Offa of Mercia invaded East Anglia in 794 and had its young king Aethelberht executed, possibly at his palace at Sutton Walls. Aethelberht was subsequently venerated as a martyr — his shrine at Hereford became a major pilgrimage destination. The reasons for his execution are unclear: possibly a political marriage gone wrong, or Offa\'s opportunistic absorption of the East Anglian client kingdom. The action confirmed Mercian dominance over East Anglia that lasted until the Great Heathen Army arrived in 865.
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