'''ADELAIS de Troyes''' ([950/55]-after 991). The Historia Francorum Senonensis refers to the wife of "Karolus" as "filiam Herberti comitisTrecarum"[1851]. Assuming the birth of the couple's eldest son in 970, this could not refer to Héribert, son of Robert, whose birth is dated to [950]. It is also unlikely to have been Héribert II Comte de Vermandois, father of Robert, who was not Comte de Troyes. Settipani suggests[1852] that the Historia must be in error and that her father was Robert Comte de Troyes. This would not be the only error in this source, as the Historia also refers to "Karolus, frater eius [=Hludovicus],filius Hlotharii regis" when recording his "succession" in 987[1853].The Chronico Richardi Pictavensis also names "Carolus uxore sua…filiaHerberti Comitis Trecarum"[1854], presumably based on the same sourceas the Historia. Her name is recorded by Richer, who states that "Karolum…cum uxore Adelaide et filio Ludovico, et filiabus duabus, quarumaltera Gerberga, altera Adelaidis dicebatur, necnon et Arnulfo nepote" were imprisoned by Hugues "Capet" King of France[1855]. Orderic Vitalis links to the two sets of references by recording that Charles wasimprisoned with his wife who was the daughter of Heribert Comte de Troyes[1856]. An interesting twist to this apparently straight-forward explanation is provided by another passage in Richer which refers disparagingly to Charles's marriage to "uxorem de militari ordine sibi imparem"[1857]. It is difficult to imagine this description being appropriate to the Vermandois/Carolingian origin of Charles's known wife. Ferdinand Lot therefore proposed that the text means that Charles was married twice[1858]. If such a second marriage did take place, it must have occurred at the height of the dispute between Charles and his brother King Lothar around [975]. At that time Charles was challenging his brother's authority to rule, and it is difficult to imagine that he would weaken his own position by contracting an unequal marriage. The comment by Richer could presumably be explained by his personal dislike of the Vermandois family. m ([970]) CHARLES de France, son of LOUIS IV "d'Outremer" King of theFranks & his wife Gerberga von Sachsen (Laon summer 953-in prison Orléans after 991, bur 1001 Maastricht, St Servatius). He was invested asDuke of Lower Lotharingia by Emperor Otto II in May 977.]
Thomas Von Ryssel
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