Fredegund - A Notorious Frankish Queen
Fredegund was queen consort of a leading Merovingian king in the sixth century; she has also livened up many people’s readings of Gregory of Tours’ History of the Franks thanks to a fondness for assassination and casual brutality.
Life of Fredegund
Fredegund rose from being a servant to being mistress of Chilperic, a Merovingian king who had shared his father’s kingdom with his brothers; there were thus several power bases, and several sets of kings and queens in the polity.
When Chilperic murdered his wife Galswintha and married Fredegund it looked (and still does) like Fredegung was a leading player in the death, and it certainly looked this way to Brunhild, who was both the deeply upset sister of Galswintha and wife of Chilperic’s brother Sigebert. This caused a violent split between the two which would last for decades. Fredegund was no trophy queen – Merovingian queens could wield great power by holding their husbands and sons favour or regency, and could often have great personal fortunes with which to help keep this power - and as she shaped the politics of the realm she made attempts on the lives of Sigebert (successful in 575 after he’d just beaten Chilperic), his son Childebert, Guntram (another brother in law) and Brunhild herself. Her aim was to prevent any of her husband’s children from other wives succeeding her own (Merovingian kings had a habit of taking and leaving multiple wives), and did so murderously. She is also believed to have once burnt tax registers to get back into god’s favour and save a sick son.
In the end, Chilperic was assassinated by persons unknown in 584, and Fredegund had to flee with her 3 month old son Clothar II to Paris and a cathedral. She managed to gain the support of Guntram for her son, and survived attacks from a still upset Childebert II when Guntram had died. Childebert II himself died in 595, and Brunhild, acting through grandsons, still feuded with Fredegund until the latter died in 596 or 7; it was a natural death. She was dynamic, forceful, and unconcerned about killing people. Clothar II would go on to unite the realm.
Life of Fredegund
Fredegund rose from being a servant to being mistress of Chilperic, a Merovingian king who had shared his father’s kingdom with his brothers; there were thus several power bases, and several sets of kings and queens in the polity.
When Chilperic murdered his wife Galswintha and married Fredegund it looked (and still does) like Fredegung was a leading player in the death, and it certainly looked this way to Brunhild, who was both the deeply upset sister of Galswintha and wife of Chilperic’s brother Sigebert. This caused a violent split between the two which would last for decades. Fredegund was no trophy queen – Merovingian queens could wield great power by holding their husbands and sons favour or regency, and could often have great personal fortunes with which to help keep this power - and as she shaped the politics of the realm she made attempts on the lives of Sigebert (successful in 575 after he’d just beaten Chilperic), his son Childebert, Guntram (another brother in law) and Brunhild herself. Her aim was to prevent any of her husband’s children from other wives succeeding her own (Merovingian kings had a habit of taking and leaving multiple wives), and did so murderously. She is also believed to have once burnt tax registers to get back into god’s favour and save a sick son.
In the end, Chilperic was assassinated by persons unknown in 584, and Fredegund had to flee with her 3 month old son Clothar II to Paris and a cathedral. She managed to gain the support of Guntram for her son, and survived attacks from a still upset Childebert II when Guntram had died. Childebert II himself died in 595, and Brunhild, acting through grandsons, still feuded with Fredegund until the latter died in 596 or 7; it was a natural death. She was dynamic, forceful, and unconcerned about killing people. Clothar II would go on to unite the realm.
Source...