Charles the Bald, emperor

Also known as Charles le Chauve, Karl der Kahle, Karolus Calvus.

King of Neustria

King of the Western Franks

King of Lorraine

King of Italy

Emperor

Events

Date of Birth: 13 June 823.

Place of Birth: Frankfurt am Main.

The date and place are given by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (p. 301), and by Baldwin.

Date of Death: 6 October 877.

Place of Death: Avrieux, Savoy.

The date and place are given by Schieffer and by Schneidmüller. Settipani (p. 301) gives the same date, and the place as in Maurienne between Mont-Cenis and Saint-Jean de Maurienne.

Place of Burial: Nantua, then Saint-Denis.

The places are given by Schieffer and by Schneidmüller. Settipani (p. 301) gives Saint-Denis.

Relationships

Father: Louis the Pious (died 840), emperor.

This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:32), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (p. 257), by Hlawitschka, and by Baldwin.

Mother: Judith (died 843), daughter of count Welf.

This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:32), by Schieffer, by Schneidmüller, by Settipani (p. 257), by Hlawtischka, and by Baldwin.

Spouse: Ermentrude (about 839 - 869), daughter of Eudes, count of Orléans. Married 22 January 842 in Quierzy.

This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:33), by Schieffer, by Settipani (p. 307), by Hlawitschka, by Bouchard (p. 102), and by Baldwin.

Spouse: Richilde, daughter of count Bivin. Married 22 January 870.

This relationship is given by père Anselme (1:34), by Schieffer, by Settipani (p. 308), by Bouchard (p. 77, p. 102), and by Baldwin.

Children (by Ermentrude):

(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.)

Judith (about 844 - after 870) married (1) Æthelwulf, king of Wessex; married (2) Æthelbald, king of Wessex; married (3) Baldwin I of Flanders.

Louis II (about 846 - 10 April 879), king of Neustria, king of Aquitaine, king of France, married (1) Ansgard, daughter of count Harduin in March 862; married (2) Adelaide, daughter of count Adelard in about 870.

Charles (about 847 or 848 - 29 September 866), king of Aquitaine, married a daughter of count Humbert in 862.

Carloman (died about 877 or 878). Abbot.

Lothair (died 865), abbot of Saint-Germaine, Auxerre.

Hildegard.

Ermentrude, abbess of Hasnon.

Gisela.

Drogo (died before 866).

Pépin (died before 866).

Children (by Richilde):

Rothilde married Roger, count of Maine.

a son (born 23 March 875 - died soon after).

Charles (10 October 876 - early 877).

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. “Charles "le Chauve" (the Bald) (Karolus Calvus, Karl "der Kahle")” in The Henry Project.

Bouchard, Constance Brittain. “Those of My Blood”: Constructing Noble Families in Medieval Francia (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001).

Hlawitschka, Eduard. Vom Frankenreich zur Formierung der europäishen Staaten- und Völkergemeinschaft 840-1046: Ein Studienbuch. (Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft: Darmstadt, 1986).

Schieffer, Theodor. “Karl II. der Kahle” in Neue Deutsche Biographie 11 (1977), S. 175-181) [Onlinefassung].

Schneidmüller, B. "Karl (II") der Kahle" in Lexikon des Mittelalters. Band 5 (Stuttgart: 1991).

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).