List of Frankish Kings
The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several BambooWeb lists of incumbents.
The Frankish kingdoms were ruled by two main dynasties, the Merovingians (who established the realm) and later the Carolingians. A timeline of Frankish rulers is difficult since the realm was, according to old Germanic practice, frequently divided among the sons of a leader upon his death and then eventually reunited. For more detailed explanations, see the Franks article.
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Upon Clovis' death, the kingdom was split among his four sons:-
Clotaire (of Soissans) eventually took over the other three kingdoms after the deaths of his brothers (or their successors). After his own death, the kingdom was once again divided into Neustria (in the west), Burgundy, and Austrasia (in the east).
The Carolingians initially were Mayors of the Palace under Merovingian kings in the sub-kingdom of Neustria and later in the reunited Frankish realm:
- Arnulf of Metz
- Pippin of Landen, (580-640), or Pippin I, the Elder* 628-639
- Pippin of Herstal, (640-714), or Pippin II* 687-714
- Charles Martel, (690-724), * 714-741
- Carloman, (716-754), * 741-747
- Pippin III, (714-768), the Short* 747-751
When Pippin III became king, the Carolingians succeeded the Merovingian dynasty:
The Frankish kingdom was then divided with the Treaty of Verdun in 843 among the sons of Louis the Pious. The following table lists only the members of the Carolingian dynasty in the three subdivisions, which are the kernels of later France and the Holy Roman Empire, each with different ruling dynasties.
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West Franks (eventually France)
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Lotharingia
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East Franks (to become the Holy Roman Empire)
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Names marked (*) are Robertians and (**) are from the house of Boso -- both were distantly related to the Carolingians.
- Charles the Bald, (823-877), 843-877 Emp. 875
- Louis the Stammerer, (846-879), 877-879
- Carloman, King of the West Franks, (died 884), 879-884 (South)
- Charles the Fat 884-887 Germany 876-887 Emp. 881
- Odo, Count of Paris, (died 866), * 888-898
- Charles the Simple, (879-929), 898-922
- Robert, (865-923), * 922-923
- Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy** 923-936
- Louis IV, (914-984), 936-954
- Lothar 954-986
- Louis V, the Indolent 986-987
After this, the Capetian dynasty ruled France. For the continuation, see the list of French monarchs.
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Louis II had only daughters, one of whom, Ermengard, married Boso of Provence, thus providing the family connection for Rudolph of Burgundy's claim to the throne.
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After this, Conrad of Franconia ruled from 911-918, and was followed by the Saxon (Ottonian) kings, which is commonly considered the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire. For the continuation, see the list of German Kings and Emperors.
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Related articles
- Franks (main history of Frankish kingdoms)
For further reading
- The history of France as recounted in the "Grandes Chroniques de France," and particularly in the personal copy produced for King Charles V between 1370 and 1380 that is the saga of the three great dynasties, the Merovingians, Carolingians, and the Capetian Rulers of France, that shaped the institutions and the frontiers of the realm. This document was produced and likely commissioned during the Hundred Years' War, a dynastic struggle between the rulers of France and England with rival claims to the French throne. It should therefore be read and considered carefully as a source, due to the inherent bias in the context of its origins.
- The Cambridge Illustrated History of France - Cambridge University Press
- The Origins of France: Clovis to the Capetians 500-1000 by Edward James ISBN 0333270525
- Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720 (Manchester Medieval Sources); Paul Fouracre (Editor), Richard A. Gerberding (Editor)ISBN 0719047919
- Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Merovingian Dynasty: .
- Medieval France: An Encyclopedia , eds. W. Kibler and G. Zinn. New York: Garland Publishing, 1995.
