General Notes

Source: "the Franks" by Edward James.
   Franks: Had unknown first wife, then Fredegund, who was set aside sohecould marry Galswin th (Brunhild's sister). Shortly after themarriage,the couple quarrelled over Fredegund and G alswinth was foundstrangled inbed. Chilperic then married Fredegund again.
   Chilperic was assassinated in 584 while hunting at Chelles, nearParis.As Chilperic was di smounting from his horse, a man stepped forwardandstabbed him.
   Other sources: RC 303; AF; "Women in the Wall" chart.
   RC: Chilperic I of Soissons, 561.
   "Women in the Wall" chart says the first wife was Audovera.
   Wall: Chilperic de Neustria, died 584.In his ability to generatespouses, Chilperic was no more elegant than his debauched brothe rGontran.  Audovere was Chilperic's first wife and bore him Merovee,[though some argue tha t he was Galwinthe's (Chilperic's second wife)son] Theodebert and Clovis, as well as a daugh ter, Hildeswinthe.  Herservant, Fredegonde [whom Chilperic I immediately took as his concubine], may have been instrumental in her demise in her own drive to come tothe throne. Not e - between 561 and 584: Upon the death of his fatherClotaire I, Chilperic I's share of th e estate makes him King of Soissonsand he reigns from 561 to 584. After the death of his bro ther, CaribertI in 567, Chilperic I gets Toulouse, as well as the largest part of theeccles iastical provinces of Rouen and Tours, which gives him a wideaccess to the sea. Desiring t o take revenge on his brother Sigebert I --Chilperic could not swallow the loss of Galswinth e's dowry in 569through the Andelot Accord -- Chilperic charges his son Clovis [born ofhi s first union with Audovere] with the occupation of Tours and ofPoitiers. Chilperic's othe r son, [also by Audovere] Theodebert defeatsthe Austrasian general Gondevald. the war betwee n the brothers extendsinto 574 and 575 at which time the kingdom is invaded, and Chilperic i sforced to take refuge in Tournai, and the Great Nobles [viri in lustres]abandon him. Afte r Siegbert is murdered in 575, Chilperic and Fredegondecome out of Tournai. Chilperic piousl y burries his brother [whom he justhad murdered] at Lambres, Chilperic I's reign was marke d by many wars hewaged against his brothers for the territories of the kingdom. He wasassas sinated. He was the King of Neustrie.

Married between 562 and 584: Galswinthe=Galswitha, daughter ofAthanagild, King of Spain, Chi lperic's second wife, and she may havebeen the mother of Merovee, herein ascribed to the fir st wife. She wasto die by strangling in a plot originated by Fredegonde (Chilperic'sthird w ife). This murder began a bloody feud between Fredegonde andBrunehaut (Galswinthe's sister) .  Married before 584: Fredegonde; Firstthe servant of Audovere, then first wife of Chilperi c, Fredegonde wasbeautiful and ambitious. She first had Chilperic I repudiate Audovere andl ock her up in a monastery, where the unfortunate was murdered on theorders of Fredegonde aft er 15 years of solitary confinement. However,all did not go immediately well, for when Chilp eric learned of thebrilliant marriage of his younger brother, Sigebert to Brunehaut, he arranged to have Fredegonde relegated to her role as concubine and askedAthanagild for the han d of another of his daughter, the older sister ofBrunehaut, named Galswinthe. He promised i n turn that he would repudiateall his other spouses so as to be worthy of a wife of such roy al blood.When Galswinthe arrived, she was greeted with honor and respect as shebrought an e xtensively rich treasure as dowry with her. Fredegonde hadGalswitha, second wife of Chilperi c strangled and replaced her on thethrone. This murder began the feud with Brunehaut, Galswi nthe's sister.

She had her husband assassinated and had the Archbishop of Rouen(Pretexta) killed. She gover ned Neustrie in the name of her young sonClothaire II. Died: in 584 in Chelles, Seine-et-Mar ne, Champagne,France, Chilperic was assassinated, reportedly by a hired hand ofFredegonde a s he was returning from a hunt in Chelles [Seine-et-Marne] .His body was shipped up the Marn e and was buried in the Basilica deSaint-Vincent, near Paris [Saint-Germain-des-Pres].


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