Childebert at The Louvre, Paris

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Childebert I, a Frankish king of the Merovingian dynasty, took control of Paris in 511 after the death of his father, King Clovis I. Born at Reims, he was one of four sons who shared their father's kingdom. Childebert received as his share the city of Paris and surrounding lands north to the Somme River, west to the English Channel, and south to the Armorican Peninsula. Chlodomer ruled Orléans, while Theuderic I controlled Metz and Clothar I governed Soissons. In 523, Childebert joined forces with his brothers in a war against Godomar of Burgundy. Tragedy struck in 524 when Chlodomer was killed in the Battle of Vézeronce. Chlothar conspired with Childebert to eliminate Chlodomer's sons, who would have inherited Orléans. A representative presented Queen Clotilda with a choice: shear her grandsons or kill them. She chose death over haircuts, and two boys were murdered while the third, Clodoald, escaped to a monastery. Childebert annexed Chartres and Orléans after the killings. He participated in several campaigns against Burgundy, besieging Autun in 532 and conquering the kingdom with Clothar and Theudebert I in 534. Childebert received Mâcon, Geneva, and Lyons as spoils of war. In 535, Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths, ceded Provence to the Franks, guaranteeing Arles and Marseille to Childebert. His brothers helped him complete the annexation in winter 536-537. Chrotilda, Childebert's sister, appealed for help when her husband Amalaric, king of Hispania, mistreated her. Childebert defeated Amalaric and forced his retreat to Barcelona, where he was assassinated. In 542, Childebert took Pamplona with Clotaire's assistance but failed to capture Zaragoza. He retrieved a precious relic, the tunic of Saint Vincent, from Pamplona and built the monastery of Sainte-Croix-et-Saint-Vincent in Paris. Childebert died on December 13, 558, and was buried in his founded abbey, where his tomb has been discovered. St-Germain-des-Prés became the royal necropolis for Neustrian kings until 675. Childebert left behind two daughters, Chrodoberge and Chrodesinde, with his wife Ultragotha.