Fredegund was born into a low-ranking family but gained power through her association with King Chilperic. Originally a servant of Chilperic's … See more

Upon the death of Chilperic I in 584, Fredegund became regent during the minority of her infant son Chlothar II. She took sanctuary in the … See more

Fredegund died of natural causes on 8 December 597 in Paris. The tomb of Frédégonde is a mosaic figure of marble and copper, situated in the Saint Denis Basilica, having come from the abbey church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Fredegund did not … See more

With Chilperic I, she had five sons and one daughter, Rigunth (* around 570; † after 585). The four oldest sons were Chlodobert (* 565, † 580), Samson (* 575, † 577), Dagobert († 580) and Theuderic (* 582, † 584), who all died at a young age. See more

Reputation
Fredegund traditionally has had a negative reputation. According to Gregory of Tours, it is understood that as queen, Fredegund involved herself in court intrigue and was responsible for numerous assassination plots on political … See more

• List of Frankish queens
• Merovingian dynasty See more

• Gregory of Tours. A History of the Franks. Translated by Lewis Thorpe. London: Penguin Books, 1974.
• Dailey, E.T. Queens, Consorts, Concubines: Gregory of Tours and Women of the Merovingian Elite. Boston: Brill Academic Publishers, 2015. See more