Louis the Stammerer

Louis II the Stammerer
King of Western Francia
Louis the Stammerer at his coronation Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Reign	877–879
Titles	King of Aquitaine (867-877)
Born	November 1 846(846-11-01)
Died	April 10 879 (aged 32)
	Compiègne, France
Buried	Saint Denis Basilica, France
Predecessor	Charles II
Successor	Louis III and Carloman II
Consort	Ansgarde Adelaide of Paris
Issue	Louis III Carloman II Gisèle Hildegarde Ermentrude Charles III
Royal House	Carolingian
Father	Charles II
Mother	Ermentrude of Orléans

Carolingian Kings
of West Francia

Charles II the Bald Children    Louis the Stammerer    Charles the Child    Carloman Louis II the Stammerer Children    Louis III    Carloman    Charles the Simple Louis III Carloman Charles III the Simple Children    Louis d'Outremer Louis IV d'Outremer Children    Lothair    Charles Lothair Children    Louis the Indolent    Arnulf Louis V the Indolent Followed by House of Capet

Louis the Stammerer (November 1, 846 — April 10, 879; French: Louis le Bègue), was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. He succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in France in 877, though he was never crowned Emperor. Twice married, he and his first wife, Ansgarde of Burgundy, had two sons: Louis (born in 863) and Carloman (born in 866), both of whom became kings of France, and two daughters: Hildegarde (born in 864) and Gisela (865–884), who married Robert, Count of Troyes. With his second wife, Adelaide of Paris, he had one daughter, Ermentrude (875–914) — who was the mother of Cunigunde, wife of the Count Palatine Wigerich of Bidgau; they were the ancestors of the House of Luxemburg —, and a posthumous son, Charles the Simple, who would become, long after his elder brothers' deaths, king of France. He was crowned on 8 December 877 by Hincmar, archbishop of Rheims, and was crowned a second time in September 878 by Pope John VIII at Troyes while the pope was attending a council there. The pope may even have offered the imperial crown, but it was declined. Louis the Stammerer was said to be physically weak and outlived his father by only two years. He had relatively little impact on politics. He was described "a simple and sweet man, a lover of peace, justice, and religion". In 878, he gave the counties of Barcelona, Gerona, and Besalú to Wilfred the Hairy. His final act was to march against the Vikings who were then the scourge of Europe. He fell ill and died on 10 April or 9 April 879 not long after beginning his final campaign. On his death, his realms were divided between his two sons, Carloman and Louis.

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.