Theuderic III (654–691) was the king of
NeustriaThe territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
(including
BurgundyBurgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
) on two occasions (673 and 675–691) and king of
AustrasiaAustrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
from 679 to his death in 691. Thus, he was the king of all the
FranksThe Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
from 679. The son of
Clovis IIClovis II succeeded his father Dagobert I in 639 as King of Neustria and Burgundy. His brother Sigebert III had been King of Austrasia since 634. He was initially under the regency of his mother Nanthild until her death in her early thirties in 642...
and
BalthildSaint Balthild of Ascania , also called Bathilda, Baudour, or Bauthieult, was the wife and queen of Clovis II, king of Burgundy and Neustria . Two traditions, independent and conflicting, trace what Wilhelm Levison accounted "truly an extraordinary career for an English slave sold to the Continent"...
, he has been described as a
puppetA puppet ruler is a person who has a title indicating possession of political power, but who, in reality, is controlled by outside individuals or forces. Such outside power can be exercised by a foreign government, in which case the puppet ruler's domain is called a puppet state...
— a
roi fainéantRoi fainéant, literally "lazy king", is a French term primarily used to refer to the later kings of the Merovingian dynasty, after they seemed to have lost their initial energy...
— of
Mayor of the PalaceMayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries....
EbroinEbroin was the Frankish mayor of the palace of Neustria on two occasions; firstly from 658 to his deposition in 673 and secondly from 675 to his death in 680 or 681...
, who may have even appointed him without the support of the nobles. He succeeded his brother
Clotaire IIIChlothar III was the eldest son of Clovis II, king of Neustria and Burgundy, and his queen Balthild...
in Neustria in 673, but
Childeric IIChilderic II was the king of Austrasia from 662 and of Neustria and Burgundy from 673 until his death, making him sole King of the Franks for the final two years of his life. He was the second eldest son of Clovis II. His elder brother Chlothar III was briefly sole king from 661, but gave...
of Austrasia displaced him soon thereafter until he died in 675 and Theuderic retook his throne. When
Dagobert IIDagobert II was the king of Austrasia , the son of Sigebert III and Chimnechild of Burgundy. The Feast Date of St Dagobert II is 23 December -Biography:...
died in 679, he received Austrasia as well and became king of the whole Frankish realm.
He and the Neustrian
mayor of the palaceMayor of the Palace was an early medieval title and office, also called majordomo, from the Latin title maior domus , used most notably in the Frankish kingdoms in the 7th and 8th centuries....
,
WarattonWaratton, Waratto, or Warato was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy on two occasions, owing to the deposition he experienced at the hands of his own faithless son. His first term lasted from 680 or 681 to 682, when his son Gistemar deposed him and took over the office...
, made peace with Pepin of Heristal, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, in 681. However, on Waratton's death in 686, the new mayor,
BertharBerthar was the mayor of the palace of Neustria and Burgundy from 686 to 687. He was the successor of Waratton, whose daughter Anstrude he had married....
, made war with Austrasia and Pepin vanquished the Burgundo-Neustrian army under Berthar and Theuderic (a Neustrian) at the
Battle of TertryThe Battle of Tertry was an important engagement in Merovingian Gaul between the forces of Austrasia on one side and those of Neustria and Burgundy on the other. It took place in 687 at Tertry, Somme....
in 687, thus paving the way for Austrasian dominance of the Frankish state.
Marriage and issue
He married Clotilda, a daughter of
AnsegiselAnsegisel was the son of Saint Arnulf, bishop of Metz and his wife Saint Doda. He served King Sigbert III of Austrasia as a duke and domesticus...
and Saint
Begga of LandenSaint Begga was the daughter of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, and his wife Itta. On the death of her husband, she took the veil, founded seven churches, and built a convent at Andenne on the Meuse River where she spent the rest of her days as abbess...
.
They had the following children:
- Clovis IV
Clovis IV , son of Theuderic III, was the sole king of the Franks from 691 until his death. Although Clovis IV is called "King of the Franks", he was really a puppet—a roi fainéant—of his uncle Pepin II, mayor of the palace of Austrasia...
, king (682–695)
- Childebert III
Childebert III, called the Just , son of Theuderic III and Clotilda and sole king of the Franks , he was seemingly but a puppet of the mayor of the palace, Pepin of Heristal, though his placita show him making judicial decisions of his own will, even against the Arnulfing clan...
, king (683–711)
He married Amalberge (Saint Amalaberga) before 674, daughter of Wandregisis and Farahild. Possibly they had a daughter:
- Chrotlind, born about 670, who married Lambert, count of Hesbaye, parents of Robert of Hesbaye
Robert II, Rodbert or Chrodobert was a Frank, count of Worms and Rheingau and duke of Hesbaye around the year 800. His family is known as Robertians. His son was Robert III of Worms and his grandson was Robert the Strong. Robert of Hesbaye is the oldest known ancestor in the line of Robertians...
And possibly:
- Clovis III
Clovis III was the king of Austrasia from 675 to 676. Perhaps the son of Theuderic III or Clovis II, the Austrasian magnates who proclaimed him called him an illegitimate son of Clotaire III. They placed him on the throne in opposition to the young Dagobert II, the claimant of Wulfoald, the mayor...
, king of Austrasia (675–676)
- Clotaire IV
Chlothar IV , king of Austrasia , was installed by the mayor of the palace, Charles Martel, as an ally during the civil war that was then raging.In 717, Charles, returning to Neustria with an army to assault King Chilperic II and his mayor Ragenfrid, confirmed his...
, king of Austrasia (717–719)
- Bertrada of Prüm
Bertrada , also called Berthe or Bertree, and perhaps a Merovingian princess, is known to be the mother of Caribert of Laon, with whom she is co-founder and benefactor of the Prüm Abbey. They founded the abbey in 721....
(676–740)