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
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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
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Hucbert
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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 ...
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Nicholas I (pope)
References
Sources
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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