Judith of Bavaria (805–843)

Queen Judith (or Iudit) (805 – 19 or 23 April 843), also known as Judith of Bavaria, was the daughter of Count Welf and a Saxon noblewoman named Hedwig, Duchess of Bavaria (780–826). She became Queen consort of the Franks.

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Marriage and issue

She became the second wife of Louis the Pious, Holy Roman Emperor and King of the Franks; they married in Aachen in 819 and had the following children:

Impact on the Frankish kingdom

Judith ensured that her son Charles received a share of the kingdom, just like his three half-brothers from Louis' first marriage. This contributed to the ensuing civil war among Louis and his sons. Rebels temporarily imprisoned Judith in the convent of Poitiers on allegations of adultery during 830. From 833 to 834, she was exiled in Tortona.

Judith was the first member of the Elder House of Welf to have a leading role in the Frankish kingdom. Whether by coincidence or through Judith's influence, in the years following her marriage to Louis her mother and both of her brothers gained important offices in the kingdom. Her sister Hemma married Louis the German, a son of Louis the Pious from his first marriage, in 827. Judith was buried at the basilica of St. Martin in Tours.

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Preceded by
Ermengarde of Hesbaye
Empress of the Holy Roman Empire
819–840
Succeeded by
Ermengard of Tours
also Queen in Middle Francia
Queen of the Franks
819–840
Succeeded by
Emma of Altdorf in East Francia and
Ermentrude of Orléans in West Francia