Clotaire II

Clotaire II, d. 629, Frankish king, son of Chilperic I and Fredegunde. He succeeded (584) his father as king of Neustria, but his mother ruled for him until her death (597). In 613, after the death of his cousin Theodoric II, king of Austrasia, he was called in by Austrasian nobles to assume rule. He thus became king of all the Franks. He put Brunhilda to death, restored peace with the help of the nobility, and was compelled to grant (614) a charter giving far-reaching privileges to nobles and clergy. He was also forced to agree that each of the component parts of the Frankish lands, Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy, was to have its own mayor of the palace; the mayors of the palace were the chief royal administrators. In 623 he sent his son Dagobert I to be king of Austrasia. Dagobert later succeeded to all the Frankish lands.