Childeric II
Who was Childeric II?
Frankish king
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Childeric II (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Childeric II (c. 653-675) was a King of the Franks in the seventh century, leading Austrasia from 662 and later ruling over all Frankish territories from 673 until he was killed in 675. Born into the Merovingian family, he was the second oldest son of King Clovis II and Queen Saint Balthild, and a grandson of King Dagobert I and Queen Nanthild. His time as king came when the Frankish kingdom often had multiple rulers and was heavily influenced by powerful palace officials.
Childeric came to power when his older brother Chlothar III, who briefly ruled alone in 661, handed over control of Austrasia to him in 662. Although he was declared king at a young age, Childeric was traditionally raised on the shields of his warriors. He married his cousin Bilichild, and they had two sons: Dagobert and the future king Chilperic II. Their marriage was typical of Merovingian political alliances.
After Chlothar III died in 673, their youngest brother Theuderic III took over Neustria and Burgundy. However, a group of leading Burgundian nobles, led by Saint Leodegar and Adalrich, opposed Theuderic and his Mayor of the Palace Ebroin. These nobles invited Childeric to take over Neustria and Burgundy, which he managed through a military campaign, replacing his brother and becoming the sole ruler of all Frankish lands.
Childeric's time as sole king was troubled because of his management choices and harsh treatment of nobility. He made his Austrasian Mayor of the Palace, Wulfoald, hold the same role in Neustria and Burgundy, which upset Burgundian nobles who resisted having outsiders in charge. In March 675, he awarded territories in Alsace to Adalrich, giving him the ducal title, likely to thank him for support in the area between Burgundy and Austrasia. His reign ended suddenly after he illegally punished a nobleman named Bodilo, sparking a plot. In 675, Bodilo and his partners Amalbert and Ingobert killed Childeric, along with his wife Bilichild and their five-year-old son Dagobert, while the royal family was hunting in the forest of Livry near today's Lognes.
Before Fame
Childeric II was born into the Merovingian royal family around 653, during a time when the Frankish kingdom was going through political struggles and palace mayors often had more real power than the kings. As the second son of Clovis II and Saint Balthild, his early years were influenced by the complicated politics of Frankish succession, where kingdoms were usually split among male heirs instead of being passed on to one successor.
The young prince's rise began when his brother Chlothar III gave him the kingdom of Austrasia in 662, even though Childeric was still a child. This early rise to kingship showed both the usual Merovingian practice of dividing territories and the need to manage the large Frankish territories. Despite his youth, he was officially declared king through the ancient tradition of being lifted on shields by warriors, establishing his legitimacy among the Austrasian nobility.
Key Achievements
- Successfully invaded and conquered Neustria and Burgundy from his brother Theuderic III in 673
- Became the sole ruler of all Frankish territories, reuniting Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy under one crown
- Maintained control over the disputed region of Alsace through strategic alliances with local nobles
- Established administrative control by appointing his trusted mayor Wulfoald across all his territories
- Ruled Austrasia effectively for over a decade from 662 until his death in 675
Did You Know?
- 01.He was proclaimed king while still a child by being raised on the shields of his Austrasian warriors, following ancient Frankish tradition
- 02.His marriage to his cousin Bilichild followed typical Merovingian practice of keeping royal bloodlines within the extended family
- 03.The final trigger for his assassination was his illegal corporal punishment of nobleman Bodilo, violating Frankish noble privileges
- 04.His surviving son Chilperic II grew up in a monastery after the family massacre and later became king
- 05.He granted ducal honors in the disputed region of Alsace to Adalrich in March 675, just months before his death