Charlemagne (English: Charles the Great, German: Karl der Grosse, French: Charles le Grand, Latin: Carolus Magnus, Dutch: Karel de Grote), King of Neustria (768-771), King of the Franks (771-814), King of the Lombards (774-814), and Emperor of the Romans (800-814). He was born on April 2, 742 at Ingelheim (or Héristal or Aix-la-Chapelle), and died January 28, 814 at Aix-la-Chapelle. Charles was the eldest son of Pippin III and Bertrada of Laon.

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“By the sword and the cross”, Charlemagne became master of western Europe.

• Old Low Franconian: Karl thie Mikili, Frankana Kunink
• Latin: Carolus Magnus, Rex Francorum
• Old Gallo-Romance: Karlus li Magnus, Regis de les Frankes
• Old French: Charles li Magne, Rei des Francs
• Middle French: Charlemagne, Roi des Francs

Charlemagne titled himself: 'Carolus serenissimus augustus a Deo coranatos magnus pacificus imperator, Romanum gubernans imperium, qui et per misericordiam Dei rex Francorum atque Langobardorum' Davis, RHC: A History of Medieval Europe, Longman 1977 p155

Google translate: Charles August, the most serene – crowned by God of Peace, is a great commander, who governs the Roman empire, & who also, by the mercy of God, is the king of the Franks and the Lombards

Description of Charlemagne’s crowning by the Pope on 23 December 800, in the Frankish Royal Annals (the earliest description we have, probably written c 801 by Angilbert the chaplain). Note: this is subtly different from the papal description given in Liber Pontificalis, which is written to suggest a far greater authority vested in the Pope than the Frankish point of view, here:

'On that very and most holy day of Christmas, when the king at Mass before the confession of the blessed Peter the apostle, was rising from prayer, Leo the pope put [a/the] crown on his head, and acclamation was made by all the people of the Romans: ‘To Charles Augustus, crowned by God, great and pacific emperor of the Romans, Life and Victory!’ And after the ‘praises’ (laudes), he was ‘adored’ by the apostolic [bishop] in the manner of ancient princes, and discarding the name of patrician, he was called Emperor and Augustus.' Davis, RHC: A History of Medieval Europe, Longman 1977 p149-50

Wives and Children

Charlemagne had twenty children over the course of his life with eight of his ten known wives and concubines. Nonetheless, he only had four legitimate grandsons, the four sons of his third son Louis, plus a grandson who was born illegitimate, but included in the line of inheritance.

OVERVIEW OF CHARLEMAGNE'S PARTNERS; CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN

See Our Charlemagne project page for details of sources

A. Himiltrude:

A1.B1 Amaudru

A1.B2 Pippin the Hunchback (ca. 769–811)

A2. Desiderata

A3. Hildegard:

A3.B1 Charles the Younger (ca. 772–4 December 811)

A3.B2 Adalhaid (774)

A3.B3 Rotrude (or Hruodrud) (775–6 June 810)

A3.B4 Carloman, renamed Pippin (April 777–8 July 810)

A3.B5 Louis I The Pious (778–20 June 840)

• m1. Ermengard:

A3.B5.C1.1 Lothaire(795-855)

A3.B5.C1.2 Pepin (797-838)

A3.B5.C1.3 Rotrude (800-)

A3. B5.C1.4 Berta or Adelaide

A3.B5.C1.5 Hildegrard (c802-857)

A3.B5.C1.6 Louis (806-876)

• m2. Judith:

A3.B5.C2.1 Gisela (c819-c874)

A3.B5.C2.2 Charles (823-877)

A3.B5.C2.3? Daughter

• 'm'3.Theodelinde? / Concubine:

A3.B5.C3.1 Alpais (c793-852)

A3.B5.C2 Arnoul (794-841)

A3.B6 Lothair (778–6 February 779/780)

A3.B7 Bertha (779-826)

A3.B8 Gisela (781-808)

A3.B9 Hildegarde (782-783)

A4. Gersuinda

A4.B1 Adaltrude (b.774)

A5. Madelgard

A5.B1 Ruodhaid (775–810)

A6. Fastrada

A6.B1 Theodrada (b.784)

A6.B2 Hiltrude (b.787)

A7. Luitgard

A8. Amaltrude

A8.B1 Alpaida (b.794)

A9. Regina

A9.B1 Drogo (801–855)

A9.B2 Hugh (802–844)

A10. Ethelind:

A10.B1 Richbod (805–844)

A10.B2 Theodoric (b. 807)

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other links:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=6623

http://www.nndb.com/people/180/000085922/

http://www.thepeerage.com/p10107.htm#i101064

-------------------- About Charlemagne King of the Lombards, & Franks Charlemagne 742 – January 28, 814), also known as Charles the Great (Latin: Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus) or Charles I, was the founder of the Carolingian Empire, reigning from 768 until his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdom, adding Italy, subduing the Saxons and Bavarians, and pushed his frontier into Spain. The oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, Charlemagne was the first Emperor in Western Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire four centuries earlier. Becoming King of the Franks in 768 following the death of his father, Charlemagne was initially co-ruler with his brother Carloman I. Carloman I's sudden death in 771 under unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne as the undisputed ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. Through his military conquests, he expanded his kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. Charlemagne continued his father's policy towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards from power in Italy, and leading an incursion into Muslim Spain. He also campaigned against the peoples to his east, forcibly Christianizing them along the way (especially the Saxons), eventually subjecting them to his rule after a protracted war. Charlemagne reached the height of his power in 800 when he was crowned as "Emperor" by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day. Called the "Father of Europe" (pater Europae), Charlemagne's empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire. His rule spurred the Carolingian Renaissance, a revival of art, religion, and culture through the medium of the Catholic Church. Through his foreign conquests and internal reforms, Charlemagne encouraged the formation of a common European identity. Both the French and German monarchies considered their kingdoms to be descendants of Charlemagne's empire. Charlemagne died in 814 after having ruled as Emperor for almost fifteen years. He was laid to rest in his imperial capital of Aachen. His son Louis the Pious succeeded him as Emperor. -------------------- Charles the Great, King of the Franks and Lombards, was one of the great rulers in history. By the end of his reign he dominated all of central Europe and had established militarized frontier settlements deep in Muslim Spain and among the slavic tribes of eastern Europe. He was also an enthusiastic patron of education.

Biography of Carlemange from Einhard