Anna of East Anglia
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Anna (d. 653/654) was a King of East Anglia (c. 635 - 653/654). He was the son of Eni and the nephew of Eni's brother, Raedwald of East Anglia.
Penda, king of the Mercians, invaded East Anglia around the year 635, defeating and killing king Egric and the former king Sigebert. Anna then became king. A convert to Christianity, Anna was noted for his piety, and he persuaded Cenwealh of Wessex to accept baptism while the latter was in exile in East Anglia (645 - 648), having been driven out of his own kingdom by another of Penda's invasions.
Penda returned to East Anglia around the year 650 and defeated Anna, forcing him into exile; he also established Mercian rule over the Middle Angles, making his son Peada their king. Anna briefly returned to power in the years that followed, but was again defeated and killed by Penda in a final invasion.
Five of Anna's daughters each became known for their saintly virtues; one of them, Æthelthryth, is said to have maintained her virginity through two marriages (her second husband was Ecgfrith of Northumbria) and later became the abbess of Ely.
| Preceded by: Egric | King of East Anglia c. 635 — c. 653 | Succeeded by: Aethelhere |