Individual Details
King Charles "The Simple" III OF FRANCE
(17 Sep 879 - 7 Oct 929)
Charles III (17 September 879 – 7 October 929), called the Simple or
the Straightforward (from the Latin Karolus Simplex), was the
undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of
Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23. He was a member of the Carolingian
dynasty, the third and posthumous son of Louis the Stammerer by his
second wife, Adelaide of Paris.
As a child, Charles was prevented from succeeding to the throne at the
time of the death in 884 of his half-brother Carloman. The nobles of
the realm instead asked his cousin, Charles the Fat, to rule them. He
was also prevented from succeeding the unpopular Charles, who was
deposed in November 887 and died in January 888, although it is
unknown if his deposition was accepted or even made known in West
Francia before his death. The nobility elected Odo, the hero of the
Siege of Paris, king, though there was a faction that supported Guy
III of Spoleto. Charles was put under the protection of Ranulf II, the
Duke of Aquitaine, who may have tried to claim the throne for him and
in the end used the royal title himself until making peace with Odo.
Finally, in 893 Charles was crowned by a faction opposed to Odo at
Reims Cathedral. He only became the effectual monarch with the death
of Odo in 898.[1]
In 911 Charles defeated the Viking leader Rollo, had him sign the
Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte that made Rollo his vassal and
converted him to Christianity. Charles then gave him land around
Rouen, the heart of what would become Normandy and his daughter Gisela
in marriage. In the same year as the treaty with the Vikings, Louis
the Child, the King of Germany, died and the nobles of Lotharingia,
who had been loyal to him, under the leadership of Reginar Longneck,
declared Charles their new king, breaking from Germans who had elected
Conrad of Franconia king.[1] Charles tried to win their support by
marrying a Lotharingian woman named Frederuna, who died in 917. He
also defended the country against two attacks by Conrad, King of the
Germans.[2]
The realms ruled by Charles the Simple in 915 (red)On 7 October 919
Charles re-married to Eadgifu, the daughter of Edward the Elder, King
of England. By this time Charles' excessive favouritism towards a
certain Hagano had turned the aristocracy against him. He endowed
Hagano with monasteries which were already the benefices of other
barons, alienating these barons. In Lotharingia he earned the enmity
of the new duke, Gilbert, who declared for the German king Henry the
Fowler in 919.[1] Opposition to Charles in Lotharingia was not
universal, however, and he retained the support of Wigeric. In 922
some of the West Frankish barons, led by Robert of Neustria and
Rudolph of Burgundy, revolted. Robert, who was Odo's brother, was
elected by the rebels and crowned in opposition to Charles, who had to
flee to Lotharingia. On 2 July 922, Charles lost his most faithful
supporter, Herve, Archbishop of Rheims, who had succeeded Fulk in 900.
He returned the next year (923) with a Norman army but was defeated on
15 June near Soissons by Robert, who died in the battle.[1] Charles
was captured and imprisoned in a castle at Péronne under the guard of
Herbert II of Vermandois.[3] Rudolph was elected to succeed him. In
925 the Lotharingians accepted Rudolph as their king. Charles died in
prison on 7 October 929 and was buried at the nearby abbey of
Saint-Fursy. Though he had had many children by Frederuna, it was his
son by Eadgifu who would eventually be crowned in 936 as Louis IV of
France. In the initial aftermath of Charles's defeat, Eadgifu and
Louis fled to England.
the Straightforward (from the Latin Karolus Simplex), was the
undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of
Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23. He was a member of the Carolingian
dynasty, the third and posthumous son of Louis the Stammerer by his
second wife, Adelaide of Paris.
As a child, Charles was prevented from succeeding to the throne at the
time of the death in 884 of his half-brother Carloman. The nobles of
the realm instead asked his cousin, Charles the Fat, to rule them. He
was also prevented from succeeding the unpopular Charles, who was
deposed in November 887 and died in January 888, although it is
unknown if his deposition was accepted or even made known in West
Francia before his death. The nobility elected Odo, the hero of the
Siege of Paris, king, though there was a faction that supported Guy
III of Spoleto. Charles was put under the protection of Ranulf II, the
Duke of Aquitaine, who may have tried to claim the throne for him and
in the end used the royal title himself until making peace with Odo.
Finally, in 893 Charles was crowned by a faction opposed to Odo at
Reims Cathedral. He only became the effectual monarch with the death
of Odo in 898.[1]
In 911 Charles defeated the Viking leader Rollo, had him sign the
Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte that made Rollo his vassal and
converted him to Christianity. Charles then gave him land around
Rouen, the heart of what would become Normandy and his daughter Gisela
in marriage. In the same year as the treaty with the Vikings, Louis
the Child, the King of Germany, died and the nobles of Lotharingia,
who had been loyal to him, under the leadership of Reginar Longneck,
declared Charles their new king, breaking from Germans who had elected
Conrad of Franconia king.[1] Charles tried to win their support by
marrying a Lotharingian woman named Frederuna, who died in 917. He
also defended the country against two attacks by Conrad, King of the
Germans.[2]
The realms ruled by Charles the Simple in 915 (red)On 7 October 919
Charles re-married to Eadgifu, the daughter of Edward the Elder, King
of England. By this time Charles' excessive favouritism towards a
certain Hagano had turned the aristocracy against him. He endowed
Hagano with monasteries which were already the benefices of other
barons, alienating these barons. In Lotharingia he earned the enmity
of the new duke, Gilbert, who declared for the German king Henry the
Fowler in 919.[1] Opposition to Charles in Lotharingia was not
universal, however, and he retained the support of Wigeric. In 922
some of the West Frankish barons, led by Robert of Neustria and
Rudolph of Burgundy, revolted. Robert, who was Odo's brother, was
elected by the rebels and crowned in opposition to Charles, who had to
flee to Lotharingia. On 2 July 922, Charles lost his most faithful
supporter, Herve, Archbishop of Rheims, who had succeeded Fulk in 900.
He returned the next year (923) with a Norman army but was defeated on
15 June near Soissons by Robert, who died in the battle.[1] Charles
was captured and imprisoned in a castle at Péronne under the guard of
Herbert II of Vermandois.[3] Rudolph was elected to succeed him. In
925 the Lotharingians accepted Rudolph as their king. Charles died in
prison on 7 October 929 and was buried at the nearby abbey of
Saint-Fursy. Though he had had many children by Frederuna, it was his
son by Eadgifu who would eventually be crowned in 936 as Louis IV of
France. In the initial aftermath of Charles's defeat, Eadgifu and
Louis fled to England.
Events
| Birth | 17 Sep 879 | France | |||
| Marriage | Abt 905 | Queen Eadgifu OF WESSEX | |||
| Death | 7 Oct 929 | Paeronne, Austrasia |  |
Families
| Spouse | Queen Eadgifu OF WESSEX (904 - 951) |
| Child | King Louis IV "Transmarinus" OF FRANCE (921 - 954) |
| Father | King Louis II "The Stammerer" OF FRANCE (843 - 879) |
| Mother | Queen Adelaide OF PARIS (855 - 901) |
| Sibling | Ementrude OF FRANCE (870 - 914) |