KINGS OF FRANCE

CAROLINGIAN HOUSE

[PEPI231] King Pepin III of the Franks m. [LAON232] Bertrada II de Laon
. [CARO243] Emperor Charles I of the West &. a concubine
. . [ROBE261] Abbot Hugh of St. Quentin m. ?
. [CARO242] Emperor Charles I of the West m3. [BAVK242] Hildegarde von Vinzgau
. . [ITAL282] sub-King Pippin I of Italy &. Chrothias his mistress
. . [CARO254] Berthe de France m. [PONT211] Count Angilbert
. . [CARO253] Emperor Louis I of the West &. ---
. . . [CARO268] Alpais de France m. [PARI222] Count Bego of Paris
. . [CARO252] Emperor Louis I of the West m2. [BAVX222] Judith von Bavaria
. . . [CARO263] Gisela de France m. [LOM2281] March Count Eberhard of Friuli
. . . [CARO264] Adelaide de Tours m. [ROBE281] March Count Robert of Neustria
. . . [CARO265] Rotrude or Hildegarde de France m. [AQUI271] Count Gerard III of Auvergne
. . . [CARO267] Emperor Charles II of the West m2. [PRO5314] Richilda d'Italy
. . . . [CARO278] Rothildis de France m. [MAI2261] Count Rodger of Maine
. . . . [CARO279] Rothilde de France m. [BOUH281] Henry de Bourges
. . . [CARO266] Emperor Charles II of the West m1. [ORLE232] Ermentrude d'Orleans
. . . . [CARF272] Godehilde Carolingen m. [MAIG241] Godefroi du Maine
. . . . [CARO277] Judith de France m3. [FLAN271] Count Baudouin I of Flanders
. . . . [CARO276] King Louis II of France m2. [ANGO295] Adalheid of the Palace
. . . . . [CARO283] King Charles III of France m2. [WESK323] Eadgifu of England
. . . . . . [CARO291] King Louis IV of France m. [SAXY275] Gerberga von Saxony
. . . . . . . [LOTH311] Duke Charles of Lower Lotharingia m1. [LOTU333] Bonne d'Ardenne
. . . . . . . [CARO302] Matilda de France m. [BURK341] King Conrad I of Burgundy
. . [CARO251] Emperor Louis I of the West m1. [HEBM262] Ermengarde de Hesbain
. . . [CARO262] King Louis of Bavaria m. [BAVX223] Emma von Bavaria
. . . . [CARO275] King Carloman of Bavaria &. a concubine
. . . . . [CARO281] Emperor Arnulf of the West m. a concubine
. . . . . . [CARO292] Kunigunde von Swabia m2. [FRAZ271] Duke Conrad I of Franconia
. . . [CARO261] Emperor Lothar I of the West m1. [ALSX242] Ermengarde de Tours
. . . . [LORL272] King Lothar II of Lotharingia &. Waldrada his mistress
. . . . [CARO273] Helletrude de France m. [SPOG271] Berengar di Spoleto
. . . . [CARO274] Ermengarde de France m. [HAI1281] Count Gislebert of Brabant
. . . . [CARO271] Emperor Louis II of the West &. his mistress
. . . . . [CARO282] Ermengard de France m. [PRO5311] King Boson of Provence

43-47. [CARO249] Charles I le grand [the great] or Charlemagne (born at Aix-la-Chapelle, April 742, see AUSTRASIA (HOUSE OF PEPIN)) was King Charles the great of France (768-814), nominally King of Italy (774-814) following his conquest, and EMPEROR OF THE WEST (800-14).

Charles married 1. Himiltrud (or she was simply his concubine); then 2. Desiderata (daughter of [LOM2271] King Didier of the Lombards); then 3. (772) [BAVK242] Hildegard de Vinzgau (born c.756, a Swabian lady of noble birth, see VINZGAU), died age 26 at Thionville (April 783); then 4. (at Worms, 783) Fastrada (daughter of Count Rodolphe III of Franconia, she died at Frankfurt, 794); then 5. Liutgard (died at Tours, 800). Charlemagne died January 814.

statue at Versailles
(22 April 2004)

43. [ROBE261] Hugh (son of EMPEROR CHARLEMAGNE & a concubine) was Abbot at St. Quentin, (see ROBERTIAN HOUSE for full details).
43. [ITAL282] Pippin (born 777, 2nd son of EMPEROR CHARLEMAGNE & Hildegarde), died (810) before Charlemagne, and thus did not succeed to the Frankish throne. See FRENCH KINGS IN ITALY for further details.
45. [CARO254] Berthe (daughter of EMPEROR CHARLEMAGNE & Hildegarde) had an illicit relationship with [PONT211] Count Angilbert (see PONTHIEU & MONTREUIL COUNTY).

42-46. [CARO259] Louis I the pious (born 778, son of EMPEROR CHARLEMAGNE & Hildegarde) was crowned King of Aquitaine at the age of 2 (781).

Louis probably had an illegitimate child, Aupals (c.793), which precipitated his marriage to Ermengarde (c.794) --

“lest he be led astray in satisfying the natural desires of the body.”

Five months before Charlemagne died --

"he summoned to him his son Ludwig, the King of Aquitaine, who alone survived of the son of Hildegard, and appointed Ludwig his partner in the whole kingdom and heir with the imperial title. He then placed the crown on his head and bade that he be saluted as Emperor and Augustus".

Louis was thus crowned EMPEROR at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) by Charlemagne (September 813). At his father’s death he then became King Louis I of France (814-40). He married 1. (794) [HEBM262] Ermengarde of Hesbain (see SEPTIMANIA), she died at Angers (3rd October 818); then 2. (February 819) [BAVX222] Judith of Bavaria (born c.800, daughter of Count Welf, see BAVARIA (HOUSE OF WELF) DUKEDOM). Judith was young, learned and beautiful, and became a powerful influence at court, where her favourites and relatives soon filled important positions. Louis died at Ingelheim (20th June 840), and Judith died at Tours (19th April 843).

45. [CARO268] Aupals/Alpais (born c.793, probably the illegitimate daughter of Louis mentioned above), married (c.806) [PARI221] Count Bego (see PARIS COUNTY).
44. [CARO261] Lothar I (born 795, son of King Louis I & Ermengarde) was King of Italy (818-55), then EMPEROR (840-55). He married 1. (at Thionville, October 821) [ALSX242] Ermengard (born 800, daughter of Count Hugh of Tours, see ALSACE DUKEDOM); then 2. Doda. He died at Prum Monastery (29th September 855), and Ermengard died 20th March 851.

42. [CARO271] Louis II (born 825, son of EMPEROR LOTHAR I & Ermengard) was King of Lombards (844-75), King of Italy (855-75), and EMPEROR (855-75). He married (851) Engelberga (daughter of Count Adelgisus of Parma), and died 12th August 875, leaving no male issue, though he had an illegitimate daughter Ermengard. Thus when Boson was appointed dux in Italy under King Charles II, Boson promptly married Ermengard to secure his position. Engelberga died 890.
41. [CARO282] Ermengard (illegitimate daughter of EMPEROR LOUIS II) married [PRO5311] King Boson (see PROVENCE KINGDOM).

42. [LORL272] Lothar II (born c.830, son of EMPEROR LOTHAR I & Ermengard) became King of Lotharingia (835-69), see LOTHARINGIA KINGDOM for full details.
43. [CARO273] Helletrude (daughter of EMPEROR LOTHAR I & Ermengarde) married [SPOG271] Berengar di Spoleto (see BERENGAR OF SPOLETO).
41. [CARO274] Ermengarde (daughter of EMPEROR LOTHAR I & Ermengarde) married [HAI1281] Count Gislebert (see HAINAULT COUNTY).
42. [CARO265] Either Rotrude or Hildegarde (born c. 800, one of the daughters of King Louis I & Ermerngarde) married [AQUI271] Count Gerard (see AQUITAINE (HOUSE OF AUVERGNE) DUKEDOM).
41. [CARO262] Louis II the German (born 806, 3rd son of King Louis I & Ermengarde) married (827) [BAVX223] Emma (born c.819, daughter of Count Welf, see BAVARIA (HOUSE OF WELF) DUKEDOM). He was King of Bavaria (817, 826, 833 & 840-76), and died at Frankfurt-am-Main (28th August 876). Emma died 31st January 876.
39. [CARO275] Carloman of Bavaria (born 830, son of King Louis the German) married (before 861) --- (a daughter of Count Ernst), but also had a concubine (probably Liutwinde). He was King of Bavaria (876-880) and King of Italy (877-80), and died at Altotting, Bavaria (880).
38. [CARO281] Arnulf, DUKE OF CARINTHIA, (born 850, son of King Carloman and his concubine) married (c.892) Oda, but also had three concubines (Winburg, Ellinrat and ---). He was King of the East Franks (887-99), and EMPEROR (887-96). Arnulf inflicted a crushing defeat against Danish Vikings at the Battle of the Dyle, near Louvain, (891), after which the surviving Danes withdrew to Boulogne and then sailed to England. Arnulf died at Regensburg (December 899).
37. [CARO292] Kunigunde (born 870, daughter of Arnulf and a concubine) married 1. DUKE LIUTPOLD OF BAVARIA; then 2. [FRAZ271] DUKE CONRAD (see FRANCONIA).
42. [CARO263] Gisela (born c.819-22, daughter of King Louis I & Judith) married [LOM2281] March Count Eberhard (see LOMBARDY (HOUSE OF FRIULI) KINGDOM).
40. [CARO264] Adelaide de Tours (born 824, daughter of King Louis I & Judith) married [ROBE281] March Count Robert the strong (see ROBERTIAN HOUSE).

38-42. [CARO269] Charles II le chauve [the bald] (born at Frankfurt-am-Main, 13th June 823, son of King Louis I & Judith) was King Charles II of France (840-77), then EMPEROR (875-77), and King of the Lombards [Italy] (876-77). He married 1. (14th December 842) [ORLE232] Ermentrude (born 830, daughter of [ORLE221] Count Odo of Orleans, see ORLEANS COUNTY), she died 6th October 869; then 2. (January 870) [PRO5314] Richilda of Italy (daughter of Count Buwin, see PROVENCE KINGDOM). Charles died at Brides-le-Bains (6th October 1877, probably of severe dysentery, because his corpse stank so much that it had to be buried in haste at Nantua Abbey, before eventually reaching St. Denis Abbey, the traditional burial place of Carolingian kings).

41. [CARO277] Judith (born c.843, daughter of King Charles II & Ermentrude) married 1. (at Verberie-sur-Oise, October 856) King Aethelwulf (see ANGLO-SAXON KINGS); then 2. (858) King Aethelbald (see ANGLO-SAXON KINGS); then 3. (c.858) [FLAN271] Count Baudouin I (see FLANDERS COUNTY).

Judith and Aethelbald separated. Judith returned to France, and was placed in safe keeping at Senlis. Here she captivated Baldwin, the Forester of France, and eloped with him, then married him (whilst still the wife of the Saxon king). The French king sanctioned this illicit union, but fortunately anyway her lawful husband, Aethelbald, died shortly after. Baldwin became 1st Count of Flanders and from this union eventually descended Matilda who married William the Conqueror.

40. [CARF272] Godehilde (daughter of King Charles II & Ermentrude) married [MAIG241] Godefroi du Maine (see MAINE COUNTY).
38. [CARO278] Rotilde (born 871, daughter of King Charles II & Richilde) married (890) [MAI2261] Count Rodger, see MAINE COUNTY). This refutes the suggestion that she married Count Sigisbert VI of Razes or Henry de Bourges, next.
39. [CARO279] Rothilde (born 871, daughter of King Charles II & Richilde) married [BOUH271] Henry Bourges (see BOURGES). This entry seems to least likely.

39. [CARO276] Louis II le begue [the stammerer] (born 1st November 846, son of King Charles II & Ermentrude) was King Louis of France (877-79). He married 1. (secretly, 862) Ansgarde (daughter of Count of Hardouin of Burgundy), repudiated; then 2. (February 875) [ANGO295] Adalheid (daughter of Count Adalhard, see ANGOULEME COUNTY). King Louis II died at Compiegne (10th April 879). Adalheid died at Laon (10th November 901).

King Louis II, (who is often confused with his two contemporaries [CARO271] EMPEROR LOUIS II and [CARO262] King Louis II the German of Bavaria), had two sons by Ansgarde (King Louis III of East Franks and King Carloman of West Franks) and one son by Adalheid (posthumously, King Charles III the simple).

Louis III was King of France (879-82), but had no issue. Carloman was King of France (879-884), but he too had no issue.

38. [CARO283] Charles III the simple (born September 879, son of King Louis II & Adalheid, five months after his father’s death) was King Charles III of France (893-923). He married 1. (907) Frederuna; then 2. (c.917) [WESK323] Eadgifu (daughter of King Edward the elder, see ANGLO-SAXON KINGS). Charles was deposed (923) and imprisoned by his rivals, Robert I and Raoul; and died in Peronne Prison (October 929). Afterwards Eadgifu (Ogive) married 2. (at St. Quentin, c.951) Count Herbert the old of Vermandois.

37. [CARO291] Louis IV d’outre-mer [overseas] (born 921, son of King Charles III & Eadgifu) was King Louis IV of France (936-54). He married (939) [SAXY278] Gerberga (widow, daughter of EMPEROR HEINRICH I the fowler, see SAXONY (LIUDOLFIN HOUSE) NOBILITY). Louis died at Reims (10th September 954). Gerberga died 5th May 984.

36. [CARO302] Matilda (daughter of King Louis IV) married [BURK341] King Conrad I (see JURANE BURGUNDY KINGDOM).
36. [LOTH311] Charles of Lower Lotharingia (born 953, the son of King Louis IV), see LOWER LORRAINE (HOUSE OF FRANCE) DUKEDOM) for further details.