Adelaide of Aquitaine


Adbelahide, Adele, or Adelaide of Aquitaine, was queen consort of France by marriage to Hugh Capet. Adelaide and Hugh were the founders of the Capetian dynasty of France, and Adelaide had some extent of influence over her husband's governance of France.

Life

Adelaide was the daughter of William III, Duke of Aquitaine and Adele of Normandy, daughter of Rollo of Normandy. Her father used her as security for a truce with Hugh Capet, whom she married in 969.
In 987, after the death of Louis V, the last Carolingian king of France, Hugh was elected the new king with Adelaide as queen. The couple were proclaimed as the new monarchs at Senlis and blessed at Noyon. As such, they had become the founders of the Capetian dynasty of France. Apparently, Hugh trusted in Adelaide's judgement and allowed her to take part in government. He asked her to negotiate on his behalf with the regent of the Holy Roman Empire, Empress Theophanu, committing himself beforehand to any agreement they reached.
Adelaide's son, Robert, came into conflict in the late 990s with Gerbert, the Archbishop of Reims. Gerbert took refuge with Otto III, Theophanu's son and the new Holy Roman Emperor, and Adelaide attempted to recall the former to Reims, but Gerbert resisted this command in a letter dated to the spring of 997.

Issue

Adelaide and Hugh had at least three children that lived to adulthood:
A number of other daughters are less reliably attested.