Frankish Queen. The daughter of Count Charibert de Laon and Gisele of Aquitaine, she was well educated and spoke Latin. She met Pippin in 741 and they fell in love, but he was already married to Princess Leutburga with whom he had five children. Another obstacle to their marriage was their close blood relationship. She lived by his side as his mistress for several years. After she gave birth to their first child, Charlemagne around 743, he convinced Leutburga to separate and retire to the monastery of Lorsch. Pippin married Berthe probably in 749. Pippin had succeeded his father Charles Martel as majordomos in 741 and ousted King Childeric III. from power in 751 and sent him also to a monastery. In the same year she gave birth to a second son, Carloman. A few months later the nobles of the kingdom elected him as King and soon after that he went to Narbonne to fight against the Saracen. She accompanied him on this and other campaigns. In later years the marriage became much cooler and they nearly separated. Only the intervention of the Pope prevented that. After Pippin's death in 768 she became more involved in the politics in her son's kingdoms. She mediated between Charles and his brother and they stopped fighting with each other. In 770 she traveled to Bavaria where she met her nephew Duke Tassilo. She lived for several years at Charles' court at Aachen. She later moved to the Abbey of Choisy sur Aisne where she spend the last decade of her life. It's not sure that she is buried in St. Denis as some say she might be buried in the Val de Meuse.
Frankish Queen. The daughter of Count Charibert de Laon and Gisele of Aquitaine, she was well educated and spoke Latin. She met Pippin in 741 and they fell in love, but he was already married to Princess Leutburga with whom he had five children. Another obstacle to their marriage was their close blood relationship. She lived by his side as his mistress for several years. After she gave birth to their first child, Charlemagne around 743, he convinced Leutburga to separate and retire to the monastery of Lorsch. Pippin married Berthe probably in 749. Pippin had succeeded his father Charles Martel as majordomos in 741 and ousted King Childeric III. from power in 751 and sent him also to a monastery. In the same year she gave birth to a second son, Carloman. A few months later the nobles of the kingdom elected him as King and soon after that he went to Narbonne to fight against the Saracen. She accompanied him on this and other campaigns. In later years the marriage became much cooler and they nearly separated. Only the intervention of the Pope prevented that. After Pippin's death in 768 she became more involved in the politics in her son's kingdoms. She mediated between Charles and his brother and they stopped fighting with each other. In 770 she traveled to Bavaria where she met her nephew Duke Tassilo. She lived for several years at Charles' court at Aachen. She later moved to the Abbey of Choisy sur Aisne where she spend the last decade of her life. It's not sure that she is buried in St. Denis as some say she might be buried in the Val de Meuse.
Bio by: Lutetia
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