Individual Details
Emperor Charles II "The Bald" OF ROMAN EMPIRE
(13 Jun 823 - 6 Oct 877)
Charles the Bald[1] (13 June 823 – 6 October 877), Holy Roman Emperor
(875–877, as Charles II) and King of West Francia (840–877, as Charles
II, with the borders of his land defined by the Treaty of Verdun,
843), was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his
second wife Judith.
Struggle against his brothers
He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder brothers were
already adults and had been assigned their own regna, or subkingdoms,
by their father. The attempts made by Louis the Pious to assign
Charles a subkingdom, first Alemannia and then the country between the
Meuse and the Pyrenees (in 832, after the rising of Pepin I of
Aquitaine) were unsuccessful. The numerous reconciliations with the
rebellious Lothair and Pepin, as well as their brother Louis the
German, King of Bavaria, made Charles's share in Aquitaine and Italy
only temporary, but his father did not give up and made Charles the
heir of the entire land which was once Gaul and would eventually be
France. At a diet near Crémieux in 837, Louis the Pious bade the
nobles do homage to Charles as his heir. This led to the final rising
of his sons against him and Pepin of Aquitaine died in 838, whereupon
Charles received that kingdom, finally once and for all. Pepin's son
Pepin II would be a perpetual thorn in his side.
Charles married Ermentrude, daughter of Odo I, Count of Orléans, in
842. She died in 869. In 870, Charles married Richilde of Provence,
who was descended from a noble family of Lorraine.
With Ermentrude:
Judith (844–870), married firstly with Ethelwulf of Wessex, secondly
with Ethelbald of Wessex (her stepson) and thirdly with Baldwin I of
Flanders
Louis the Stammerer (846–879)
Charles the Child (847–866)
Lothar (848–865), monk in 861, became Abbot of Saint-Germain
Carloman (849–876)
Rotrud (852–912), a nun, Abbess of Saint-Radegunde
Ermentrud (854–877), a nun, Abbess of Hasnon
Hildegard (born 856, died young)
Gisela (857–874)
With Richilde:
Rothild (871–929), married firstly to Hugues, Count of Bourges and
secondly to Roger, Count of Maine
Drogo (872–873)
Pippin (873–874)
a son (born and died 875)
Charles (876–877)
The death of the emperor in 840 led to the outbreak of war between his
sons. Charles allied himself with his brother Louis the German to
resist the pretensions of the new emperor Lothair I, and the two
allies defeated Lothair at the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye on 25
June 841. In the following year, the two brothers confirmed their
alliance by the celebrated Oaths of Strasbourg. The war was brought to
an end by the Treaty of Verdun in August 843. The settlement gave
Charles the Bald the kingdom of the West Franks, which he had been up
till then governing and which practically corresponded with what is
now France, as far as the Meuse, the Saône, and the Rhône, with the
addition of the Spanish March as far as the Ebro. Louis received the
eastern part of the Carolingian Empire, known as the East Francia and
later Germany. Lothair retained the imperial title and the kingdom of
Italy. He also received the central regions from Flanders through the
Rhineland and Burgundy as king of Middle Francia.
(875–877, as Charles II) and King of West Francia (840–877, as Charles
II, with the borders of his land defined by the Treaty of Verdun,
843), was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his
second wife Judith.
Struggle against his brothers
He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder brothers were
already adults and had been assigned their own regna, or subkingdoms,
by their father. The attempts made by Louis the Pious to assign
Charles a subkingdom, first Alemannia and then the country between the
Meuse and the Pyrenees (in 832, after the rising of Pepin I of
Aquitaine) were unsuccessful. The numerous reconciliations with the
rebellious Lothair and Pepin, as well as their brother Louis the
German, King of Bavaria, made Charles's share in Aquitaine and Italy
only temporary, but his father did not give up and made Charles the
heir of the entire land which was once Gaul and would eventually be
France. At a diet near Crémieux in 837, Louis the Pious bade the
nobles do homage to Charles as his heir. This led to the final rising
of his sons against him and Pepin of Aquitaine died in 838, whereupon
Charles received that kingdom, finally once and for all. Pepin's son
Pepin II would be a perpetual thorn in his side.
Charles married Ermentrude, daughter of Odo I, Count of Orléans, in
842. She died in 869. In 870, Charles married Richilde of Provence,
who was descended from a noble family of Lorraine.
With Ermentrude:
Judith (844–870), married firstly with Ethelwulf of Wessex, secondly
with Ethelbald of Wessex (her stepson) and thirdly with Baldwin I of
Flanders
Louis the Stammerer (846–879)
Charles the Child (847–866)
Lothar (848–865), monk in 861, became Abbot of Saint-Germain
Carloman (849–876)
Rotrud (852–912), a nun, Abbess of Saint-Radegunde
Ermentrud (854–877), a nun, Abbess of Hasnon
Hildegard (born 856, died young)
Gisela (857–874)
With Richilde:
Rothild (871–929), married firstly to Hugues, Count of Bourges and
secondly to Roger, Count of Maine
Drogo (872–873)
Pippin (873–874)
a son (born and died 875)
Charles (876–877)
The death of the emperor in 840 led to the outbreak of war between his
sons. Charles allied himself with his brother Louis the German to
resist the pretensions of the new emperor Lothair I, and the two
allies defeated Lothair at the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye on 25
June 841. In the following year, the two brothers confirmed their
alliance by the celebrated Oaths of Strasbourg. The war was brought to
an end by the Treaty of Verdun in August 843. The settlement gave
Charles the Bald the kingdom of the West Franks, which he had been up
till then governing and which practically corresponded with what is
now France, as far as the Meuse, the Saône, and the Rhône, with the
addition of the Spanish March as far as the Ebro. Louis received the
eastern part of the Carolingian Empire, known as the East Francia and
later Germany. Lothair retained the imperial title and the kingdom of
Italy. He also received the central regions from Flanders through the
Rhineland and Burgundy as king of Middle Francia.
Events
| Birth | 13 Jun 823 | Frankfurt, Hessen-Nassau, Prussia | |||
| Marriage | 13 Dec 842 | Crecy, France - Countess Ermentrude OF ORLEANS | |||
| Marriage | 870 | Richilde OF PROVENCE | |||
| Death | 6 Oct 877 | Brides, Les Bains, Bourgogne, France |
Families
| Spouse | Countess Ermentrude OF ORLEANS (830 - 869) |
| Child | King Louis II "The Stammerer" OF FRANCE (843 - 879) |
| Child | Princess Judith OF FRANCE (844 - 870) |
| Child | Charles, the Child OF FRANCE ( - ) |
| Child | Lothar OF FRANCE ( - ) |
| Child | Carloman (2) OF FRANCE ( - ) |
| Child | Rotrud OF FRANCE (852 - 912) |
| Child | Ermentrud OF FRANCE ( - ) |
| Child | Hildegard OF FRANCE (856 - ) |
| Child | Gisela OF FRANCE (857 - 874) |
| Spouse | Richilde OF PROVENCE ( - ) |
| Child | Rothild OF ROMAN EMPIRE (871 - 929) |
| Child | Drago OF ROMAN EMPIRE (872 - 873) |
| Child | Pippin OF ROMAN EMPIRE (873 - 874) |
| Child | Charles OF ROMAN EMPIRE (876 - 877) |
| Father | Emperor Louis I "The Pious" OF FRANCIA (778 - 840) |
| Mother | Princess Judith OF BAVARIA (800 - 843) |
| Sibling | Princess Gisela OF ROMAN EMPIRE (820 - ) |