Grimoald II (french: Grimaud) (died 714), called the Younger, was the
mayor of the palace of
Neustria
Neustria was the western part of the Kingdom of the Franks.
Neustria included the land between the Loire and the Silva Carbonaria, approximately the north of present-day France, with Paris, Orléans, Tours, Soissons as its main cities. It later ...
from 695. He was the second son of
Pepin of Herstal
Pepin II (c. 635 – 16 December 714), commonly known as Pepin of Herstal, was a Frankish statesman and military leader who de facto ruled Francia as the Mayor of the Palace from 680 until his death. He took the title Duke and Prince of the Fr ...
and
Plectrude
Plectrude ( la, Plectrudis; german: Plektrud, Plechtrudis) (died 718) was the consort of Pepin of Herstal, the mayor of the palace and duke of the Franks, from about 670. She was the daughter of Hugobert, seneschal of Clovis IV, and Irmina of O ...
and his father placed him in the office of mayor of the palace in the Neustrian kingdom in 695, when he was still young.
He married
Theudesinda (or Theodelinda), daughter of
Radbod, King of the Frisians
Redbad or Radbod (died 719) was the king (or duke) of Frisia from c. 680 until his death. He is often considered the last independent ruler of Frisia before Frankish domination. He defeated Charles Martel at Cologne. Eventually, Charles prevaile ...
, and had two sons:
Theudoald
Theudoald (or Theodald; c. 708 – 741)''Monumenta Epternacensia'' ("''Theodaldum, filium Grimoaldi…ex Theodesina filia regis Rabodi''"). ''Monumenta Epternacensia'', MGH SS XXIII, p. 59. was the Frankish mayor of the palace, briefly unoppose ...
and Arnold. While en route to visit the tomb of
Saint Lambert at
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
, he was assassinated by a certain Rangar, in the employ of his father-in-law. His sons carried on a fight to be recognised as Pepin of Herstal's true heirs, since Grimoald predeceased his father and his half-brother
Charles Martel
Charles Martel ( – 22 October 741) was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of the Palace, was the de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesma ...
usurped the lands and offices of their father.
Sources
*Riché, Pierre. ''Les Carolingiens, une famille qui fit l'Europe''.
*Volkmann, Jean-Charles. ''Bien Connaître les généalogies des rois de France''
*Mourre, Michel. ''Le petit Mourre. Dictionnaire de l'Histoire''
714 deaths
Pippinids
Mayors of the Palace
Year of birth unknown
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