Adelaide of Aquitaine

Adbelahide, Adele, or Adelaide of Aquitaine (also known as Adelaide of Poitiers; c. 945 or 952 – 1004),[1] was queen consort of France by marriage to Hugh Capet. Adelaide and Hugh were the founders of the Capetian dynasty of France, and Adelaide had some extent of influence over her husband's governance of France.

Adelaide of Aquitaine
Queen consort of the Franks
Tenure987–996
Bornc. 945/952
Died1004
SpouseHugh Capet
(m. 969; died 996)
IssueHedwig, Countess of Mons
Robert II of France
Gisèle, Countess of Ponthieu
HousePoitiers
FatherWilliam III of Aquitaine
MotherAdele of Normandy

Life

Adelaide was the daughter of William III, Duke of Aquitaine and Adele of Normandy, daughter of Rollo of Normandy. Her father used her as security for a truce with Hugh Capet, whom she married in 969.[2]

In 987, after the death of Louis V, the last Carolingian king of France, Hugh was elected the new king with Adelaide as queen. The couple were proclaimed as the new monarchs at Senlis and blessed at Noyon. As such, they had become the founders of the Capetian dynasty of France.[1] Apparently, Hugh trusted in Adelaide's judgement and allowed her to take part in government. He asked her to negotiate on his behalf with the regent of the Holy Roman Empire, Empress Theophanu, committing himself beforehand to any agreement they reached.[1]

Adelaide's son, Robert, came into conflict in the late 990s with Gerbert, the Archbishop of Reims. Gerbert took refuge with Otto III, Theophanu's son and the new Holy Roman Emperor, and Adelaide attempted to recall the former to Reims, but Gerbert resisted this command in a letter dated to the spring of 997.[3]

Issue

Adelaide and Hugh had at least three children that lived to adulthood:

  • Hedwig, Countess of Mons (or Hadevide, or Avoise) (c. 969–after 1013), wife of Reginar IV, Count of Mons
  • Robert II (972–1031), the future king of France. Crowned co-king in 987, in order to consolidate the new dynasty.
  • Gisèle, Countess of Ponthieu (c. 970–1002), wife of Hugh I, Count of Ponthieu

A number of other daughters are less reliably attested.

gollark: But it says you need to verify it.
gollark: ***weird odditude***
gollark: The mystery grows ever more mysterious with each gügling.
gollark: I'm fairly sure BT is quite bad as well for this sort of thing.
gollark: Mysterious...

References
  1. "Women's Biography: Adelaide of Aquitaine, queen of the Franks". Epistolae: Medieval Women's Latin Letters. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  2. "Adelaide of Aquitaine (wife of Hugh Capet, King of France)". RoyaList Online. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2011.
  3. "A letter from Gerbert of Aurillac, archbishop of Reims (spring 997) | Epistolae". epistolae.ctl.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
French royalty
Preceded by
Emma of Italy		 Queen consort of the Franks
987–996		 Succeeded by
Rozala of Lombardy
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