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de France, Judith

Female 844 - 870  (25 years)


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  • Name de France, Judith  [1, 2, 3] 
    Map of Burgundy Upper and Lower    		 Map of Burgundy Upper and Lower
    Map of Burgundy    		 Map of Burgundy
    Map of Wessex Two    		 Map of Wessex Two
    Map of Wessex    		 Map of Wessex
    Birth Oct 844  Orléans, Loiret, Centre, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3] 
    Gender Female 
    House House of Carolingian  [2, 3] 
    Life Event 1 Oct 856  Verberie, Oise, Picardie, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Judith was crowned queen and anointed by Hincmar, Archbishop of Rheims; in Wessex it was not customary for kings\' wives to be queens, but Charles insisted that his daughter be crowned queen. Although empresses had been anointed before, this is the first definitely known anointing of a Carolingian queen. 
    Life Event 13 Jan 858  Kingdom of Wessex (England) Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Judith was widowed at age 14 when Æthelwulf died on 13 January 858. They had been married a year and 3 months and had no children. 
    Life Event Jul 860  Kingdom of Wessex (England) Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Judith was still childless when Æthelbald died in 860 after a reign of two-and-a-half years 
    Life Event Dec 860  Senlis, Somme, Picardie, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Following Æthelbald's death, Judith sold her properties in Wessex and returned to France. Her father, Charles the Bald, sent her to the Monastery at Senlis. She was to remain \"under his protection and guardianship, with all the honour due a queen, until such time as she might marry...suitably and legally.\" 
    Life Event Dec 861  Harelbeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Around Christmas 861, Judith eloped with Baldwin, later Count of Flanders, to Harelbeke (Belgium) with her brother Louis the Stammerer\'s consent. 
    Life Event 13 Dec 862  Auxerre, Yonne, Bourgogne, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Judith's father Charles the Bald wanted Judith and Baldwin excommunicated. Pope Nicholas I convinced him to accept the union of Judith and Baldwin as legally binding and welcome the young couple into his circle. They were officially married at Auxerre on 13 December 862. 
    FSID LD98-69W  [2, 3] 
    Death 13 Jan 870  Bruges, Gironde, Aquitaine, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [1, 2, 3] 
    Burial Aft 13 Jan 870  Abbey of Saint Bertin, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3, 4] 
    Abbey of Saint Bertin (Ruins)    		 Abbey of Saint Bertin (Ruins)
    Person ID I33928  The Thoma Family
    Last Modified 20 Sep 2023 

    Father le Chauve, King Charles II,   b. 23 Jun 823, Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 6 Oct 877, Avrieux, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 54 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Mother d'Orléans, Queen Ermentrude,   b. 27 Sep 823, Orléans, Loiret, Centre, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 6 Oct 869, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 46 years) 
    Relationship natural 
    Marriage 13 Dec 842  France Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F13282  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

    Family 1 of Flanders, Baldwin I,   b. 837, Laon, Aisne, Picardie, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 2 Jan 879, Arras, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 42 years) 
    Marriage 13 Dec 862  Auxerre, Yonne, Bourgogne, France Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Children 
     1. of Flanders, Count Baldwin II,   b. 864, French Flanders (Historical), Nord, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 10 Sep 918, Blandijnberg, Gent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 54 years)  [natural]
    Family ID F13281  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 20 Sep 2023 

    Family 2 of Wessex, Æthelbald,   b. 834, Wantage, Berkshire, England Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 20 Dec 860, Sherborne, Dorset, England Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 26 years) 
    Marriage 858  Kingdom of Wessex (England) Find all individuals with events at this location  [2, 3] 
    Family ID F13283  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 20 Sep 2023 

  • Event Map
    Link to Google MapsBirth - Oct 844 - Orléans, Loiret, Centre, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Judith was crowned queen and anointed by Hincmar, Archbishop of Rheims; in Wessex it was not customary for kings\' wives to be queens, but Charles insisted that his daughter be crowned queen. Although empresses had been anointed before, this is the first definitely known anointing of a Carolingian queen. - 1 Oct 856 - Verberie, Oise, Picardie, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 858 - Kingdom of Wessex (England) Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Judith was widowed at age 14 when Æthelwulf died on 13 January 858. They had been married a year and 3 months and had no children. - 13 Jan 858 - Kingdom of Wessex (England) Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Judith was still childless when Æthelbald died in 860 after a reign of two-and-a-half years - Jul 860 - Kingdom of Wessex (England) Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Following Æthelbald's death, Judith sold her properties in Wessex and returned to France. Her father, Charles the Bald, sent her to the Monastery at Senlis. She was to remain \"under his protection and guardianship, with all the honour due a queen, until such time as she might marry...suitably and legally.\" - Dec 860 - Senlis, Somme, Picardie, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Around Christmas 861, Judith eloped with Baldwin, later Count of Flanders, to Harelbeke (Belgium) with her brother Louis the Stammerer\'s consent. - Dec 861 - Harelbeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsLife Event - Judith's father Charles the Bald wanted Judith and Baldwin excommunicated. Pope Nicholas I convinced him to accept the union of Judith and Baldwin as legally binding and welcome the young couple into his circle. They were officially married at Auxerre on 13 December 862. - 13 Dec 862 - Auxerre, Yonne, Bourgogne, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsMarriage - 13 Dec 862 - Auxerre, Yonne, Bourgogne, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsDeath - 13 Jan 870 - Bruges, Gironde, Aquitaine, France Link to Google Earth
    Link to Google MapsBurial - Aft 13 Jan 870 - Abbey of Saint Bertin, Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France Link to Google Earth
     = Link to Google Earth 

  • Notes 
    • Judith of Flanders (or Judith of France) was the oldest child of Charles the Bald, King of the West Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, and his first wife Ermentrude of Orléans. She was born about 843, most likely in Orléans.
      On 1 October 856, at Verberie in northern France, Judith married Æthelwulf, King of Wessex. Æthelwulf was about sixty-one years old and Judith was age 12 to 14. The marriage was a diplomatic alliance and as part of the arrangement Charles insisted his daughter be crowned Queen. Judith was crowned queen and anointed by Hincmar, Archbishop of Rheims. Although empresses had been anointed before, this is the first definitely known anointing of a Carolingian queen.
      The marriage itself was unusual in that Carolingian princesses rarely married, were usually sent to nunneries, and it was almost unknown for them to marry foreigners. The marriage provoked a rebellion by Æthelwulf's eldest surviving son, Æthelbald, probably because he feared displacement by a higher-born half-brother. Æthelwulf, died on 13 January 858, married a little over a year, Judith was still no more than 14 or 15, the marriage produced no children. Æthelbald, succeed his father as King of Wessex and immediately married Judith, his step-mother, probably to enhance his status because she was the daughter of the West Frankish king.
      Æthelbald died in July 860, they had been married two-and-a-half years. Judith was no more than 17 years old, she had been twice married, twice widowed, twice been the Queen of Wessex ad she was still childless. Done with Wessex, Judith sold her properties and went home to France. Her father Charles the Bald promptly put her in the Monastery at Senlis, "under his protection, with all the honour due to a queen, until such time as she might marry suitably and legally."
      Around Christmas 861, Judith escaped and eloped with Baldwin (Count of Flanders) to the Flemish city of Harelbeke. Judith's brother Louis had given his consent but her father Charles the Bald was furious and tried to have the couple excommunicated. Thy fled to Rome and appealed to the Pope.
      Pope Nicholas I convinced Judith's father to accept the union and welcome the young couple into his circle. They were officially married at Auxerre on 13 December 862.

      Baldwin was given the County of Flanders to protect from Viking attacks. He not only succeeded in quelling the threat, but expanded both his army and his territory quickly, and became a faithful supporter of King Charles. Baldwin became known as "Iron Arm" and the March of Baldwin came to be known as the County of Flanders and would become one of the most powerful principalities of France.

      Judith finally had children. She and Baldwin are known to have had:
      Charles (c. 864/865 – died young), named after Judith's father, Charles the Bald

      Baldwin II (c. 865/867 – c. 10 September 918). Succeeded his father as Margrave (Count) of Flanders. Married Ælfthryth, daughter of Alfred the Great

      Raoul or Ralph (Rodulf) (c. 867/870 – murdered 17 June 896). Became Count of Cambrai around 888; he and his brother joined King Zwentibold of Lotharingia in 895, attacked Vermandois and captured Arras, Saint-Quentin and Peronne, and ended up captured and killed by Herbert I of Vermandois

      Guinidilda, who married Wilfred I the Hairy, Count of Barcelona

      Judith's exact date of death is not known, however, it is believed about 870, certainly before Baldwin who died in 879, they are both believed to be buried in the Abbey of St-Bertin, near Saint-Omer.

  • Sources 
    1. [S788] WORLD: Wikipedia.
      https://www.wikipedia.org/

    2. [S789] WORLD: Family Search, Family Tree.
      https://www.familysearch.org/search/tree/name

    3. [S791] WORLD: Ancestry Family Trees.
      https://www.ancestry.com/search/categories/42/

    4. [S327] WORLD: Find-a-Grave.
      https://www.findagrave.com/


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