Louis IV of France facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Louis IV
A coin from the time of Louis IV, made in Chinon
King of West Francia
Reign	936–954
Coronation	936 in Laon
Predecessor	Rudolph
Successor	Lothair
Born	September 920 / September 921 Laon
Died	10 September 954 (aged 33-34) Reims
Burial	Saint-Remi Abbey, Reims, France
Spouse	Gerberga of Saxony
Issue Detail	Lothair, King of West Francia Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine Matilda, Queen of Burgundy
House	Carolingian
Father	Charles the Simple
Mother	Eadgifu of Wessex

Louis IV (born September 920 or 921 – died 10 September 954) was known as d'Outremer or Transmarinus. Both names mean "from overseas". He was the King of West Francia from 936 to 954. Louis was part of the Carolingian family. He was the only son of King Charles the Simple and his second wife, Eadgifu of Wessex. Eadgifu was the daughter of King Edward the Elder of Wessex. We know a lot about Louis's rule from old writings like the Annals of Flodoard.

Early Life and Exile

Louis was born in 920 or 921, in the heart of West Francia. His parents were King Charles III and Queen Eadgifu. He was related to both Charlemagne and King Alfred the Great. He also had six older half-sisters from his father's first marriage.

In 923, his father, King Charles the Simple, was defeated and captured. Louis's mother, Queen Eadgifu, took him to Wessex for safety. This is why he got the nickname d'Outremer (from overseas). He grew up at the Anglo-Saxon court, first with his grandfather King Edward, then with his uncle King Æthelstan. He loved hearing stories about Edmund the Martyr, a brave king who fought Vikings.

Louis became the main heir to the Carolingian family after his father died in 929. In 936, when he was 15, a powerful noble named Hugh the Great called him back to West Francia. Hugh wanted Louis to become king after King Rudolph had died.

Becoming King

In the spring of 936, Hugh the Great sent people to Wessex. They invited Louis to "come and take the head of the kingdom." His uncle, King Æthelstan, made them promise that all nobles would respect Louis. Then, Louis and his mother, Eadgifu, returned home.

When Louis landed at Boulogne, Hugh and other Frankish nobles greeted him. They showed their respect by kissing his hands. One story says that Hugh brought a royal horse for Louis. The horse was wild, but Louis, who was very agile, jumped onto it without stirrups and tamed it. Everyone watching was very impressed.

Louis and his group then traveled to Laon. This city was important to the Carolingian family. On Sunday, June 19, 936, Louis IV was crowned king. Archbishop Artald of Reims performed the ceremony.

The writer Flodoard wrote about the event:

During the crowning, Hugh the Great helped by carrying the King's weapons. Louis likely wore the crown and scepter of the previous king. He promised to respect the Church's rights. He might have also received a ring, a sword, and the staff of Saint Remigius.

Historians wonder why Hugh the Great, who was very powerful, chose Louis to be king. Hugh's own father had tried to be king and died. Hugh also had many rivals, like Hugh, Duke of Burgundy and Herbert II, Count of Vermandois. They might have fought against him if he tried to become king himself. Also, Hugh did not have a son to inherit his power. So, bringing back a Carolingian king like Louis seemed like a good idea.

Hugh the Great's Influence

When Louis IV arrived, he was 15 years old. He spoke Old English but not much Latin or Old French. He knew little about his new kingdom. Hugh the Great became his guardian. Hugh had already made deals with other strong nobles, like William Longsword of Normandy and Herbert II of Vermandois.

At first, Louis was like a puppet controlled by Hugh the Great. Hugh had been the real ruler since 923. Louis had very little land of his own. His main areas were around Compiègne, Laon, and Reims. Laon became the center of his small kingdom.

Hugh's power came from his special title, dux Francorum (Duke of the Franks). Louis IV confirmed this title several times. This meant Hugh was the most powerful man after the king. Royal papers from 936 even said that the Duke of the Franks "almost reigned over us."

Louis IV tried to gain more control in 937. He started to rely on people who were enemies of Hugh the Great. These included Archbishop Artald of Reims and William Longsword. He also got support from nobles like Alan II, Duke of Brittany. However, his power was still limited.

Early Challenges

Conflicts with Nobles

Louis IV hoped that rivalries among the nobles would help him become truly independent from Hugh the Great. In 937, Louis started to work with nobles who were against Hugh. These included Archbishop Artald of Reims and Hugh the Black. He also gained support from Alan II, Duke of Brittany.

Hugh the Great responded by working with Herbert II, Count of Vermandois. Herbert II had a tower in Laon. Louis seized this tower, but Herbert II then took control of Reims. The writer Flodoard said that Louis had to fight hard to take back the tower in Laon.

War in Lotharingia

Louis IV then tried to conquer Lotharingia, a land important to his family. In 939, Gilbert, Duke of Lorraine rebelled against King Otto I of East Francia. Gilbert offered his crown to Louis IV. Louis went to Verdun and nobles there showed him their loyalty.

However, Gilbert drowned while escaping Otto I's forces. Louis IV then married Gilbert's widow, Gerberga of Saxony, in late 939. Gerberga was Otto I's sister, and Louis married her without Otto's permission. This marriage did not stop Otto I. He allied with Hugh the Great and others, then invaded Lotharingia and attacked Reims.

Royal Power in Crisis

In 940, the invaders from East Francia took Reims. Archbishop Artald was removed, and Hugh of Vermandois, Herbert II's son, took his place. Flodoard wrote about the disloyalty of the nobles.

A girl from Reims, Flothilde, had visions. She said that saints were worried about the nobles' disloyalty to the King. People believed this, especially in Reims. They thought that peace came from loyalty to the King. Louis IV even promised Saint Remi a pound of silver each year to calm the saints' anger.

Hugh the Great and his nobles swore loyalty to Otto I. Otto then tried to capture Laon but failed. In 941, Louis IV's army was defeated. Louis was left with only Laon. Otto I then helped Louis and Hugh the Great make peace. Otto I became the main decision-maker in West Francia.

Events in Normandy

On December 17, 942, William Longsword, Duke of Normandy, was killed. On February 23, 943, Herbert II, Count of Vermandois, died naturally. Both had young heirs.

Louis IV took advantage of the problems in Normandy. He went to Rouen and received loyalty from some Norman nobles. He offered to protect William's young son, Richard I. Richard was held in Laon and then Château de Coucy. Louis also divided Herbert II's lands among his four sons to weaken their power.

In 943, Hugh the Great got back his title of ducatus Franciae (Duchy of France). This meant he controlled Burgundy again.

In the summer of 945, Louis IV went to Normandy. He was called by his loyal follower, Herluin. Herluin was attacked, and Louis escaped to Rouen but was captured by the Normans. They demanded that Queen Gerberga send her two sons, Lothair and Charles, as hostages. Gerberga sent only her youngest son, Charles, and a bishop instead of Lothair.

Louis IV was held captive, then handed over to Hugh the Great. Hugh kept him prisoner for several months. It is thought that Hugh ordered Louis's capture to stop him from trying to be independent. Finally, under pressure from other nobles and Kings Otto I and Edmund I of England, Hugh released Louis.

Hugh demanded that Louis give up Laon in return for his freedom. Louis's family had almost no land left. In June 946, a royal paper optimistically said it was the "eleventh year of the reign of Louis when he had recovered the Francia." This paper was the first to clearly name the Western Frankish kingdom.

Ottonian Influence

The actual size of West Francia and Carolingian controlled lands (in yellow) in the 10th century

Hugh the Great on Trial

King Otto I was not happy with Hugh the Great's growing power. In 946, Otto I and Conrad I of Burgundy attacked Laon and Senlis. They invaded Reims with a large army. Archbishop Hugh of Vermandois fled, and Artald was put back in charge. Louis IV then joined the fight against Hugh the Great.

In 947, Louis and Gerberga visited Otto I in Aachen. They asked him for help against Hugh the Great.

Between 947 and 948, Otto I held several church meetings (synods) to decide what to do about Reims and Hugh the Great. At the Synod of Ingelheim in June 948, Louis IV presented his complaints against Hugh. The meeting decided that Hugh had attacked and kidnapped Louis. They said Hugh would be removed from the Church unless he made things right.

But Hugh ignored this decision. He attacked Soissons and Reims and damaged many churches. His relative, Theobald I, Count of Blois, built a fort near Laon to make fun of the king. The Synod of Trier in September 948 decided to remove Theobald from the Church too.

Restoring Balance

Louis IV's reign was not all bad. In 949, he entered Laon. Hugh the Great ordered Theobald I of Blois to give up the fort he had built. Louis also got back the castle of Corbeny. He allowed Archbishop Artald to make coins in his city.

In 950, Louis IV and Hugh the Great finally made peace. After Hugh the Black died in 952, Hugh the Great took control of half of Burgundy. Louis IV, now allied with Arnulf I, Count of Flanders and Adalbert I, Count of Vermandois, ruled mainly north of the Loire river. He rewarded loyal nobles like Liétald II of Mâcon. Louis IV and his son Lothair were the last kings to travel south of the Loire for a long time.

In 951, Louis IV became very ill in Auvergne. He decided to make his eldest son, Lothair, who was ten years old, a co-king. Louis recovered thanks to his wife, Gerberga. She played a very important role during his reign. The royal couple had seven children, but only three lived past infancy: Lothair, Mathilde, and Charles.

During the 950s, Louis IV built several palaces in the towns he had regained. His main areas of control were around Compiègne, Laon, and Reims. Laon became the most important city. Louis spent most of his time in the palaces of Reims (21% of his time), Laon (15%), Compiègne, and Soissons.

In 951, Queen Eadgifu, Louis's mother, was living as an abbess in an abbey in Laon. Herbert III of Vermandois kidnapped her and married her. Louis was very angry. He took the abbey from his mother and gave it to his wife, Gerberga.

Death and Legacy

In the early 950s, Queen Gerberga became worried about the end of the world. She asked a scholar named Adso of Montier-en-Der for advice. Adso told her that the world would not end until the Kingdoms of France and Germany were gone. This reassured her that Louis could continue to rule.

In the late summer of 954, Louis IV was riding with his friends near Corbeny. He saw a wolf and tried to catch it. He fell from his horse and was badly hurt. He was taken to Reims but died from his injuries on September 10. Some people believed the wolf was a sign from God.

Flodoard wrote that Louis had taken Corbeny very harshly in 938, without respecting gifts made to monks. So, some thought God was punishing the King. It was said that Louis died from a disease called pesta elephantis (likely tuberculosis). Later, his son Lothair and grandson Louis V also died in ways that seemed like a curse.

Louis IV was buried at the Abbey of Saint-Remi. His wife, Gerberga, worked hard to make sure his memory was honored. She was very active during his reign, defending Laon and Reims, and joining him on military trips. She also helped him during his time in prison.

Gerberga wanted the Abbey of Saint-Remi to be the burial place for the Carolingian family. In 955, King Lothair confirmed that Saint-Remi would be a place for coronations and royal burials.

Louis IV's tomb was later destroyed during the French Revolution. Old descriptions show him sitting on a throne, with a beard and a special hat. His throne had a back like a roof and was decorated with figures of children or lions.

Children

Louis IV and Gerberga had seven children:

• Lothair (born late 941 – died March 2, 986), who became king after his father.
• Mathilde (born late 943 – died January 27, 992), who married King Conrad I of Burgundy in 964.
• Charles (born January 945 – died before 953 in Rouen). He might have been the son held hostage by the Normans in 945.
• A daughter (born 947 or early 948 – died young).
• Louis (born December 948 – died before September 10, 954).
• Charles (born summer 953 – died June 12, 991). He became Duke of Lower Lorraine in 977.
• Henry (born summer 953 – died shortly after his baptism). He was Charles's twin.

Succession

After Louis IV died, his wife Gerberga had to get Hugh the Great's approval for their son Lothair to be crowned. Lothair was crowned on November 12, 954, at the Abbey of Saint-Remi in Reims.

Hugh the Great ruled the kingdom for Lothair until he died in 956. Then, Gerberga's brother, Bruno the Great, who was Archbishop of Cologne, took over until 965. This showed the strong influence of the Ottonian family from Germany on France during this time.

Louis IV's youngest surviving son, Charles, later settled on an island in the Zenne river. He built a fort there, which became the city of Brussels.