Judith of Bavaria

Who was Judith of Bavaria?

Queen Judith, also known as Judith of Bavaria, was the daughter of Count Welf and Saxon noblewoman, Hedwig, Duchess of Bavaria. She was the second wife of King Louis the Pious, which garnered her the title of Empress of the Franks. Indeed, this marriage to Louis marks the beginning of her rise as an influential figure in the Carolingian court. She had two children with Louis, a daughter named Gisela and a son named Charles, more famously known as Charles the Bald. The birth of her son led to a major dispute in imperial succession, which led to tensions between her and Charles' half-brothers from Louis' first marriage. She would eventually fall from grace when Charles' wife, the new empress Ermentrude of Orléans, rose to power. She was buried in 843 in Tours.