Rigunth (c. 569 A.D. – after 589 A.D.), also known as Rigundis, was a Frankish princess, daughter of the

Merovingian The Merovingian dynasty () was the ruling family of the Franks from around the middle of the 5th century until Pepin the Short in 751. They first appear as "Kings of the Franks" in the Roman army of northern Gaul. By 509 they had united all the ...

King

Chilperic I Chilperic I ( 539 – September 584) was the king of Neustria (or Soissons) from 561 to his death. He was one of the sons of the Franks, Frankish king Clotaire I and Queen Aregund. Life Immediately after the death of his father in 561, he ...

and Fredegund.

Biography

Rigunth was the eldest child and only recorded daughter of

and Queen Fredegund. About 583, she was betrothed to Recared, eldest son of Leovigild, King of the Visigoths. In September 584 she was sent to Spain in a convoy with a large treasure as dowry. During the journey King Chilperic died and the soldiers escorting the princess took everything they could steal and fled. At

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

, Duke Didier seized what was left. The princess was returned to her mother in 585. She took refuge with her mother and led a life viewed as debauched. She often quarreled with her mother who failed in an attempt to kill her in 589.Grégoire de Tours, ''Histoire des Francs'', livre IX, 34. Her date of death is unknown.

References

External links

Gregory of Tours, ''Historiae''
Merovingian dynasty 560s births Year of death unknown Frankish princesses 6th-century Frankish women 6th-century Frankish nobility Daughters of kings {{Europe-royal-stub

Biography

Further reading

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