Redburga
Encyclopedia
Redburga or Raedburh appears in a late medieval manuscript held by Oxford University as wife of king Egbert of Wessex
. She is described there as "regis Francorum sororia", which means "pertaining to the sister of the French king". This is somewhat vague and has been taken to mean sister of Charlemagne
, sister-in-law as the sister of his fourth wife, Luitgard
, or some more distant relationship. Her very existence has been questioned, she being found only in manuscript of a much later date, suggested to have been forged to link the early Kings of England to the great West Emperor.
Chronologically, it has been suggested that Charlemagne arranged Raedburh's marriage to Egbert in the year 800
. Egbert, who had been forced into exile at Charlemagne's court by Offa
, King of Mercia
, returned to England
in 802
, where he became King of Wessex
.
The uncertainty over Redburga has been further complicated by the existence of an Egbert at the Carolingian court, and attempts have been made to identify this continental nobleman with the exiled Wessex prince. That Egbert, who was duke of all Saxony
between the Rhine and the Weser, died in 811
. He was survived by his widow, who devoted her life to helping the poor and became known as "Saint Ida of Herzfeld", the patron saint of brides and widows. These identifications would make Redburga identical to Saint Ida. However, unless the Egbert reported in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
to have regained his throne in Wessex in 802 was, in fact, serving instead as a feudal supporter of Charlemagne
in Saxony
for many of the years following his return to Wessex, Saint Ida was not the Raedburh who married Egbert of Wessex. Given the irreconcilable differences in the dates of death given for these two Egberts, this solution is dismissed by most scholars.
Redburga would be mother of Æthelwulf, who later became King of Wessex. Her grandson is Alfred the Great
.
Egbert of Wessex
Egbert was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. His father was Ealhmund of Kent...
. She is described there as "regis Francorum sororia", which means "pertaining to the sister of the French king". This is somewhat vague and has been taken to mean sister of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
, sister-in-law as the sister of his fourth wife, Luitgard
Luitgard
Luitgard was the fourth and last wife of Charlemagne. She was the daughter of an Alamannian count and married Charlemagne around 794. Liutgard did not have any children with Charlemagne and died on June 4, 800 of unknown causes.-Notes:...
, or some more distant relationship. Her very existence has been questioned, she being found only in manuscript of a much later date, suggested to have been forged to link the early Kings of England to the great West Emperor.
Chronologically, it has been suggested that Charlemagne arranged Raedburh's marriage to Egbert in the year 800
800
Year 800 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. It was around this time that the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years, so from this time on, the years began being known as 800 and onwards.- Europe :* December 25 - Pope Leo III...
. Egbert, who had been forced into exile at Charlemagne's court by Offa
Offa
Offa may refer to:Two kings of the Angles, who are often confused:*Offa of Angel , on the continent*Offa of Mercia , in Great BritainA king of Essex:*Offa of Essex A town in Nigeria:* Offa, Nigeria...
, King of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
, returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 802
802
Year 802 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.-Europe:* October 31 – Irene is deposed as Empress of Byzantium, replaced by Nicephorus I, and banished to Lesbos....
, where he became King of Wessex
Wessex
The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom of the West Saxons, in South West England, from the 6th century, until the emergence of a united English state in the 10th century, under the Wessex dynasty. It was to be an earldom after Canute the Great's conquest...
.
The uncertainty over Redburga has been further complicated by the existence of an Egbert at the Carolingian court, and attempts have been made to identify this continental nobleman with the exiled Wessex prince. That Egbert, who was duke of all Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
between the Rhine and the Weser, died in 811
811
Year 811 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar.- Byzantine Empire :...
. He was survived by his widow, who devoted her life to helping the poor and became known as "Saint Ida of Herzfeld", the patron saint of brides and widows. These identifications would make Redburga identical to Saint Ida. However, unless the Egbert reported in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
to have regained his throne in Wessex in 802 was, in fact, serving instead as a feudal supporter of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
for many of the years following his return to Wessex, Saint Ida was not the Raedburh who married Egbert of Wessex. Given the irreconcilable differences in the dates of death given for these two Egberts, this solution is dismissed by most scholars.
Redburga would be mother of Æthelwulf, who later became King of Wessex. Her grandson is Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
.