| Notes |
- King of the Franks, Emperor of the Roman Empire
Oaths of Strasbourg: 14 Feb 842 AD; Alliance between Charles the Bald and Louis the German against their brother Lothair I
Charles ΙΙ, also known as Charles the Bald was the youngest son of Louis the Pious and his second wife Judith. He was also a grandson of Charlemagne. Charles was born June 13, 823 in Frankfurt am Main, and was named Charles after his famous and powerful grandfather. His older brothers are Lothair I, Pepin of Aquitaine, and Louis the German.
Charles married Ermentrude of Orléans, daughter of Odo I, Count of Orléansin, in 842 and they had 10 children: Judith of Flanders, Louis the Stammerer, Charles the Child, Lothair the Lame, Carloman, Rotrude and Ermentrud (both who became nuns), Hildegarde, Gisela, and Godehilde.
Ermentrude died October 6 869 and in 870 Charles married Richilde of the Ardennes, daughter of Bivin of Gorze, Count of the Ardennes. Together they had 5 more children: Rothilde, Drogo, Pippin, a son who died an infant in 875, and Charles. Unfortunately out of these 5 only Rothilde survived to adulthood.
Charles the Bald was not bald, he is pictured with a full head of hair. 'The Bald' rather refers to his lack of lands when he was young.
Charles father Louis the Pious was King of Aquitaine, Emperor of Rome and King of the Franks. Although Charles was his youngest son, Louis named him his heir in 837. Charles would spend most of his life in a power struggle with his older brothers over the lands conquered by their grandfather. Charles older brother Pepin died in 838 and Charles was made King of Aquitaine. His father Louis the Pious died in 840 and war erupted between his sons. Oldest son Lothair consolidated control of Middle Francia and became Emperor of Rome. Charles allied with his brother Louis against their older brother. Louis became King of East Francia (King of Germany) and Charles King of West Francia (King of France)
After the death of his brother Lothair and then his brothers son Emperor Louis II, Charles traveled to Rome and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope John VIII on December 25, 875.
Charles died on 6 October 877 in Brides-les-Bains while crossing the pass of Mont Cenis. He was buried initially at the abbey of Nantua, Burgundy but a few years later, his remains were transferred to the Abbey of Saint-Denis where he had long wished to be buried.
Charles and Ermentrude had the following children:
-Judith (c.843–after 866), married first King Ethelwulf of Wessex, second his son King Ethelbald, and third Baldwin I, Margrave of Flanders
-Louis the Stammerer (846–879)
-Charles the Child (847–866)
-Lothair the Lame (848–866), monk in 861, became Abbot of Saint-Germain
-Carloman (849–876)
-Rotrude (852–912), a nun, Abbess of Saint-Radegunde
-Ermentrud (854–877), a nun, Abbess of Hasnon
-Hildegarde (born 856, died young)
-Gisela (857–874)
-Godehilde (864–907)
The children of Charles and Richilde are:
-Rothilde (871–929), married Hugues, Count of Bourges and 2nd Roger, Count of Maine.
-Drogo (872–873)
-Pippin (873–874)
-a son (born and died 875)
-Charles (876–877)
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“Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial & Medieval Families,” Douglas Richardson (2013):
“CHARLES II the Bald, King of Neustria, 838-840, King of the West Franks, 840-877, King of (western) Lorraine, 870-877, King of Italy, 875-877, Emperor, 875-877, son by his father's 2nd marriage, born at Frankfurt-am-Main 13 June 823. He married (1st) at Quierzy, Aisne 13 Dec. 842 ERMENTRUDE OF ORLÉANS, daughter of Eudes, Count of Orléans, by his wife, Engeltrude. She was born 27 Sept., about 830. They had six sons, Louis (II) [King of Neustria, King of Aquitaine, King of France], Charles [King of Aquitaine], Karlmann (or Carloman) [Abbot of St.-Germain of Auxerre], Lothair [Abbot of St.-Germain of Auxerre], Dreux, and Pépin, and four daughters, Judith, Hildegarde, Ermentrude [Abbess of Hasnon], and Gisela (or Gisele). His wife, Ermentrude, died 6 October 869. He married (2nd) 12 October 869, confirmed at Aix-la-Chapelle 22 Jan. 870 RICHILDE OF GORZE, daughter of Bivin, Count and Abbot of Gorze, by daughter of Boson l'Ancien, count in Italy. They had three children, including one son, Charles, and one daughter, Rothilde (wife of Rodgar [or Roger], Count of Maine). CHARLES II the Bald, Emperor, King of the West Franks, died at Brides-les-Bains (Savoie, Fr.) 6 October 877, and was buried at Nantua monastery, later at St. Denis. His widow, Richilde, living 910, and died before 3 Feb. 911.
Monumenta Germaniæ Historica SS XIII (1881): 219. (Annales Necrologici Prumienses [necrology of Prüm]: "Anno Domini inc. 877. Karolus, frater eius, Nonas Octob. feliciter obit.”) Birch Cat. Seals in the British Museum 5 (1898): 112 (seal of King Charles II dated A.D. 843 - Oval: bust of a youthful personage, in profile to the right, head crowned with laurel. Legend: + KAROLVS GRATIA DI REX.). Halphen Recueil d'Annales Angevines et Vendômoises (1903): 54-55 (Annales de Vendôme sub A.D. 877: "Karolus imperator obiit, id est Calvus, et filius ejus Hludowicus regnum recepit."). Brandenburg Die Nachkommen Karls des Großen (1935) III 15. Schwennicke Europäische Stammtafeln 1 (1980): 2 (sub Die Karolinger); 2 (1984): 1 (sub Kings of the West Franks). Winter Descs. of Charlemagne (800-1400) (1987): III.15, IV.39-IV.52. Online resource: http.//www.mittelalter-genealogie.de/mittelalter/koenige/frankenreich/karl_2_der_kahle_koenig_von_frankreich_877.html.”
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823 - 877 (54 years)
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