Charlemagne Emperor of the West, King of Frank

742 - 814  (71 years)

• Name	Charlemagne Emperor of the West   [1]
  Suffix	King of Frank
  Born	2 Apr 742	Ingolheim   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Acceded	9 Oct 768
  	King of the Franks
  Crowned	25 Dec 800
  	Emperor of th Carolingian Empire
  	Charlemagne reached the height of his power in 800 when he was «u»crowned «/u» as "«u»Emperor «/u»" by «u»Pope Leo III «/u» on Christmas Day.
  Name	"Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne
  _FSFTID	94JN-KLZ
  _FSLINK	https://familysearch.org/tree/#view=ancestor&person=94JN-KLZ
  Died	28 Jan 814	Aachen, Kaln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany   [1]
  Buried	Aachen Cathedral, Aachen, Germany
  Notes	Acceded: 768 aka Charles the Great. Had two more mistresses: Adalind, son Theodric (807-818) a cleric. unknown, son Richbod (800-844) abbott of St-Riquier. King of the Lombards 774. Holy Roman Emperor. http://www.hull.ac.uk/php/cssbct/cgi-bin/gedlkup.php/n=royal?royal03023 And http://www.rpi.edu/~holmes/Hobbies/Genealogy/ps03/ps03_448.htm Charles died after four years of failing health, from pleurisy, and is buried in the chapel at Aachen (now part of the cathedral)(Aachen = Aix la Chapelle). A contemporary account states that he was almost seven feet in height, in an era when few men were even six feet - "large and strong, and of lofty stature, though not disproportionately tall...the upper part of his head was round, his eyes very large and animated, nose a little long, hair fair, and face laughing and merry." He was warm, outgoing and athletic. {Popular account: "Charlemagne," Harold Lamb (Doubleday, 1954).} --- Compton's Encyclopedia (America On-Line, 1995) reports: CHARLEMAGNE (742?-814). "By the sword and the cross," Charlemagne (Charles the Great) became master of Western Europe. It was falling into decay when Charlemagne became joint king of the Franks in 768. Except in the monasteries, people had all but forgotten education and the arts. Boldly Charlemagne conquered barbarians and kings alike. By restoring the roots of learning and order, he preserved many political rights and revived culture. Charlemagne's grandfather was Charles Martel, the warrior who crushed the Saracens (see Charles Martel). Charlemagne was the elder son of Bertrade ("Bertha Greatfoot") and Pepin the Short, first "mayor of the palace" to become king of the Franks. Although schools had almost disappeared in the 8th century, historians believe that Bertrade gave young Charles some education and that he learned to read. His devotion to the church motivated him throughout life. Charlemagne was tall, powerful, and tireless. His secretary, Eginhard, wrote that Charlemagne had fair hair and a "face laughing and merry . . . his appearance was always stately and dignified." He had a ready wit, but could be stern. His tastes were simple and moderate. He delighted in hunting, riding, and swimming. He wore the Frankish dress--linen shirt and breeches, a silk-fringed tunic, hose wrapped with bands, and, in winter, a tight coat of otter or marten skins. Over all these garments "he flung a blue cloak, and he always had a sword girt about him." Charlemagne's character was contradictory. In an age when the usual penalty for defeat was death, Charlemagne several times spared the lives of his defeated foes; yet in 782 at Verden, after a Saxon uprising, he ordered 4,500 Saxons beheaded. He compelled the clergy and nobles to reform, but he divorced two of his four wives without any cause. He forced kings and princes to kneel at his feet, yet his mother and his two favorite wives often overruled him in his own household. References: [AR7],[DFA],[PlantagenetA],[ES],[RFC] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlemagne
  Person ID	I2785	Glenn Cook Family
  Last Modified	26 Jan 2015

  
  

  Father	Pepin III "The Short" of the Franks, King of Franks,   b. 715, Jupile an der Maas ,   d. 24 Sep 768, Saint Denis Basilica, Paris, France  (Age 53 years)
  Mother	Bertrada II of Laon,   b. Abt 720, Laon, Aisne, France ,   d. 12 Jul 783, Choisy, Haute-savoie, France  (Age ~ 63 years)
  Married	740  [1]
  Family ID	F761	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 1	Himiltude,   b. Abt 742,   d. Abt 780  (Age ~ 38 years)
  Married	Abt 768
  Children	1. Amaudru,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Pepin The Hunchback, Monk At Prüm,   b. Abt 769,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	22 Jan 2008
  Family ID	F762	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 2	Desideria,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	770
  	Type: Annulment
  Marriage Fact	771
  	Annulment
  _STAT	771
  	Annulment
  Last Modified	3 Nov 2012
  Family ID	F763	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 3	Hildegarde of Vinzgau,   b. 758, Savoyen ,   d. 30 Apr 783, Thionville  (Age 25 years)
  Married	771	Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen)
  Children	1. Charles the Younger, Duke of Ingelheim,   b. 772,   d. 4 Dec 811, Bavaria  (Age 39 years)   2. Adelaide,   b. 774,   d. 774  (Age 0 years)   3. Rotrud (Hruodrud),   b. Abt 775,   d. 6 Jun 810  (Age ~ 35 years)   4. Pepin of Italy, King of Italy,   b. Apr 777,   d. 8 Jul 810  (Age ~ 33 years)   5. Louis I The Pious of Aquitaine, King of France,   b. Aug 778, Chassanuiel, Aquitaine, France ,   d. 20 Jun 840  (Age ~ 61 years)   6. Lothar,   b. 778,   d. 6 Feb 779  (Age 1 years)   7. Lady Bertha,   b. 779, Aachen, Rheinland, Prussia ,   d. 826  (Age 47 years)   8. Gisela,   b. 781,   d. 808  (Age 27 years)   9. Hildegard,   b. 782,   d. 783  (Age 1 years)
  Last Modified	19 Jun 2013
  Family ID	F765	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 4	Fastrada,   d. 794
  Married	783
  Children	1. Theodrada of Argenteuil, Abbess of Argenteuil,   d. Yes, date unknown   2. Hiltrude,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	22 Jan 2008
  Family ID	F768	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 5	Luitgard,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	794
  Last Modified	22 Jan 2008
  Family ID	F769	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 6	Madelgard,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	Type: Associated with
  _STAT	Associated with
  Children	1. Ruothild of Faremoutiers, Abbess of Faremoutiers,   d. 852
  Last Modified	22 Jan 2008
  Family ID	F770	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 7	Gersvind,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	Type: Associated with
  Associated	Had children
  _STAT	Associated with
  Children	1. Adaltrude,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Last Modified	22 Jan 2008
  Family ID	F771	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family 8	Regina,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Drogo of Metz, Bishop of Metz,   b. 801,   d. 855  (Age 54 years)   2. Hugh of St. Quentin, Abott of St. Quentin,   b. 802,   d. 844  (Age 42 years)
  Last Modified	22 Jan 2008
  Family ID	F772	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Charlemagne
  		Coat of Arms
  		Charlemagne In the Cathedral of Moulins, France, end of the 15th century

  
  

• Sources

  [S36] Directory of Royal Genealogical Data, Brian Tompsett, Dept of Computer Science, University of Hull, England([email protected]), (This work is Copyright b 1994-2002 Brian C Tompsett).