Richilde of Provence facts for kids
Richilde of Provence was an important queen and empress in the early Middle Ages. She was born around 845 and passed away on June 2, 910, in a place called the Kingdom of Lower Burgundy. Richilde became the second wife of a powerful ruler named Charles the Bald, who was the Frankish emperor. Because she married him, she became a queen and later an empress. She even ruled the kingdom for a time in 877.
Richilde's Family and Marriage
Richilde came from a very important family. Her father was Bivin of Gorze, who was a count. She was also the sister of Boso of Provence, who later became a king. Her aunt, Theutberga, was also a queen.
Richilde married Emperor Charles the Bald in 870. This happened after his first wife passed away. Charles wanted to marry Richilde because her family was powerful. This marriage helped him keep control of a region called Lotharingia. Richilde and Charles had five children together. However, only their oldest daughter, Rothilde, lived to be an adult.
Richilde as a Ruler
Richilde was a very capable leader. Whenever Emperor Charles the Bald went away to war, Richilde would manage the kingdom. She took care of important matters while he was gone.
After Charles the Bald died in 877, Richilde became the regent. This meant she ruled the kingdom because the next ruler was not ready.
Later Life and Challenges
Charles the Bald's son, Louis the Stammerer, passed away in 879. His own children were too young to rule. Richilde then had a plan to make her brother, Boso, the new king. However, the powerful lords of the kingdom did not want to be ruled by her. So, she helped her brother Boso become the king of Provence instead.
Richilde tried to take on a leadership role again when other kings, Louis III and Carloman II, died in 882 and 884. But the empire was facing many problems. There were threats from the Normans, who were invaders. The important leaders of the kingdom made her go to Provence. This was the kingdom of her nephew, Louis the Blind. Richilde lived there until she passed away on June 2, 910.
See also
In Spanish: Riquilda de Provenza para niños
