| Notes |
- Hildegard of the Vinzgau was the daughter of Count Gerold of Kraichgau (founder of the Udalriching family) and his wife Emma (who was the daughter of Duke Nebe (Hnabi) of Alemannia and Hereswintha vom Bodensee of Lake Constance). She was born about 757 in Ravensburg, Kraichgau, the only daughter of the family, she had four brothers.
In 771, at the age of 12 or 12, Hildegard married Charlemagne, becoming his 2nd wife. They had a close marriage. Hildegard often accompanied him on military campaigns and traveling for state occasions. In the 12 years of their marriage Hildegarde had 8 pregnancies resulting in 9 children:
- Charles the Younger b.c. 772, Duke of Maine, King of the Franks
- Adalhaid (774), who was born whilst her parents were on campaign in Italy. She was sent back to Francia, but died before reaching Lyons
- Rotrude (or Hruodrud) (775–6 June 810)
- Carloman, renamed Pepin b. 777, King of Italy
- Louis (778–20 June 840), twin of Lothair, King of Aquitaine, King of the Franks/co-emperor in 813, senior Emperor from 814
- Lothair (778–6 February 779/780), twin of Louis, died in infancy
- Bertha (779–826)
- Gisela (781–808)
- Hildegarde (782–783)
Hildegard died on 30 April 783, from the after effects of her last childbirth. She was buried the following day (1 May 783) in the Abbey of Saint-Arnould in Metz. The child, named Hildegarde after her mother, died in 783 also. Even Pope Adrian I expressed condolences to Charlemagne upon hearing of her death.
At Charlemagne's request candles were burned near her grave and prayers said daily for her soul.
Hildegarde was well respected during her lifetime, she was a friend of Saint Leoba, and although never canonized herself was regarded locally as a saint throughout the Middle Ages, often depicted with an aureola.
She traveled often with Charlemagne and the children and was in Rome with them in 780 when Carloman (Pepin) and Louis were made kings. When not traveling with her husband, Hildegard ruled the court in his absence.
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Note
“Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial & Medieval Families,” Douglas Richardson (2013):
“CHARLEMAGNE, King of the Franks, 768-814, King of the Langobards, 773-814, Emperor of the Romans, 800-814, son of Pépin (nicknamed "le Bref”), King of the Franks, by Bertrade, daughter of Charibert, Count of Laon. On the death of his father in 768, he became King of the Franks jointly with his brother, Carloman, and was crowned 9 October 768 at Noyon. He married (1st c.769-770, daughter of Desiderius, king of the Lombards. They had no issue. He married (2nd) before 30 April 771 HILDEGARDE, daughter of Gerold I, Count in Vinzgau, by Imma (or Emma), daughter of Count Nebi (or Hnabi). They had four sons, Charles, Pépin [King of Italy], Louis (I) [King of Aquitaine, Emperor], and Lothair, and five daughters, Adelaide (or Adelheid), Rotrude, Berthe, Gisele, and Hildegarde. On the death of his brother, Carloman, in 771, he reunited his father's possessions. He conquered the kingdom of the Lombards in 773. He used the title "rex Francorum et Langobardorum" from 5 June 774, adding "atque patricius Romanorum" from 16 July 774. His wife, Hildegarde, died at Thionville (Moselle) 30 April 783, and was buried in the church of the abbey of Saint Arnoul at Metz. He married (3rd) at Worms in October 783 FASTRADA, daughter of Radulf, Count in Franconia. They had two daughters, Theodrade [Abbess of Argenteuil] and Hiltrude. His wife, Fastrada, died at Frankfurt 10 August 794, and was buried in the basilica of Saint-Alban in Mainz. He married (4th) c.794-796 LIUTGARDE, an Alamannian. They had no issue. By various mistresses, he had four illegitimate sons, Pépin, Dreux [Bishop of Metz], Hugues, and Thierry (or Theodoric), and three illegitimate daughters, Chrothais, Rothlldis (or Rouhaut) [Abbess at Faremoutiers], and Adaltrude. His wife, Liutgarde, died at Tours 4 June 800, and was buried in the church of Saint-Martin in Tours. He was crowned Emperor of the Romans at St. Peter's, Rome 25 December 800. CHARLEMAGNE, Emperor of the Romans, died at Aachen 28 January 814, and was buried at Aix-la-Chapelle.
Guerard Cartulaire de l’Abbeye de Saint-Berlin (Coll. des Cartulaires de France 3) (1840): 55-56 (Chartulatium Sithiense, Pars Prima, Folquini Lib. I.). Henaux Charlemagne d'après les Traditions liégeoises (1878). Eginhard Life of Charlemagne (1880). Monumenta Germaniæ Historica SS XIII (1881): 219. (Annales Necrologici Prumienses [necrology of Prüm]: "Anno Domini incarn. 814. Karolus imperator 5 Kal. Feb. [28 Jan.] feliciter diem ultimum clausit, anno etatis suae circiter 71."). Cutts Charlemagne (1882). Monumenta Germaniæ Historica (Necrologia Germaniæ 1) (1888): 273 (Necrologium Augiæ Divitis: kat Ianuarius [28 January] - Karolus imperator."). Birch Cat. Seals in the British Museum 5 (1898): 111 (seal of Charlemagne dated A.D. 774- Oval: impression from an oval intaglio engraved stone. A bust, draped, turned to the right in profile. Legend: + XPE PROTEGE CAROLVM REGE FRANC.), 111 (seal of Charlemagne dated A.D. 812 - Oval: impression of an antique oval intaglio gem. Bust of Jupiter Serapis, with the modius on his head, in profile to the left. No legend.). Hodgkin Life of Charlemagne (1902). Halphen Recueil d'Annales Angevines et Vendômoises (1903): 52 (Annales de Vendôme sub A.D. 814: "Inclitus imperator Karolus migravit ad Christum feliciter, amen, v kalendas feburarii [28 January]."). Russell Charlemagne, First of the Moderns (1930). Scholz & Rogers Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish Annals & Nithard's Histories (1970): 61 (Royal Frankish Annals sub A.D. 783: "The worthy Lady Queen Hildegard died on April 30, which fell that year on the eve of the Ascension of the Lord."). Banfield Charlemagne (1986). Winter Descs. of Charlemagne (800-1400) (1987): I, II.1-II.18. Settipani & von Kerrebrouck La Préhistoire des Capetians (1993). Collins Charlemagne (1998). Becher Charlemagne (2003). Bhote Charlemagne: The Life & Times of an Early Medieval Emperor (2005). Story Charlemagne: Empire & Society (2005). Wilson Charlemagne: A Biography (2005). Einhard and Notker the Stammerer Two Lives of Charlemagne (2008). McKitterick Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity (2008).
Children of Charlemagne, by Hildegarde:
i. PÉPIN (or PIPPIN), King of Italy [see next].
ii. LOUIS, King of Aquitaine, Emperor, married (1st) ERMENGARDE OF HASPENGAU; (2nd) JUDITH OF ALTORF [see Line B, Gen. 2 below].”
Hildegard (wife of Charlemagne)
Hildegard (* approx. 758; † April 30, 783 in Diedenhofen an der Mosel) was the third wife of Charlemagne and mother of Ludwig the Pious. Little information can be found about her life, because like all of Karl's wives she was in the political background and was only mentioned in relation to her wedding, her death and as a mother
She was the daughter of the Frankish Count Gerold from the Geroldon family and Imma, daughter of the Alemannic Count Hnabi and Hereswintha from Lake Constance. Her father owned extensive possessions in the territory of Karl's younger brother Karlmann, which makes this marriage one of Karl's most important long-term relationships, as he was able to strengthen his position in the areas east of the Rhine and bind the Alemannic nobility to himself. Among the Hildegard siblings, the adviser of Charlemagne stands out, the military leader Gerold the Younger, who was also mentioned as Count in der Baar and in Nagoldgau
Since Hildegard's exact dates of birth are not available, it can be assumed that she was between 12 and 14 years old at the time. A marriage at this age was not unusual at the time, as the marriageable age was fixed at sexual maturity. In Roman law, which was widely accepted by the church, the minimum age for marriage for girls was set at 12 years
Hildegard died on April 30th, 783 shortly after the birth of her last daughter and was buried on May 1st in the Abbey of Sankt Arnulf in Metz. It was Karl's wish that candles should always be lit on her grave and that prayers should be said for the deceased every day
Although Karl already had a son by his first wife, in the will of 806 (Divisio Regnorum) the empire was divided among the three sons of Hildegard who reached adulthood. Because her son Ludwig the Pious succeeded Karl as emperor, Hildegard was called the "mother of kings and emperors"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne#Wives,_concubines,_and_children
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757 - 783 (26 years)
[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12] 
