Emma of Austrasia facts for kids

Emma was a Frankish woman who lived around the early 600s. She was likely from the Merovingian dynasty, a powerful family of Frankish kings. Emma became the wife of Eadbald of Kent, a king in Anglo-Saxon England.

Emma's Family Background

Emma was thought to be the daughter of Theudebert II, a Frankish king who ruled a part of the Frankish kingdom called Austrasia from 595 to 612. Before Theudebert II, the Frankish kings hadn't shown much interest in the Kingdom of Kent in England.

However, in 601, a very important religious leader, Pope Gregory the Great, wrote to King Theudebert. He encouraged the king to support a Christian mission led by Paulinus and Mellitus. This mission aimed to spread Christianity in England and was based in Canterbury.

Marriage to King Eadbald

In 616, Eadbald became the King of Kent. His mother was likely Bertha, who was also a Merovingian princess from the Frankish kingdom. When Eadbald first became king, he followed the traditional Germanic religion.

Later, he converted to Christianity. Because of Christian rules, he had to end his first marriage. His first wife was his stepmother, which was not allowed by the Christian church. This change in Eadbald's life seemed to make the relationship between Kent and the Frankish kingdom much stronger.

Eadbald then married Emma, who was a Christian. Old records from St Augustine's Abbey say that Emma was the daughter of a Frankish king. This made people believe she was the daughter of King Theudebert II.

Who Was Emma's Father?

Some historians, like S. E. Kelly, believe there might be a mistake in the old records. They think people might have confused King Eadbald with Adaloald, who was a King of the Lombards.

Kelly suggests that Emma might have been the daughter of Erchinoald. He was a very important official, known as the "mayor of the palace," in another part of the Frankish kingdom called Neustria from 641 to 658. This means there's still some debate about exactly who Emma's father was.

Emma's Children and Death

Emma and King Eadbald had three children. Their names were Eormenred, Eorcenberht, and Eanswith. These children are mentioned in old stories about the Kentish royal family.

Emma died in 642, which was two years after her husband, King Eadbald. She was buried next to Eadbald in a church he had built. This church was called the Church of St Mary. It was located within the grounds of the monastery of St Peter and St Paul in Canterbury. This church was later made part of the larger St Augustine's Abbey.

Around the year 1087, Emma's remains, along with Eadbald's, were likely moved to a new burial place inside the south part of the church.