List of Frankish queens consort explained

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.

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Basina of Thuringia	Basin, King of the Thuringii	438	?		481 husband's death	491	Childeric I
	Clotilde of Burgundy	Chilperic II of Burgundy	475	493		27 November 511 husband's death	545	Clovis I

Queens at Soissons (511–558)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Guntheuc		around 495 ^[1]	after 523		524/540		Chlothar I
	Radegund of Thuringia	Bertachar of Thuringia	486-516	525/545		after 531 repudiated	13 August 586
	Ingund	Baderic of Thuringia	490-510	526/550		unknown, maybe 546 or after
		Wacho, King of the Lombards (Lethings)	521-542	555/559		555/61 given in marriage to Garibald I, Duke of Bavaria under the advice of the bishops	unknown, after 526

Queens at Paris (511–558)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Ultrogotha	?	497	?	27 November 511 husband's accession	23 December 558 husband's death	566	Childebert I
Kingdom passed to Soissons
Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse

Queens at Orléans (511–524)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Guntheuc		495	514 or 521		21 June 524 husband's death	532	Chlodomer
Kingdom passed to Soissons, Paris, and Rheims
Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse

Queens at Reims (511–555)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Eustere of the Visigoths	Alaric II, King of the Visigoths	488	511		?	521	Theuderic I
	Suavegotha of Burgundy	Sigismund, King of the Burgundians	495/96/504	516/7		534 husband's death	554
	Wisigard	Wacho, King of the Lombards	?	?	534 husband's ascession	?	?	Theudebert I
		Gallo-Roman descent	?	?	?	548 husband's death	?
	Waldrada	Wacho, King of the Lombards	531	?	548? husband's ascession	555? husband's death	572	Theodobald
Kingdom passed to Soissons

Queen of the Franks (558–561)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Aregund	Baderic of Thuringia	515	?	558 husband's ascession	561 husband's death	573	Chlothar I
	Chunsina	?	?	?	558? husband's ascession	561? husband's death	?

Queens in Neustria (Soissons, 561–613)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Audovera	?	525?	549-558	561 husband's ascession	~567 repudiated	October/November 580	Chilperic I
	Galswintha	Athanagild, King of Visigoths	540	567		568
	Fredegund	539-553	?	568		September 584 husband's death - became queen regent	8 December 597
	Haldetrude	?	575/594	?	?	?	604/629	Chlothar II
	Bertrude	Wagon II, Count of Vermandois	582	?613?		618/619
	Sichilde	count Brunulphe II of the Ardennes	590	?618?		627

Queens at Paris (561–567)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Ingoberga		519?	?	?	? repudiated	589	Charibert I
	Merofleda	a wool-carder	?	after 561		?	?
	Marcovefa		?	after 561		?	before 567
	Theudechild	a cowherd	?	after 561		?	567

Queens at Orléans/Burgundy (561–613)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Vénérande	a slave	?	?	?	?	?	Guntram
	Marcatrude	Magnar (Magnacaire d'Outre-Jura)	?	?		565?
	Austregilde	?	548^[2]	565		580
	Faileube	?	?	?	?	?	?	Childebert II
	Ermenberga	Witteric, King of the Visigoths	?	606		607 repudiated	?	Theuderic II

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

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Brunhilda	Athanagild, King of the Visigoths	543?	567		December 575 husband's death	613	Sigebert I
	Faileube	?	?	?	?	?	?	Childebert II
	Bilichild	?	?	608		610		Theudebert II
	Théoudehilde	?	?	?	?	?	?
Passed to Burgundy in 612.

Queen of the Franks (613–629)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Bertrude	Wagon II, Count of Vermandois	582	?613?		618/619		Chlothar II
	Sichilde	?		618		18 October 629 husband's death	ap. 627

Queens of Neustria and Burgundy (629–691)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Gomentrude	?	598	628		629 répudiée	after 630	Dagobert I
	Nanthild the Saxon	?				19 January 639 husband's death	642
	Ragintrudis	?	610?	?	?	?	?
	Wulfefundis	?	?	?	?	?	?
	Bertechildis	?	?	?	?	?	?
	Balthild	Anglo-Saxon aristocrat	626 or 627	649		27 November 655 or 658 husband's death	30 January 680	Clovis II
	Amatilda	?	?	?	?	?	?	Chlothar III
	Bilichild	Sigebert III of Austrasia	654	668	673 invasion of Neustria and Burgundy	675		Childeric II
	Chrothildis	Ansegisel	650	675			3 June 699	Theuderic III
United with Austrasia to form a single Frankish state

Queen of Austrasia (623–679)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Gomentrude	?	598	628		629 répudiée	after 630	Dagobert I
	Nanthild	?				kingdom went to stepson	642
	Ragintrudis	?	610?	?	?	?	?
	Wulfefundis	?	?	?	?	?	?
	Bertechildis	?	?	?	?	?	?
	Chimnechild of Burgundy	?	?	647		?	?	Sigebert III
	Amatilda	?	?	?	?	?	?	Chlothar III
	Bilichild	Sigebert III of Austrasia	654	668		675		Childeric II
	Chrothildis	Ansegisel	650	675			3 June 699	Theuderic III
United with Neustria and Burgundy

Queen of Aquitaine (629–632)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Gisela of Gascony?	Amand of Gascony	?	?	18 October 629 husband's ascession	8 April 632 husband's death	?	Charibert II
	Fulberte?	?	?	?	?	?	?
Kingdom passed to Neustria and Burgundy in 632; dukes were appointed to Aquitaine

Queen of the Franks (629–751)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Gomentrude	?	598	628		629 répudiée	after 630	Dagobert I
	Nanthild	?					642
	Ragintrudis	?	610?	?	?	?	?
	Wulfefundis	?	?	?	?	?	?
	Bertechildis	?	?	?	?	?	?
	Amatilda	?	?	?	661 husband's ascession	662 husband loses Austrasia	?	Chlothar III
	Bilichild	Sigebert III of Austrasia	654	668	673 husband's ascession	675		Childeric II
	Chrothildis	Ansegisel	650	675	679 husband's ascession	690 husband's death	3 June 699	Theuderic III
	Gisela	?	715	?	743 husband's ascession	751 husband deposed	755	Childeric III

Carolingian dynasty (751–987)

Queen of the Franks (751–843)

Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Bertrada of Laon	Caribert, Count of Laon	710/27	740	November 751 as sole-Queen consort of the Franks	24 September 768 husband's death	12 July 783	Pepin I
	Gerberga	?	?	?	24 September 768 as co-Queen consort of the Franks	4 December 771 husband's death	?	Carloman I
	Desiderata of the Lombards	Desiderius, King of the Lombards	?	770 as co-Queen consort of the Franks		771 repuditated	?	Charles I
	Hildegard	Gerold of Vinzgouw	758	771 as sole-Queen consort of the Franks 774 as Queen consort the Lombards 781 as co-Queen consort the Lombards		30 April 783
	Fastrada de Franconie	Raoul III de Franconie et d'Aéda de Bavière	765	784 as sole-Queen consort of the Franks and co-Queen consort the Lombards		10 October 794
	Luitgard de Sundgau	Luitfrid II, Count of Sundgau	776	794 as sole-Queen consort of the Franks and co-Queen consort the Lombards		4 June 800
	Ermengarde of Hesbaye	Ingerman, Count of Hesbaye	778	794/5	813 as Holy Roman Empress and Queen consort of the Franks 817 as senior Holy Roman Empress	3 October 818		Louis I
	Judith of Bavaria	Welf I, Count of Altdorf	805	819 as senior Holy Roman Empress and Queen consort of the Franks		20 June 840 husband's death	19/23 April 843
Picture	Name	Father	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse

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)

West Francia			Middle Francia				East Francia			Spouse
Ermentrude of Orléans Queen of Aquitaine: 842–855 Queen of the East Franks: 843–869			Ermengarde of Tours Queen of Italy: 818–844 Queen of the Middle Franks: 843–851 Holy Roman Empress: 821–851				Emma of Altdorf Queen of Bavaria: 817–843 Queen of the East Franks: 843–876			Charles II Lothair I Louis II
			Engelberga of Parma Queen of Italy: 851–875 Holy Roman Empress: 850–875		Teutberga Queen of Lotharingia: 855–869					Charles II Louis II Lothair II Louis II
Richilde of Provence Queen of the West Franks: 870–877 Queen of Italy: 875–877 Holy Roman Empress: 875–877					Emma of Altdorf Queen of Bavaria: 817–843 Queen of the East Franks: 843–876
Adelaide of Paris Queen of the West Franks: 877–879					Liutgard of Saxony Queen of Saxony: 879–882 Queen of Bavaria: 880–882 Queen of the East Franks: 880–882
Richardis of Swabia Holy Roman Empress: 881–888 Queen of the East Franks: 882–887 Queen of the West Franks: 884–888
Théodrate of Troyes Queen of the West Franks: 888–898					Ota Queen of the East Franks: 888–899 Queen of Italy: 896–899 Holy Roman Empress: 896–899
Frederuna Queen of the West Franks: 907–917					Cunigunde of Swabia Queen of the East Franks: 913–918 Duchess of Franconia: 913–918
Eadgifu of England Queen of the West Franks: 919–922					Matilda Queen of the East Franks: 919–936 Duchess of Saxony: 912–936
Béatrice of Vermandois Queen of the West Franks: 922–923
Emma of France Queen of the West Franks: 923–934
Gerberga of Saxony Queen of the (West) Franks: 939–954					After the death of Henry, the last King of the East Franks, the only remaining Frankish kings were in Western Francia, which would become the modern state of France.
Emma of Italy Queen of the (West) Franks: 965–986
Adelaide of Anjou Queen of Aquitaine: 980–982
Queens of West Francia			Queens of Middle Francia				Queens of East Francia			Spouse

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

Notes and References

1. Historic guesses. No one is sure when this occurred.
2. Book: Chevalier, Ulysse . Ulysse Chevalier . 1905 . Répertoire des sources historiques du Moyen-Age . Paris . A. Picard et fils. . 390 . 1 . French .