Also known as Charles the Great, Karl 1. der Große, Carolus Magnus.
King of the Franks
King of the Lombards
Emperor
Events
Date of Birth: probably 2 April 748.
Place of Birth: unknown.
The date is given by Baldwin and by Settipani (1993, p. 191).
Date of Death: 28 January 814.
Place of Death: Aachen.
The date and place are given by Baldwin, by Settipani (1993, p. 196), and by Schieffer.
Place of Burial: Aachen, la chapelle Sainte-Marie.
The place is given by Settipani (1993, p. 196).
Relationships
Father: Pépin “le Bref” (died 768), king of the Franks.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (2014, p. 53), and by Baldwin.
Mother: Berthe (died 783).
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (2014, p. 53), and by Baldwin.
Mistress or Spouse: Himiltrud.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, and by Baldwin. The relationship existed by 768. Schieffer notes that it is unclear whether it was a legal marriage. Settipani (1993, p. 198) notes that Pope Stephen III considered it a legitimate marriage.
Spouse: a daughter of Desiderius, king of the Lombards. Married about 769 or 770.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (1993, p. 198), and by Baldwin.
Spouse: Hildegarde (died 783), a daughter of Gerold, count. Married between 1 May 770 and 30 April 772.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (1993, p. 199), and by Baldwin.
Spouse: Fastrada (died 794). Married 783.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (1993, p. 200), and by Baldwin.
Spouse: Liutgard (died 800). Married in about 794 or 796.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (1993, p. 200), and by Baldwin.
Mistress: Madelgard.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Settipani (1993, p. 200), and by Baldwin.
Mistress: Gersvind.
This relationship is given by Schieffer, by Settipani (1993, p. 200), and by Baldwin.
Mistress: Regina.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Settipani (1993, p. 200), and by Baldwin.
Mistress: Adallind.
This relationship is given by pére Anselme (1:26), by Schieffer, by Settipani (1993, p. 200), and by Baldwin.
Children (by Himiltrud):
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Most information below comes from Baldwin.)
Pippin “the hunchback” (before 770 - 811), monk at Prüm.
Children (by Hildegarde):
Charles “the younger” (about 772 or 773 - 4 December 811), king of Neustria.
Adélaïde/Adelheid (born and died in 774).
Rotrude (about 775 - 6 June 810), mistress of Rorico, count of Maine.
Pippin (777 - 8 July 810), king of Italy.
Louis I (778 - 20 June 840), king of Aquitaine, emperor, married (1) Ermengarde, daughter of count Ingram, in 794; married (2) Judith, daughter of count Welf, in 819.
Lothair (778 - 779 or 780).
Berthe (779 or 780 - after 14 January 823), mistress of Angilbert, abbot of Saint-Riquier.
Gisèle (baptized 781).
Hildegarde (782 - June 783).
Children (by Fastrada):
Théodrade (about 785 - between 844 and 853), abbess of Argenteuil.
Hiltrude (born about 787).
Children (by an unknown mother):
Rotaïde (born about 784).
Children (by Madelgard):
Rothilde (died 22 or 24 March 852), abbess of Faremoutiers.
Children (by Gersvind):
Adaltrude.
Children (by Regina):
Drogo (17 June 801 - 8 December 855), archbishop.
Hugues “the Abbot” (between 802 and 806 - 14 June 844).
Children (by Adallind):
Theoderich (born 807).
References
Anselme de Sainte-Marie. Histoire Généalogique et Chronologique de la Maison Royale de France, des Pairs, Grands Officiers de la Couronne, de la Maison du Roy et des Anciens Barons du Royaume. 9 Volumes (Paris: 1726-1733).
Baldwin, Stewart. “Charlemagne (Karolus Magnus, Charles the Great, Karl der Große)” in The Henry Project.
Schieffer, Theodor. “Karl I. der Große”, in Neue Deutsche Biographie 11 (1977), S. 157-174 [Onlinefassung].
Schneidmüller, B. "Karl (I.) der Große" in Lexikon des Mittelalters. Band 5 (Stuttgart: 1991).
Settipani, Christian. Les ancêtres de Charlemagne. (2nd ed., Prosopographia et Genealogica, 2014).
Settipani, Christian (with Patrick Van Kerrebrouck). La préhistoire des Capétiens 481-987. Première Partie (Volume 1 of Nouvelle Histoire Généalogique de l’Auguste Maison de France, 1993).