Frédégonde DE NEUSTRIE [7920] ¹⁸⁹⁰

   FamilySearch ID: LZGC-MFM.

  General Notes:

Foundation for Medieval Genealogy

CHILPERICH, son of CLOTAIRE I [Chlothachar] King of the Franks & his fourth wife Arnegundis (before 535-murdered Chelles [27 Sep/9 Oct] 584, bur Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés). Gregory of Tours names Chilperich as the son of King Clotaire and his wife Aregonde[314]. He succeeded his father in 561 as CHILPERICH I King of the Franks, his territories covering those previously held by his father, with Soissons as his capital[315]. The Marii Episcopi Aventicensis Chronica records that "filii ipsius Charibertus, Guntegramnus, Hilpericus et Sigibertus" divided the kingdom between them on the death of their father in 561[316]. Gregory of Tours records that King Chilperich was forced to flee by his half-brother King Sigebert who conquered his territories[317]. He captured Neustria on the death of his brother King Charibert. Gregory of Tours records the murder of King Chilperich at Chelles and his burial in the church of St Vincent in Paris[318].

m firstly ([549]) AUDOVERE, daughter of --- (-murdered 580). Gregory of Tours names Audovera as one of the earlier consorts of King Chilperich[319]. Herimannus records that "Audoveram reginam commatrem suam [=Geislundam]" was strangled by her husband's concubine "Fridegundis"[320]. Gregory of Tours records that the mother of Clovis was "murdered in the most cruel fashion"[321], dated to late 580 from the context.

m secondly (564) GALSWINTHA of the Visigoths, daughter of ATANAGILDO King of the Visigoths & his wife Gosvinta --- (-murdered [567]). Gregory of Tours records the marriage of King Chilperich and Galswintha, older daughter of King Atanagildo, after the marriage of King Sigebert to her younger sister, specifying that she converted from Arianism to Catholicism and came to France with a large dowry, but never stopped complaining to the king about the insults she had to endure, her husband eventually having her garrotted by one of his servants[322]. Herimannus names "Geisluindam, sororem Brunæ [filiam Athanagildi regis Gothorum]" as wife of "Hilpericus frater Sigibertus rex", recording that she was strangled by her husband's concubine "Fridegundis"[323].

m thirdly (568) FREDEGONDE, daughter of --- (-597, bur Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés). Gregory of Tours records that King Chilperich married Frédégonde before his marriage to Galswintha, specifying that a great quarrel ensued between the two of them[324]. It is assumed that this indicates that Frédégonde was the king's mistress before his second marriage. She plotted actively in favour of her sons at the expense of her husband's children by his first marriage. It is likely that she ordered the murder of her brother-in-law King Sigebert I. According to the 8th century source, Liber Historiae Francorum, she murdered her husband after he discovered that she was having an affair[325]. She was regent for her son King Clotaire II after his succession in 584. Fredegar records that Frédégonde died "in the second year of the reign of Theodebert"[326]
King Chilperich II & his third wife, Fredegonde had six children:

6. RIGUNDIS ([569]-). Gregory of Tours names "Princess Rigunth" when recounting that she sympathised when Gregory was accused of treachery by her mother[342]. Gregory names Rigunth as daughter of King Chilperich when recording her betrothal to Recared, son of King Leuvigild, and her voyage to Spain with a large retinue[343]. On learning of the death of her father, she was abandoned before returning to her mother's palace where she led a life of debauchery[344]. Betrothed (early 584) to RECAREDO of the Visigoths, son of LEOVIGILDO King of the Visigoths & his first wife Theodosia --- (-Toledo mid-Jun or Dec 601). He was elected to succeed his father in 586 as RECAREDO King of the Visigoths.

7. CHLODEBERT (-Soissons St Médard 580, bur Soissons St Crispin and St Crispinian). Gregory of Tours names Chlodebert as the son of Chilperich & Frédégonde when recording his death in the church of St Médard, Soissons and his burial "in the church of the holy martyrs Crispin and Crispinian"[345], the context of the passage dating the event to 580.

8. SAMSON (573-late 577). Gregory of Tours names Samson as the younger son of Chilperich & Fredegund when recording his death after having a high temperature and diarrhoea "before completing his fifth year"[346], the context of the passage dating the event to late 577.

9. DAGOBERT ([579/80]-580, bur Saint-Denis). Gregory of Tours refers to (but does not name) a younger son of Chilperich & Fredegund when recording his hurried baptism while dying and his burial in Paris Saint-Denis[347], the context of the passage dating the event to 580. Fortunatus, dated to the late 6th century, wrote an epitaph to "Dagoberto…puerilis obis", naming "Chlodovechi…proavi…Chilpericque patris, vel Fredegunde genus"[348].

10. THEODERICH ([582/83], chr Paris 18 Apr 583-early 584, bur Paris). Gregory of Tours records the birth of a son to King Chilperich and his baptism at Easter with the name Theoderich by Ragnemod Bishop of Paris[349], dated from the context to [582/83]. Gregory records his death from dysentery a year after his baptism and his burial in Paris[350].

11. CHLOTHACHAR [Clotaire] (Spring 584-[18] Oct 629, bur Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés). Gregory of Tours records the birth of a son to King Chilperich[351], dated to early 584 from the context, although in a later passage in which he names him Clotaire he records that he was four months old when his father died[352]. He succeeded his father in 584 as CLOTAIRE II King of the Franks, under the regency of his mother Queen Frédégonde.


Frankish Queen. Also known as Fredegund. Born a servant, she served at court where she caught the eye of the king. King Chilperic repudiated his first wife, Audovera, and took Fredegund as his concubine. He married his sister-in-law, Galswintha, however, a Visigoth princess c. 568. At Fredegund's instigation, Chilperic strangled his wife after only about a year of marriage. Days after the murder, Chilperic married Fredegund. The late queen's sister, Brunhilde who was married to Chilperic's half brother Sigebert, so hated Fredegund for her role in the death of her sister and the hatred was so fiercely reciprocated, that the two queens instigated a forty year war between their husbands who ruled the east and west Franks respectively. Sigebert defeated Chilperic and conquered most of his kingdom. But Sigebert's victory was brief, just when he had been declared king by Chilperic's subjects, he was murdered by assassins working for Fredegund in 575 and Chilperic retrieved his position. Fredegund also either killed or attempted to kill Guntram, her brother-in-law, king of Burgundy; Childebert II, Sigebert's son; her stepchildren; two bishops; her son Samson; her daughter Rigunth; and Queen Brunhilde. After Chilperic was stabbed to death in September of 584 at Île-de-France, Fredegund took their newborn son, Chlotar II, seized the treasury and took refuge in the cathedral at Paris. Chlotar was proclaimed heir, and Fredegund ruled as his regent. Her reign was marked by war with rival parties for the throne and numerous murders. She finally won the throne for Chlotar against Brunhilde in 597, only to die shortly after.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Fredegunde's reputation: Fredegund was jealous of her own daughter, Rigunth, who continually declared that she should be mistress in her place. Fredegund waited for her opportunity and under the pretense of generosity, took Rigunth to the treasure-room and showed her the King's j, on an unknown date,. ¹⁸⁹²

2. Fredegonde: in 597, in Saint-Denis, Departement de Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France. ¹⁸⁹²

3. Biographical Information: Fredegunde's reputation,,.
Fredegund was jealous of her own daughter, Rigunth, who continually declared that she should be mistress in her place. Fredegund waited for her opportunity and under the pretense of generosity, took Rigunth to the treasure-room and showed her the King's jewels in a large chest. Feigning fatigue, Fredegund exclaimed "I am weary; put thou in thy hand and take out what thou mayest find." The mother thereupon forced down the lid on her neck and would have killed her had not the servants finally rushed to her aid. Fredegund had a reputation of being one of the most bloodthirsty and sadistic women in history. Accounts by Gregory, the Bishop of Tours, depict her as a murderous woman who gained power by means of her husband and applied it to keep his kingdom in a state of war for more than forty years. She was also known as an early exponent of dirty warfare who relied heavily on poison and other covert operations.


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Frédégonde married Chilperich I. VON NEUSTRIEN Frankenkönig [7919] [MRIN: 5793], son of Chlothar I. König der Franken [7929] and Arnegunde VON THÜRINGEN [7928]. (Chilperich I. VON NEUSTRIEN Frankenkönig [7919] was born in 539 in Soissons, Gaul, Kingdom of Neustria, Frankish Empire,¹⁸⁹⁰ died on 27 September 584 in Chelles, Île-de-France, Kingdom of of Neustria, Frankish Empire ¹⁸⁹⁰ and was buried on 11 October 584 in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris, Île-de-France, Kingdom of Neustria, Frankish Empire ¹⁸⁹⁰.)