Teutberga

Teutberga
Queen consort of Lotharingia
Tenure	855–869
Died	11 November 875
Spouse	Lothair II
House	Bosonids
Father	Boso the Elder
Mother	Engeltrude

Teutberga(died 11 November 875) was a queen of Lotharingia by marriage toLothair II.She was a daughter ofBosonidBoso the Elderand sister ofHucbert,the lay-abbot ofSt. Maurice's Abbey.

Life

For political reasons, to forge ties of kinship with theCarolingian dynasty,the imperial family ofFrancia,in 855 she was married to the CarolingianLothair II,the second son of EmperorLothair I.It is very probably that Lothar II, at the time of marriage, already had a mistress namedWaldrada,who, according to historian Baron Ernouf, was of noble Gallo-Roman family,whose brother,Thietgaud,was thebishop of Trierand her uncle,Ghunter,wasarchbishop of Cologne,while, according to theAnnales Novienses,she was the sister of Ghunter.According to theVita Sancti Deicoli,Waldrada was related to Eberhard II, Count ofNordgau(includedStrasbourg) family ofEtichonids.

Queen

Soon after their marriage, Lothair's father died and Lothair II inheritedMiddle Francianterritory west of theRhinestretching from theNorth Seato theJura mountains.Teutberga was allegedly not capable of bearing children and Lothair's reign was chiefly occupied by his efforts to obtain an annulment of their marriage, prompted also by his affection for Waldrada. His relations with his unclesCharles the BaldandLouis the Germanwere influenced by his desire to obtain their support for this endeavor. Although quarrels and reconciliations between the three kings followed each other in quick succession, generally Louis favoured annulment, and Charles opposed it, while neither lost sight of the fact that Lothair had no legitimate sons to inherit his lands.

Separation

In 857 Lothair imprisoned Teutberga accusing her of incest with her brother Hucbert before their marriage. A church synod of all the bishops of Lotharingia held at the behest of Lothair II concerning his accusations was presided over by archbishops Ghunter and Thietgaud, both Waldrada's relations.But Hucbert took up arms on her behalf, and after she had submitted successfully to theordeal of boiling water,Lothair was compelled to restore her in 858.

Still pursuing his purpose, Lothair won the support of his brother, EmperorLouis II,by a cession of lands and obtained the consent of the local clergy to the annulment and to his marriage with Waldrada, which took place in 862. AsynodofFrankishbishopsmet at Metz in 863and confirmed this decision. Teutberga escaped and took refuge in the court ofCharles the Bald.She appealed toPope Nicholas Iwho voided the decision of the synod and Lothair's marriage to Waldrada. An attack onRomeby the emperor was without result, and in 865 Lothair was threatened withexcommunicationand was convinced that Louis and Charles at their recent meeting had discussed the partition of his kingdom. Lothair accepted the pope's ruling and again took Teutberga back.

Later life

Teutberga, however, either from inclination or compulsion, now expressed her desire for an annulment, and Lothair went to Italy to obtain the assent of the new pope,Adrian II.Placing a favourable interpretation upon the words of the pope, he set out on the return journey, when he was seized with fever and died atPiacenzaon 8 August 869. Teutberga then retired to the abbey of St. Glossinde ofMetzuntil her death on 11 November 875.

The illegitimate status of Lothair II's only son, Hugo, by Waldrada, was not rectified before Lothair's death, and Lothair's kingdom was divided between his unclesCharles the BaldandLouis the Germanby theTreaty of Meerssen.

Bibliography

• (in French)Baron Ernouf (1858)Histoire de Waldrade, de Lother II et de leurs descendants(Paris).