ABSTRACT
The fact that the Mercian supremacy in Anglo-Saxon England was contemporary with that of the Carolingians in Francia has inevitably encouraged historians to search for evidence that cross-Channel contact was a factor in the sustained success of both regimes. The second half of the eighth century provides an unusual opportunity to trace the development of connections between England and Francia through the contacts that linked the royal and ecclesiastical courts of Offa and Charlemagne. Indeed, it is only in terms of extant architecture, sculpture and manuscripts that we can see the skills of Mercian artisans and understand the cultural vibrancy of the Mercian supremacy at work in the core of the kingdom itself. The initial experiment at Soissons in 751 had shown its worth but, since we lack evidence that all of Charlemagne's legitimate sons were anointed, it seems that the ceremony cannot yet have been considered a prerequisite for kingship, even in Francia.
