List of Frankish queens consort

This is a list of the women who have been queens consort of the Frankish people. As all kings of the Franks have been male, there has never been a queen regnant of the Franks (although some women have governed as regents).

A timeline of consorts Frankish rulers is difficult since the realm was frequently divided among the sons of a king upon his death and then eventually reunited. Also, polygamy and concubinage complicate matters. Of most Merovingian queens almost nothing but the name is known.

This list starts from the earliest known queens until the three-way split up of the Frankish Empire in the Treaty of Verdun in 843.

Merovingian dynasty (450–751)

Clovis I united all the Frankish petty kingdoms as well as most of Roman Gaul under his rule, conquering the Domain of Soissons of the Roman general Syagrius as well as the Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse. He took his seat at Paris, which along with Soissons, Reims, Metz, and Orléans became the chief residences. Upon his death, the kingdom was split among his four sons.

Queens at Soissons (511–558)

Queens at Paris (511–558)

Queens at Orléans (511–524)

Queens at Reims (511–555)

Queen of the Franks (558–561)

Queens in Neustria (Soissons, 561–613)

Queens at Paris (561–567)

Queens at Orléans/Burgundy (561–613)

Queen at Reims/Metz (Austrasia, 561–613)

Queen of the Franks (613–629)

Queens of Neustria and Burgundy (629–691)

Queen of Austrasia (623–679)

Queen of Aquitaine (629–632)

Queen of the Franks (629–751)

Carolingian dynasty (751–987)

Queen of the Franks (751–843)

After the Treaty of Verdun

The Frankish kingdom was then divided by the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Lothair I was allowed to keep his imperial title and his kingdom of Italy, and granted the newly created Kingdom of Middle Francia, a corridor of land stretching from Italy to the North Sea, and including the Low Countries, the Rhineland (including Aachen), Burgundy, and Provence. Charles the Bald was confirmed in Aquitaine, where Pepin I's son Pepin II was opposing him, and granted West Francia (modern France), the lands west of Lothair's Kingdom. Louis the German was confirmed in Bavaria and granted East Francia (modern Germany), the lands east of Lothair's kingdom. Ermentrude of Orléans (first wife of Charles II) became the Queen of Western Francia (eventually France); Emma of Altdorf (wife of Louis II) became the Queen of Eastern Francia (eventually Germany); and Ermengarde of Tours (wife of Lothair I) became the Queen of Middle Francia (eventually Lotharingia). The title of Queen of the Franks continued on to the 12th and 13th century in France.

Queen of the Franks (843–987)

After the death of Louis V of France, the last male line Carolingian king of the Franks, in 987, the Capetians succeeded to the Frankish titles and their consorts bore the title Queen consort of the Franks until 1227, although history knows them better as Queen consorts of France.

Although some of these Frankish queens held titles such as Holy Roman Empress, Queen consort of Italy, Aquitaine, Saxony, Burgundy, Orléans, Paris, Bavaria, Provence, Soissons, Lotharingia, Swabia, and Alamannia; this is not a complete list of those consorts.

See also

• Kings of France family tree
• List of French monarchs
• List of French consorts
• List of Frankish kings
• List of Holy Roman Empresses
• List of German queens

References