Historical Figures

Fredegonda(545 - 597)

First a servant of Chilpéric's wife, she seduces him with her beauty, but after having repudiated his wife , Chilpéric married Galswinthe (daughter of the Visigoth king). Frédégonde stops at nothing to accede to the throne, she convinces Chilpéric to assassinate Galswinthe and thus becomes queen of Neustria. Cruel and bloodthirsty, she maintained the war against Austrasia, she had their king Sigebert I assassinated. She goes so far as to assassinate the sons of Chilperic to see her descendants in Neustria. It is possible that it was she who had her husband killed. She puts herself under the protection of Gontran then has Childebert poisoned. Maintaining a famous fight with Brunehaut, Frédégonde died in 597 at the age of 54.