General Notes

Name Prefix:<NPFX> EMPEROR
AKA Charles I Martel
Charlemagne Emperor of the West, King of Franks; King of th
e Lombards 774. Holy Roman Emperor.
Born: 2 APR 742, Ingolheim; Acceded: 768; Died: 28 JAN 814
, Aachen
Had two more mistresses:
Adalind, son Theodric (807-818) a cleric.
unknown, son Richbod (800-844) abbott of St-Riquier.
Father: , Pepin III "The Short" of the Franks, King of Fran
ks, b. 715
Mother: , Bertrada II of Laon
Married CIR 768 to , Himiltude
Child 1: , Pepin the Hunchback, Monk at Prüm, b. CIR 769
Married 770 ANNULMENT 771 to , Desideria
Married 771, Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) to , Hildegarde of Vi
nzgau
Child 2: , Pepin I of Italy, King of Italy, b. APR 773
Child 3: , Charles the younger, Duke of Ingelheim, b. 772
Child 4: , Louis I the Pious of Aquitaine, King of France
, b. AUG 778
Child 5: , Bertha, b. 779
Child 6: , Rotrud, b. CIR 755
Child 7: , Adelaide, b. 773
Child 8: , Lothar, b. 778
Child 9: , Gisela
Child 10: , Hildegard
Married 783 to , Fastrada
Child 11: , Theodrada of Argenteuil, Abbess of Argenteuil
Child 12: , Hiltrude
Married 794 to , Luitgard
Associated with , Madelgard
Child 13: , Ruothild of Faremoutiers, Abbess of Faremoutiers
Associated with , Gersvind
Child 14: , Adaltrude
Associated with , Regina
Child 15: , Drogo of Metz, Bishop of Metz, b. 801
Child 16: , Hugh of St. Quentin, Abott of St. Quentin, b. 8
02
"By the sword and the cross," Charlemagne (Charles the Grea
t) became master of Western Europe. It was falling into dec
ay when Charlemagne became joint king of the Franks in 768
. Except in the monasteries, people had all but forgotten e
ducation and the arts. Boldly Charlemagne conquered barbari
ans and kings alike. By restoring the roots of learning an
d order, he preserved many political rights and revived cul
ture.
Charlemagne's grandfather was Charles Martel, the warrior w
ho crushed the Saracens (see Charles Martel). Charlemagne w
as the elder son of Bertrade ("Bertha Greatfoot") and Pepi
n the Short, first "mayor of the palace" to become king o
f the Franks. Although schools had almost disappeared in th
e 8th century, historians believe that Bertrade gave youn
g Charles some education and that he learned to read. His d
evotion to the church became the great driving force of hi
s remarkable life.
Charlemagne was tall, powerful, and tireless. His secretary
, Eginhard, wrote that Charlemagne had fair hair and a "fac
e laughing and merry . . . his appearance was always statel
y and dignified." He had a ready wit, but could be stern. H
is tastes were simple and moderate. He delighted in hunting
, riding, and swimming. He wore the Frankish dress: linen s
hirt and breeches, a silk-fringed tunic, hose wrapped wit
h bands, and, in winter, a tight coat of otter or marten sk
ins. Over all these garments "he flung a blue cloak, and h
e always had a sword girt about him."
Charlemagne's character was contradictory. In an age when t
he usual penalty for defeat was death, Charlemagne severa
l times spared the lives of his defeated foes; yet in 782 a
t Verden, after a Saxon uprising, he ordered 4,500 Saxons b
eheaded. He compelled the clergy and nobles to reform, bu
t he divorced two of his four wives without any cause. He f
orced kings and princes to kneel at his feet, yet his mothe
r and his two favorite wives often overruled him in his ow
n household.
Charlemagne Begins His Reign
In 768, when Charlemagne was 26, he and his brother Carloma
n inherited the kingdom of the Franks. In 771 Carloman died
, and Charlemagne became sole ruler of the kingdom. At tha
t time the northern half of Europe was still pagan and lawl
ess. In the south, the Roman Catholic church was striving t
o assert its power against the Lombard kingdom in Italy. I
n Charlemagne's own realm, the Franks were falling back int
o barbarian ways, neglecting their education and religion.
Charlemagne was determined to strengthen his realm and to b