Louis V of France

Louis V
Coronation of Louis V the 14th-century Grandes chroniques de France
Reign	2 March 986 – 21 May 987
Coronation	June 979, Rheims
Predecessor	Lothair
Successor	Hugh Capet
Born	c. 967
Died	21 May 987 (aged 20)
Spouse	Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou
House	Carolingian
Father	Lothair of France
Mother	Emma of Italy

Louis V (c. 967 – 21 May 987) was the King of Western Francia from 986 until his premature death. He died childless and was the last monarch in the Carolingian line.

The son of King Lothair and his wife Emma, a daughter of Lothair II of Italy, Louis was born c. 966–67.^[1] Louis was crowned in June 978 but did not actually assume power until Lothair's death in 986.^[2] Louis V was the last Carolingian King of Western Francia and reigned in Laon from 2 March 986 until his own death, at the age of 20, in 987. It may be because he reigned for only one year that medieval biographers awarded him the title qui nihil fecit — "who did nothing".

He married Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou in 982 in Brioude, where they were immediately crowned King and Queen of Aquitaine.^[3] The couple was mismatched (Louis was fifteen years old and Adelaide was forty or more and on her third marriage) and they had no children together.^[4] In less than a year, the marriage had ended.^[4]

He inherited a battle between his father's line of elected kings (which had been interrupted twice by the Robertian kings and once by the Bosonid family), and the house of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. As defender of Rome, Otto had the power to name the clergy in Carolingian territory, and the clergy he had named were not supporting the Carolingians.

One particular foe was Adalberon, archbishop of Reims whom Otto I had elevated to the powerful archbishopric of Reims. During Lothair's time, Adalberon had tried to negotiate an alliance between the two houses; but the deal had gone bad, and Lothair had tried him for treason in 986. Lothair died at around the same time. Louis V inherited the throne; Lothair's widow, Emma, married a descendant of Otto I; and Louis V received Adalberon again.

Louis died on 21 May 987^[5] from a fall while hunting near the town of Senlis, Oise^[6] He had reopened the case against Adalbero of Reims for treason, but his accidental death ended the matter.^[7] He left no legitimate heirs, so his uncle Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, was nominated as the hereditary successor to the throne. But the clergy, including both Adalberon and Gerbert (who later became Pope Sylvester II), argued eloquently for Hugh Capet, who was not only of royal blood but had proven himself through his actions and his military might. Capet was elected to the Frankish throne and Adalberon crowned him, all within two months of Louis V's death. Thus the Carolingian dynasty ended and the Capetian began.

Ancestry

References

Further reading

• Gwatkin, H.M., Whitney, J.P. (ed) et al. The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III. Cambridge University Press, 1926.
• Funck-Brentano, Frantz. National History of France. New York : AMS Press, 1967.

Pippinids, Arnulfings, and Carolingians Legend: → ≡ "father of", * ≡ "brother of" Begga, the daughter of Pepin I, married Ansegisel, the son of Arnulf of Metz, and was the mother of Pepin II. Pippinids Carloman → Pepin I → Grimoald I → Childebert the Adopted Arnulfings Arnulf of Metz → Chlodulf of Metz Martin Ansegisel → Pepin II, his sons Drogo, sons Arnulf Hugh of Champagne Godfrey Pepin Grimoald I, son Theudoald Charles Martel, sons Carloman Pepin III Grifo Bernard Jerome Remigius Childebrand I, son Nibelung I → Nibelungids Early Carolingians Sons of Charles Martel Carloman, son Drogo Pepin III, sons Charlemagne, sons Pepin the Hunchback Charles the Younger Pepin Louis the Pious Lothair Drogo Hugh Theoderic Carloman, son Pepin Pepin Bernard, sons Wala Adalhard Bernhar Carolingian Empire Sons of Charlemagne Pepin, son Bernard → Pepin, Count of Vermandois → Counts of Vermandois Louis the Pious, sons Arnulf of Sens Lothair I, sons Louis II of Italy → Ermengard → Louis the Blind → Bosonids Lothair II → Hugh Charles Pepin I, son Pepin II Louis the German, sons Carloman → Arnulf → Louis the Child Ratold Zwentibold → Godfrey Otto Louis the Younger → Louis Hugh Charles the Fat → Bernard Ratold → Adalbert Charles the Bald, sons Louis the Stammerer → Louis III Carloman II Charles the Simple Charles the Child Carloman Lothair the Lame Drogo Pepin Charles West Francia West Francia was in the hands of the Robertians from 888 until 898. It was the last Carolingian kingdom. Charles the Simple, sons Louis IV Arnulf Drogo Rorico Louis IV, sons Lothair IV Charles Louis Charles of Lorraine Henry Lothair IV, sons Louis V Arnulf Charles of Lorraine, sons Otto Louis Charles

Carolingian Kings of France Pepin (751–768) Charlemagne (768–814) Carloman I (768–771) Louis the Pious (814–840) Charles the Bald (840–877) Louis the Stammerer (877–879) Louis III (879–882) Carloman II (879–884) Charles the Fat (884–888) Charles the Simple (898–922) Louis IV (936–954) Lothaire (954–986) Louis V (986–987)

French monarchs Detailed family tree Simplified family tree Merovingians Clovis I Childebert I Chlothar I Charibert I Guntram Chilperic I Sigebert I Childebert II Chlothar II Dagobert I Sigebert II Clovis II Chlothar III Childeric II Theuderic III Clovis IV Childebert III Dagobert III Chilperic II Chlothar IV Theuderic IV Childeric III Carolingians, Robertians & Bosonids Pepin the Short Carloman I Charlemagne (Charles I) Louis I Charles II Louis II Louis III Carloman II Charles the Fat OdoR Charles III Robert IR RudolphB Louis IV Lothair Louis V Capet Hugh Capet Robert II Henry I Philip I Louis VI Louis VII Philip II Louis VIII Louis IX Philip III Philip IV Louis X John I Philip V Charles IV Valois Philip VI John II Charles V Charles VI Charles VII Louis XI Charles VIII Louis XII Francis I Henry II Francis II Charles IX Henry III Bourbon Henry IV Louis XIII Louis XIV Louis XV Louis XVI Louis XVII Bonaparte (1st Empire) Napoleon I Napoleon II Bourbon (Restoration) Louis XVIII Charles X Louis XIX Henry V Orléans (July Monarchy) Louis Philippe I Bonaparte (2nd Empire) Napoleon III Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics