In 561, after King Chlothar I died, the Frankish kingdom was divided among his sons according to Merovingian tradition.

The kingdom of the Franks in 561 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

Charibert I received a kingdom centred on Paris, extending far beyond the city. His realm included several major regions of western Gaul.

His reign was brief (561 → 567), but he held a strategic position at the heart of the Frankish world.

Charibert’s death without a male heir triggered a new territorial division that deeply changed the balance among Frankish kingdoms.

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⚔️ The succession conflict (558)

Even before Chlothar I’s death, family tensions were already visible among his sons.

In 558, the king sent Charibert and Guntram to retake the Limousin from their brother Chramn, who had rebelled and taken control of the region.

The two armies met near the Montagne Noire.
Charibert and Guntram tried to obtain the return of the territories in their father’s name, but Chramn refused.

A storm then broke out and prevented battle.

Taking advantage of the situation, Chramn deceived his brothers by announcing their father’s death, while Chlothar was fighting the Saxons.

Believing succession was open, Charibert and Guntram left the front and returned to Burgundy.

This episode shows that royal succession was already a major issue before Chlothar’s death.

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🗺️ A kingdom at the centre of the Frankish game

Charibert’s kingdom was organised around Paris, former capital of Merovingian kings and a symbol of Clovis’s heritage.

Charibert’s realm largely corresponded to the former domain of Childebert I.

It extended:

• from the Somme in the north
• to the Pyrenees in the south

It included:

• the Paris Basin
• much of Aquitaine
• some regions of Provence

This kingdom held a strategic position between other Frankish realms:

• Chilperic’s Neustria to the west
• Sigebert’s Austrasia to the east
• Guntram’s Burgundy to the southeast

It was considered one of the richest kingdoms of the Frankish world.

It had many royal fisc estates (lands and resources directly belonging to the king): forests, agricultural domains, mines, and urban revenues.

Its central position and wealth made it a powerful realm that was also relatively easy to defend.

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⚖️ Governing a rich kingdom

Despite prosperity, Charibert faced challenges.

In some southern regions, especially Aquitaine, local elites sought greater autonomy.

The king also had to manage taxation.

For example, he tried to restore a tax in Tours, which had been exempted in honour of Saint Martin.

But Bishop Eufronius of Tours ultimately secured the abolition of the tax.

👑 A king with a mixed reputation

Sources, especially Gregory of Tours, describe Charibert as a cultivated and capable king, but also as a ruler whose private behaviour was sometimes criticised.

Unlike his brothers, he seems less engaged in major military campaigns, focusing more on governing his kingdom.

However, his private life provoked scandals.

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📜 A cultivated king

Charibert’s reign also featured a certain court culture.

When Sigebert I married Brunhilda, a Visigothic princess, Charibert invited the poet Venantius Fortunatus to his court.

Fortunatus composed a praise of the king celebrating:

• his culture
• his command of Latin
• his sense of justice

He presented Charibert as the political heir of Childebert I and emphasised his ability to govern in peace.

He even compared the king to famous figures:

• Trajan for kindness
• Solomon for justice
• David for clemency

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⚖️ Marriages and conflict with the Church

Despite several marriages, Charibert did not produce a recognised male heir.

His first wife, Ingoberga, gave him children, but his only son died in infancy.

His other children were daughters.

The need for an heir pushed the king into successive unions, sometimes with women of modest origin or connected to the clergy.

These marriages caused strong tension with the Church.

Among his wives:

• Ingoberga, his first official wife
• Marcovefa, a nun
• Merofleda, Marcovefa’s sister

These unions, judged contrary to Church rules, led to conflict with bishops.

In 567, the Council of Tours recalled key rules:

• a nun cannot marry
• a man cannot marry a close relative of a previous wife

The king was ultimately excommunicated by Bishop Germain of Paris.

This episode shows the rising power of the Church in political affairs.

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⚖️ Coexistence and tensions among Frankish kings

Charibert reigned at the same time as his brothers:

• Sigebert I in Austrasia
• Guntram in Burgundy
• Chilperic I in Neustria

During his reign, relations among kingdoms remained relatively stable.

But rivalry between Sigebert and Chilperic was already intensifying.

Charibert’s kingdom, located between the two, was a strategic stake.

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☠️ 567: death and redistribution

Charibert died in 567, probably without a recognised male heir.

By Merovingian custom, his kingdom was divided among his surviving brothers:

• Sigebert
• Guntram
• Chilperic

This redistribution strengthened tensions.

Some cities became contested zones, helping prepare the great war soon to oppose Sigebert and Chilperic.

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👑 Charibert’s daughters

Although Charibert left no male heir, several daughters played important roles.

The most famous was Bertha, who later married Æthelberht, king of Kent in England.

Through this union, the Frankish princess indirectly contributed to the Christianisation of England by supporting the mission sent by Pope Gregory the Great.

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🧠 Key takeaways

• Charibert I ruled from 561 to 567 over a kingdom centred on Paris.
• His territory held a strategic position between Frankish kingdoms.
• His reign was marked by religious controversies linked to his marriages.
• At his death, his kingdom was divided among his brothers, strengthening dynastic rivalries.
• His daughter Bertha played an indirect role in the Christianisation of England.

Image credits

• The kingdom of the Franks in 561 — Romain0, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
• Portrait of Charibert I — Jean-Joseph Dassy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons