Pepin of Landen

Born around 580, Pepin of Landen rose to become Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, serving under King Dagobert I from 623 to 629. The role placed him at the center of Frankish governance during a period when the Merovingian dynasty's grip had begun to slip. A decade after his first term ended, he returned to the post in 639, this time serving the young Sigebert III. He died in office on 21 February 640, having spent his final years managing a kingdom from a title that would, in the hands of his descendants, eclipse the throne itself.