

[Mithras]

I would say Boudica, but she was a Queen, not a King :P