Mayors of the Palace

The mayors of the palace were like a manager of the household of the Merovingian kings during the sixth and up to the eighth century AD. During this time they raised so much in power at some points that really the mayor ruled and the king was but a puppet and a title. This happened so much so that Pepin the Short managed to deposed the current king in Austrasia and be crowned in his place.

Below is a list of the different mayors for each of the Frankish kingdoms that used the title.

Mayors of the Palace of Austrasia

• Parthemius – until 548
• Gogo – c.567-581, during the minority of Childebert II
• Wandalenus – from 581, during the minority of Childebert II
• Gundulf – from 600, under Theudebert II
• Landric – until 612, probably also in Neustria
• Warnachar – 612-617, also in Burgundy
• Hugh – 617-623, successor of Warnachar
• Pepin the Elder – 623-629 under Dagobert I
• Adalgisel – 633-639
• Pepin the Eder – 639-640
• Otto – 640-642/3
• Grimoald I – 642/3-645, died 662
• Wulfoald – 656-680, also in Neustria 673-675
• Pepin the Middle – 680-714, took the title Duke and Prince of the Franks (dux et princeps Francorum) after his conquest of Neustria in 687.
• Theudoald – 714-715, also in Neustria. Illegitimate son of Grimoald II, designated heir of his grandfather Pepin, opposed by the nobility who acclaimed Charles Martel.
• Charles Martel – 715-741, illegitimate son of Pepin the Middle, also in Neustria 718-741
• Carloman – 741-747, died in 754 or 755
• Drogo – 747-751, son of Carloman

The statue of Charles Martel at the Palace of Versailles

 

Mayors of the Palace of Neustria

• Landric – under Clotaire II possibly also in Austrasia
• Gundoland – 613/16-639
• Aega – 639-641, also in Burgundy
• Erchinoald – 641-658
• Ebroin – 658-673, deposed
• Wulfoald – 673-675, also in Austrasia 656-680
• Leudesius – 675, chosen after previous then deposed
• Ebroin – 675-658
• Waratton – 680-681/82 deposed by his son Gistemar
• Gistemar – 682, son of previous , died 683-84
• Waratton – 682-684/86
• Berthar – 686-688/89, son-in-law of the previous, lost the Battle of Terty to Pepin the Middle in 687, then murdered in either 688 or 689
• Grimoald II – 695-714, son of Pepin the Middle
• Theudoald – 714-715, also in Austrasia. Illegitimate son of Grimoald II, driven out of Neustria by the nobility, surrendered claim in 716.
• Ragenfrid – 715-718, took power in Neustria in 714 or 715, but defeated by Charles Martel in 717 and definitively in 718 and fled, died 731.
• Charles Martel – 718-741, illegitimate son of Pepin the Middle, also in Austrasia 715-741
• Pepin the Younger 741/42-751, became king of the Franks in 751, died 768.

A statue of Pepin the Younger in Wurzburg

Mayors of the Palace of Burgundy

• Warmachar – 596-599
• Berthoald – before 603-604
• Protadius – 605-606
• Claudius
• Rado – 613-617
• Warmachar II – 617-626, also in Austrasia
• Godinus – 626-627
• Brodulf – 627-628
• Aega – 639-641, also in Neustria
• Flaochad – 642
• Radobertus – 642-662

After this the office was united with Neustria. Burgundy though remained a separate kingdom under the King of Neustria and Burgundy.

The administration of Burgundy did separate briefly under;

• Drogo – 695-708, son of Pepin the Middle, also duke of Champagne from 690 and duke of Burgundy from Nordebert’s death in 697