UNKNOWN Frédégonde

Abt 0543 - Abt 0597  (54 years)

• Name	UNKNOWN Frédégonde
  Birth	Abt 0543	Montdidier ou Angicourt, Royaume de Soissons
  Gender	Female
  Death	Abt 08 Dec 0597	Paris, Neustrie
  Notes	Birth and Parents Frédégonde's parents and place of birth are unknown.[1] She is revendicated both by Montdidier (currently Somme, Hauts-de-France) and Angicourt (Oise, Hauts-de-France). Angicourt is given by the chronicles of Saint-Waast Abbey, Arras[2]. She was born about 542 [3] Concubine of Chilperic I Prior to her marriage, she was reported to be the concubine of Chilperic I, KIng of the Franks while he was married to his first wife, Audovere. [4] Chilperich was the son of Clotaire 1 (Chlothachar), KIng of the Franks, and his fourth wife Arnegundis. Chilperich was born before 535. [4] 580 Murdered Chiperic's first wife Audovere Cawley notes that Herimannus records that "Audoveram reginam commatrem suam [=Geislundam]" was strangled by her husband's concubine "Fridegundis". Cawley adds that Gregory of Tours records that the mother of Clovis was "murdered in the most cruel fashion", dated to late 580 from the context. [4] 567 Murdered Chilperic's second wife Galswintha Cawley further notes that Herimannus names "Geisluindam, sororem Brunæ [filiam Athanagildi regis Gothorum]" as wife of "Hilpericus frater Sigibertus rex", recording that she was strangled by her husband's concubine "Fridegundis". [4] Cawley reports however that Gregory of Tours records the marriage of King Chilperich and Galswintha, older daughter of King Atanagildo, after the marriage of King Sigebert to her younger sister, specifying that she converted from Arianism to Catholicism and came to France with a large dowry, but never stopped complaining to the king about the insults she had to endure, her husband eventually having her garrotted by one of his servants. [4] 568 Marriage as Third Wife of Chilperich Cawley reports that in 568 she married Chilperich as his third wife. [4] Gregory of Tours records that King Chilperich married Frédégonde before his marriage to Galswintha, specifying that a great quarrel ensued between the two of them. It is assumed that this indicates that Frédégonde was the king's mistress before his second marriage. [4] According to the 8th century source, Liber Historiae Francorum, she murdered her husband after he discovered that she was having an affair. [4] Chilperich was murdered in Chelles between 27 September and 9 October 584 and buried at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris. [4] Gregory of Tours records the murder of King Chilperich at Chelles but his burial in the church of St Vincent in Paris. [4] Plotted for Sons Fredegode plotted actively in favour of her sons at the expense of her husband's children by his first marriage. It is likely that she ordered the murder of her brother-in-law King Sigebert I. [4] She was regent for her son King Clotaire II after his succession in 584. Fredegar records that Frédégonde died "in the second year of the reign of Theodebert". [4] 597 Death and Burial Frédégonde died in 597 and was buried in Paris at Saint-Germain-des-Prés).[4] She died 8 Dec 597 according to C. Settipani[5]. Issue Fredegonde had six children with Chilperich. [4] Rigunthis (Merovingian) Soissons Rigundis, born 569 Chlodebert (Merovingian) Franken Chlodebert, died 580 Soissons St Médard Samson or Samon (573-late 577) Dagobert (Merovingian) Soissons Dagobert (579/80-580) Theoderich (582/3, Paris - early 584) Chlothachar (Merovingian) Franken Chlothachar or Clotaire (Spring 584-18 October 629) Research Notes Was she from Cambrai? There is no evidence at all of her parentage. Fanciful parentage from Brunulfo of Cambrai and Crotechilde of the Ostrogoths has been unlinked. Genealogie online shows her with this parentage: "She was the daughter of Brunulf I Waudbert vom Ardennengau (520-563) and Clothilde Utheric Balthes (520-560) Brunulf's parents were Wayudbert Alberic von Koln and Lucille van Pannonien. Clothilde's parents were Utheric Wederic Balthes di Ostrogoti and Amalasunda Theodoric Balthes." [3] Sources ↑ Charles Cawley. Medieval Lands: A Prosopography of Medieval European Noble and Royal Families. Frédégonde. Online at Foundation for Medieval Genealogy Website (accessed 7 January 2022) jhd ↑ Contributeurs de Wikipédia, "Angicourt," Wikipédia, l'encyclopédie libre, http://fr.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Angicourt&oldid=138579725 (Page consultée le 2 juillet 2017). ↑ 3.0 3.1 Genealogie Online. Fredegunde de Cambrai Accessed Nov 3, 2018 jhd ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 Charles Cawley. Medieval Lands: A Prosopography of Medieval European Noble and Royal Families. Chilperich. Online at Foundation for Medieval Genealogy Website (accessed 7 January 2022) jhd ↑ Wikidata contributors, "Q13422577," Wikidata, https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?title=Q13422577&oldid=491599638 (accessed July 2, 2017). Acknowledgements WikiTree profile De Cambrai-22 created through the import of tree1.ged on Nov 3, 2011 by Kim Baltz. See the Cambrai-22 Changes page for the details of edits by Kim and others.
  Person ID	I58165	Freeman-Smith
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026

  
  

  Family	MEROVINGIAN Chilperic,   b. Bef 0535   d. Bef 09 Oct 0584, Chelles, Ile-de-France (Age < 49 years)
  Marriage	0568
  Children	1. MEROVINGIAN Chlothachar,   b. 0584, Paris, France d. Abt 18 Oct 0629, Church of St Vincent, Paris, France (Age ~ 45 years)  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F25944	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	27 Jan 2026