Charles the Bald

King of West Francia from 843 to 877 and Carolingian Emperor from 875 to 877

Source-basedStable

Lived 823–877, aged 54

PoliticiansHistorical Figure

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Wikipedia
78 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
823–877
Aged 54

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People connected to Charles the Bald

FatherLouis the Pious

MotherJudith of Bavaria

ChildLouis the Stammerer

SiblingLothair I

SiblingLouis the German

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

Carolingian royalty who carved out West Francia from the aftermath of his father's civil wars via the Treaty of Verdun. Spent three decades consolidating power across Western Europe before inheriting the imperial title in his final years.

Biography

About

Charles the Bald was king of West Francia (843–77), king of Italy (875–77) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–77). After a series of civil wars during the reign of his father, Louis the Pious, Charles succeeded, by the Treaty of Verdun (843), in acquiring the western third of the empire. He was a grandson of Charlemagne and the youngest son of Louis the Pious by his second wife, Judith.

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