Fredegund and Guntram: Regency Under Extreme Danger

In 584, Queen Fredegund’s situation was desperate. Her husband Chilperic had been assassinated, her other sons were dead, and her last child, Chlothar II, was only four months old.

Calling on Guntram

Fredegund took refuge in the cathedral of Paris and called for help from her brother-in-law Guntram, king of Burgundy. Although he had often been in conflict with Chilperic, Guntram accepted becoming protector of the child and his mother. He entered Paris and declared: “This child is my son.”

A necessary protectorate

Guntram acted as a supreme regent. He prevented Neustrian lords from rebelling and kept Austrasian armies at bay, which would have exploited the kingdom’s weakness. Without this protection, Chilperic’s line would likely have died out.

Fredegund’s death (597)

Fredegund died in 597 after thirteen years of fiercely defending her son’s inheritance. She left Chlothar II, then thirteen years old, a fragile but intact kingdom.