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 unopposed in 714 after the death of his grandfather,
Pepin of Herstal. In 715, the nobility acclaimed
Ragenfrid mayor of
Neustria and
Charles Martel mayor of
Austrasia
Austrasia was a territory which formed the north-eastern section of the Merovingian Kingdom of the Franks during the 6th to 8th centuries. It was centred on the Meuse, Middle Rhine and the Moselle rivers, and was the original territory of the F ...
.
Theudoald was the legitimate but later claimed illegitimate son of
Grimoald II
Grimoald II (french: Grimaud) (died 714), called the Younger, was the mayor of the palace of Neustria from 695. He was the second son of Pepin of Herstal and Plectrude and his father placed him in the office of mayor of the palace in the Neustria ...
(son of
Pepin II of Herstal and
Plectrude) and
Theudesinda of
Frisia
Frisia is a cross-border cultural region in Northwestern Europe. Stretching along the Wadden Sea, it encompasses the north of the Netherlands and parts of northwestern Germany. The region is traditionally inhabited by the Frisians, a West Ger ...
(daughter of king
Radbod). Thus, he was a grandson of the Frisian king. His grandmother
Plectrude tried to have him recognised by his grandfather as the legitimate heir to all the
Pippinid
The Pippinids and the Arnulfings were two Frankish aristocratic families from Austrasia during the Merovingian period. They dominated the office of mayor of the palace after 687 and eventually supplanted the Merovingians as kings in 751, founding ...
lands, instead of Charles Martel. His grandmother surrendered on his behalf in 716 to
Chilperic II of Neustria and Ragenfrid.
Theudoald died, probably killed, around 741, after the death of his uncle and protector, Charles Martel. It is notable that, despite his having been proclaimed heir to Pepin of Herstal, when Charles Martel seized power, he allowed his nephew to live, instead of killing him, as was often the case in the Middle Ages.
References
Pippinids
7th-century births
708 births
741 deaths
Mayors of the Palace
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