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From: William Marshall< >
Subject: Re: Kings of England
Date: 1 Jun 1998 07:58:09 -0700


> Where did this Reburga connection to Charlemagne's sister come from? This
> is
> not the first time I have heard it, but it seems very inapproriate? I have
> never found where this rumor started.

Moriarty, _Plantagenet Ancestry of King Edward III_, p16, lists Readburh as
sister of the Frankish King.

Weir, _Britain's Royal Families_, p4, "said to have been the sister of the
King of the Franks, who at that time was Charlemagne, but her identity
is uncertain."

Wagner, _Pedigree and Progress_, chart #29, "regis Francorum sororia"

Chris Bennett, posting to GEN-MEDIEVAL on Feb 15 1997, "There is no
contemporary source for Egbert's wife. The name 'Raedburh' comes from
a medieval manuscript quoted by W. G. Searle (Anglo-Saxon Bishops, Kings,
and Nobles, London 1899, p343) as "MS Trin Coll 0xf x". She is described
there as "regis Francorum sororia" which can only be a reference to
Charlemagne; however there is no such sister known. Since Egbert
was certainly in exile at Charlemagne's court, it is perfectly plausible
that he married his wife there. If the tradition has any value, then the
best guess is that she was probalby a sister-in-law, but she could just
as well have been a lady of the Court. Settipani (La prehistoire des
Capetiens, 308, n791) is willing to accept the name"

Weis, _Ancestral Roots_ 7th Ed, lists only her name, "Raedburh"

>
>Which well respected sources confirm the rest?:
>
>12. Egbert III, King of Wessex, 1st King of all England (c.775-04Feb839)
>=3D Redburga
>(possible sister of Charlemagne?)
>13. AEthelwulf, King of England (c.800-13Jan858) =3D Osburga (?-846)
>14. Alfred the Great, King of West Saxons (849-28Oct899) =3D Ealhswith of
>the Gaini
<snip>

ES II-78 starts with Egbert at top of chart; ES:II-77 gives male
ancestry of Egbert; nothing of "Redburga" other than the name.

A note at the end of Weis AR7 line#1 seems to suggest that this line
is contained in Complete Peerage, but I haven't found it there.

Another source for the early generations of Kings of Kent is
Wagner, _Pedigree and Progress_, chart #29. With many dotted lines,
the chart goes back to Hengest. Only discrepancy from what has
been posted is that he has Ethelbert I as grandson of Hengist (which
seems very unlikely on chronological grounds).

Bill Marshall

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