Charles (c. 953 – 22 June 992/995?) was the duke of Lower Lorraine from 977 until his death.

Life

Born at

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

in the summer of 953, Charles was the son of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony and the younger brother of King Lothair. He was a sixth-generation descendant of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

.Detlev Schwennicke, ''Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band II (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1984), Tafel 1Detlev Schwennicke, ''Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band I (Marburg, Germany: J. A. Stargardt, 1980), Tafel 2 When his father was captured by the Normans and held, both his sons were demanded as ransom for his release.''The Annals of Flodoard of Reims, 919–966'', eds. & trans. Stephen Fanning; Bernard S. Bachrach (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2004), p. 44 Queen Gerberga would only send Charles, who was then handed over and his father was released into the custody of

Hugh Capet Hugh Capet (; ; 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and his wife Hedwige of Saxony, he was elected as t ...

. In or before 976, he accused Lothair's wife, Emma, daughter of Lothair II of Italy, of infidelity with Adalberon, Bishop of Laon.Pierre Riché, ''The Carolingians; A Family Who Forged Europe,'' trans. Michael Idomir Allen (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983), p. 276 The council of Sainte-Macre at Fismes (near

) exonerated the queen and the bishop, but Charles maintained his claim and was driven from the kingdom, finding refuge at the court of his cousin, the emperor Otto II. Otto promised to crown Charles as soon as Lothair was out of the way and Charles paid him homage, receiving back Lower Lorraine. In August 978, Lothair invaded Germany and captured the imperial capital of

Aachen Aachen is the List of cities in North Rhine-Westphalia by population, 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, 27th-largest city of Germany, with around 261,000 inhabitants. Aachen is locat ...

, but failed to capture either Otto or Charles. In October, Otto and Charles in turn invaded France, devastating the land around Reims, Soissons and

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne Departments of France, department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The Ancient Diocese of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held s ...

. In the latter city, the chief seat of the kings of France, Charles was crowned by Theodoric I, Bishop of Metz. Lothair fled to Paris and was besieged there but a relief army of Hugh Capet forced Otto and Charles to lift the siege on 30 November. Lothair and Capet, the tables turned once more, chased the German king and Charles back to Aachen and retook Laon. Around 979, Charles transferred the relics of Saint Gudula from Moorsel to the Saint Gaugericus chapel on Saint-Géry Island near

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

. This is generally accepted as the time when the city was founded. Charles would construct the first permanent fortification in the city, doing so on that same island. As he had been a vassal also of Lothair, Charles' acts on behalf of Otto were considered treason and he was thereafter excluded from the throne. On Lothair's death (986), the magnates elected his son Louis V and on the latter's death (987),

. Thus, the House of Capet came to the throne over the disgraced and ignored Charles.Pierre Riché, ''The Carolingians; A Family Who Forged Europe'', trans. Michael Idomir Allen (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983), p. 278 Charles' unexceptional marriage and his lack of wealth are two of the reasons he was denied the throne. Charles made war on Hugh, even taking Rheims and Laon. However, on

Maundy Thursday Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, among other names,The day is also known as Great and Holy Thursday, Holy and Great Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Sheer Thursday, and Thursday of Mysteries. is ...

''La cathédrale de Laon'' by madame Suzanne Martinet, p. 80
/ref> (26 March) 991, he was captured, through the perfidy of the Bishop Adalberon, and was imprisoned by Hugh in

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Pierre Riché, ''The Carolingians; A Family Who Forged Europe,'' trans. Michael Idomir Allen (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1983), p. 279 He was succeeded as Duke of Lower Lorraine by his son Otto. There is uncertainty over the date and place of Charles' death. The necrology of the diocese of Liège dates Charles' death to 22 June without specifying the year. Sigebert of Gembloux records it under the year 991, but he may have confused it with his capture, since two documents of January 992 seem to imply that Charles was still alive. One was dated by a supporter to the fifth year of "Charles king in waiting" (''sperante Karolo rege''); the other is dated by Hugh's reign, "Charles being thrown in prison" (''Karolo trusus in carcere''). He must have been dead by 995, when Adalberon and Count Odo of Blois tried to install his son Louis on the throne. His death is sometimes placed in Orléans, but this is pure conjecture. Ferdinand Lot, ''Les derniers Carolingiens: Lothaire, Louis V, Charles de Lorraine (954–991)'' (Paris: Émile Bouillon, 1891), pp. 277–279, 281–282. The '' Historia Francorum Senonensis'', written between 1015 and 1034, propagated the view that Charles was the rightful king in 987 and Hugh a usurper.Fraser McNair, "A Post-Carolingian Voice of Dissent: The ''Historia Francorum Senonensis''", ''Journal of Medieval Latin'' 28 (2018): 15–47. In 1666, the lead sarcophagus of Charles was discovered in the Basilica of Saint Servatius in

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

with an inscription bearing the date 1001. This appears to be the date of his interment in Maastricht, however, and not of his death. Probably his son Otto had his body moved. While the sarcophagus remains, the original inscription has been lost.

Family

In 970 Charles married Adelaide of

Troyes Troyes () is a Communes of France, commune and the capital of the Departments of France, department of Aube in the Grand Est region of north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about south-east of Paris. Troyes is situated within ...

. Together he and Adelaide had: * Otto, succeeded as Duke of Lower Lotharingia *Ermengarde, who married Albert I, Count of Namur * Gerberga of Lower Lorraine (b. 975–1018), who married Lambert I, Count of Louvain * Louis ( 989 – 1023) *Charles (b. 989)

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Life

Family

References

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Further reading