HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Teutberga (also spelled Theutberga; died 875) was a Frankish noblewoman and queen consort of
Lothair II Lothair II (835 – 8 August 869) was a Carolingian king and ruler of northern parts of Middle Francia, that came to be known as Lotharingia, reigning there from 855 until his death in 869. He also ruled over Burgundy, holding from 855 just th ...
of
Lotharingia Lotharingia was a historical region and an early medieval polity that existed during the late Carolingian and early Ottonian era, from the middle of the 9th to the middle of the 10th century. It was established in 855 by the Treaty of Prüm, a ...
. A member of the Bosonid dynasty, she became the central figure in one of the most politically charged marriage disputes of the 9th century. Her struggle to maintain her marriage and royal status against Lothair's efforts to annul the union became a defining case in medieval Church authority over marriage and annulment.


Family background

Teutberga was the daughter of
Boso the Elder Boso the Elder (c. 800 – c. 855), also known as Boson the Elder, was a Frankish nobleman and the earliest known ancestor of the Bosonid dynasty, a prominent aristocratic family in the Carolingian Empire. He held the title of Count of Turin, and ...
, Count of Turin and Valois, and Engeltrude. Her brother was Hucbert, Count of Valois and lay abbot of Saint Maurice’s Abbey.Settipani, Christian. ''Les Ancêtres de Charlemagne'', 2nd ed., Éditions Christian, 2014, pp. 188–190. The Bosonid family held significant influence in Frankish politics, and Teutberga's marriage was likely arranged to reinforce alliances between noble houses and the royal Carolingian line.


Marriage to Lothair II

Around 855, Teutberga married
Lothair II Lothair II (835 – 8 August 869) was a Carolingian king and ruler of northern parts of Middle Francia, that came to be known as Lotharingia, reigning there from 855 until his death in 869. He also ruled over Burgundy, holding from 855 just th ...
, king of Lotharingia and grandson of
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
. The union was politically advantageous but personally strained. Lothair had a long-standing relationship with his concubine Waldrada, with whom he had children. By 857, Lothair sought to annul his marriage to Teutberga, citing alleged misconduct, including charges of incest and abortion—accusations most scholars interpret as politically motivated.Riché, Pierre. ''The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe'', University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993, p. 221.


Political and ecclesiastical conflict

Teutberga’s powerful brother Hucbert opposed Lothair’s efforts and led an armed revolt to support her. In 858, Teutberga underwent an ordeal by boiling water to prove her innocence, which she survived, strengthening her position.McKitterick, Rosamond. ''The Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians, 751–987''. Longman, 1983, pp. 132–133. Despite several synods attempting to annul the marriage, opposition from the Church intensified. In 863, Pope Nicholas I declared the annulment invalid and ordered Lothair to restore Teutberga as queen. Though Lothair temporarily complied, he continued to seek annulment until his death in 869.Nelson, Janet L. ''Charles the Bald''. Longman, 1992, pp. 148–149.


Later life and death

Following Lothair’s death, Teutberga retired to a convent. She died in 875, without issue. Though she never had children with Lothair, her resistance helped affirm the Church’s authority over marriage law in the Carolingian Empire.


Legacy

Teutberga's case became a precedent for debates on royal marriage and papal intervention. Her personal ordeal influenced ecclesiastical doctrine on the indissolubility of marriage and highlighted the political vulnerability of queens in the early medieval period.


See also

*
Lothair II Lothair II (835 – 8 August 869) was a Carolingian king and ruler of northern parts of Middle Francia, that came to be known as Lotharingia, reigning there from 855 until his death in 869. He also ruled over Burgundy, holding from 855 just th ...
* Bosonid dynasty * Hucbert *
Carolingian Empire The Carolingian Empire (800–887) was a Franks, Frankish-dominated empire in Western and Central Europe during the Early Middle Ages. It was ruled by the Carolingian dynasty, which had ruled as List of Frankish kings, kings of the Franks since ...
* Nicholas I (pope)


References


Sources

* * * * 875 deaths Bosonids Frankish queens consort Carolingian Empire


References


Bibliography

*
Baron Ernouf (1858) ''Histoire de Waldrade, de Lother II et de leurs descendants'' (Paris)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teutberga Bosonids Frankish queens consort Carolingian dynasty Lotharingian queens consort 875 deaths Year of birth unknown Women from the Carolingian Empire Repudiated queens 9th-century Lotharingian people 9th-century queens consort Escapees from monasteries