Part III � The Capetian House
Capet is the name of a family to which, for nearly nine centuries, the kings of France belonged.
Generation 3. Robert The Strong, le fort, appears as rector of the abbey of Marmoutier in 852, and a priest in the court of King Charles the Bald in 853. Soon after he was among those who rebelled against Charles, and invited the king�s half-brother, Louis the German to invade West Francia. in 860, he came to terms with Charles, who made him Count of Anjou and Blois, and entrusted him with the defense of a district that suffered greatly from the ravages of the Normans and the Bretons. He was killed in battle in October 866, in Brissarthe, France, leaving 2 sons, both of whom became kings of the Franks. He May have been a Saxon, according to some historians.
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Generation 2. Robert I, of France, born in 865, did not claim the crown of France when his brother died, but recognized Charles III, the Simple, and continued to defend northern France from the attacks of the Normans, as Duke of the Franks. About 921, supported by many of the clergy and by some of the most powerful of the Frankish nobles, took up arms, drove Charles into Lorraine, and was himself crowned King of the Franks at Reims on 29 June 922. Charles gathered an army and marched against the usurper, and on 15 June 923 in a stubborn and sanguinary battle near Soissons, Robert was killed, according to one tradition, in single combat with his rival. He was married to Beatrice, and left 1 son.
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Generation 2. Hugh The Great, son of Robert I, Duke of Paris, and Beatrice, was one of the founders of the power of the Capetian house in France. He was content to be a king-maker, not a king, which at the time was a poorly paid occupation. The dukes and counts had great power and more wealth. Hugh�s first wife was Eadhild, daughter of King Edward the Elder of England. At the death of Raoul, duke of Burgundy, in 936, Hugh was in possession of nearly all the region between the Loire and Seine, ancient Newstria, except for the part given to the Normans.
He took a very active part in bringing Louis IV d�Outremer, from England in 936, but in the same year Hugh married Hadwig, daughter of 919-936, Ottoman ruler of Germany, sister of the emperor Otto the Great, and received the duchies of Burgundy, and of Aquitaine, which he was not successful in taking. He soon quarreled with Louis. Hugh even paid homage to Otto, and supported him in his struggle against Louis. When Louis fell into the hands of the Normans in 945, he was handed over to Hugh, who released him in 946 only on condition that he should surrender the fortress of Alone. At the council of ingleheim (948) Hugh was condemned, under pain of excommunication, to make reparation to Louis who had made an alliance with Otto. It was not, however, until 950 that the powerful Virginiassal became reconciled with his suzerain and restored Laon. But new difficulties arose, and peace was not finally concluded until 953.
On the death of Louis, Hugh was one of the first to recognize Lothair as his successor, and at the intervention of Queen Gerberga, was instrumental in having him crowned (956). In recognition of this service Hugh was invested by the new king with the duchies of Burgundy and Aquitaine. But his expedition in 955 to take possession of Aquitaine was unsuccessful. In the same year, however, Giselbert, duke of Burgundy, acknowledged himself his vassal and betrothed his daughter to Hugh�s son Otto. At Giselbert�s death 8 April 956, Hugh became effective master of the duchy, but died soon afterwards, on 17 June 956. Birth order of the children is a guess.
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Bibliography:
Encyclopedia Britannica