Louis the Stammerer
Denier of Louis the Stammerer
King of West Francia
Reign877–879
Coronation8 October 877 in Compiègne
PredecessorCharles the Bald
SuccessorLouis III and Carloman II
Born1 November 846
Died10 April 879(879-04-10) (aged 32)
Compiègne
Burial
Saint-Corneille Abbey, Compiègne, France
SpousesAnsgarde of Burgundy
Adelaide of Paris
Issue
Detail		Louis III of France
Carloman II
Ermentrude of France
Charles the Simple
DynastyCarolingian
FatherCharles the Bald
MotherErmentrude of Orléans

Louis II, known as Louis the Stammerer (French: Louis le Bègue; 1 November 846 – 10 April 879), was the king of Aquitaine and later the king of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Emperor Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans.[1] Louis the Stammerer was physically weak and outlived his father by a year and a half.

Louis succeeded his younger brother Charles the Child as the ruler of Aquitaine in 866 and his father in West Francia in 877, but he was never crowned emperor. He was crowned king on 8 October 877 by Hincmar, archbishop of Reims, at Compiegne[2] and was crowned a second time in August 878 by Pope John VIII at Troyes while the pope was attending a council there.[3] The pope may have even offered him the imperial crown, but it was declined. Louis had relatively little impact on politics. He was described "a simple and sweet man, a lover of peace, justice, and religion". In 878, he gave the counties of Barcelona, Girona, and Besalú to Wilfred the Hairy. His final act was to march against the invading Vikings, but he fell ill and died on 9 April or 10 April 879, not long after beginning this final campaign. On his death, his realms were divided between his two sons, Carloman II and Louis III of France.

Family

During the peace negotiations between his father and Erispoe, duke of Brittany, Louis was betrothed to an unnamed daughter of Erispoe in 856. It is not known if this was the same daughter who later married Gurivant. The contract was broken in 857 after Erispoe's murder.

Louis was married twice. His first wife Ansgarde of Burgundy had two sons: Louis (born in 863) and Carloman (born in 866),[2] both of whom became kings of West Francia, and three daughters: Hildegarde (born in 864), Gisela (865–884).

By his second wife, Adelaide of Paris,[2]he had Princess Ermentrude (874–914)[4] and a posthumous child, Charles the Simple who would become, long after his elder brothers' deaths, king of West Francia.

With his first wife, Ansgarde of Burgundy, Louis had the following children:

With his second wife, Adelaide of Paris, Louis had:

References

  1. ^ Riche 1993, p. 369.
  2. ^ a b c McKitterick 1999, p. 258.
  3. ^ Riche 2002, p. 837.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lößlein 2019, p. 147.

Sources

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Louis the Stammerer Carolingian dynastyBorn: 1 November 846 Died: 10 April 879 Regnal titles Preceded byCharles the Child King of Aquitaine 866–877 VacantTitle next held byRanulf II Preceded byCharles the Bald King of Neustria 856–879 Succeeded byLouis III King of West Francia 877–879 Succeeded byLouis III and Carloman King of Provence 877–879 Succeeded byBoso of Provence New title Count of Meaux 862–877 Succeeded byTheodebert
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