Robert fell in the fight, but Charles was put to the rout, and attempted in vain to win back a section of the insurgents to his side. The Duke of Burgundy, Raoul (Radulf), son-in-law of King Robert, and, next to the Marquess of Neustria, one of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom, was crowned king on Sunday, 13 July 923, at the Church of St Médard at Soissons by the same Archbishop Walter of Sens who had already officiated at the coronations of Odo and of Robert[1].
Charles's position was most serious. Still it was far from being desperate; besides the kingdom of Lorraine which still held to him, he could count upon the fidelity of Duke Rollo's Normans and of the Aquitanians. He completed his own ruin by falling into the trap set for him by King Raoul's brother-in-law, Herbert, Count of Vermandois. The latter gave him to understand that he had left the Carolingian party against his will, but that an opportunity now offered to repair his fault and that Charles should join him as quickly as possible with only a small escort so as to avoid arousing suspicion. His envoys vouched on oath for his good faith. Charles went unsuspiciously to the place of meeting and was made prisoner, being immured first in the fortress of Château-Thierry, then in that of Péronne.
But the agreement between the new king and the nobles did not last long. Herbert of Vermandois, who in making Charles prisoner seems to have mainly intended to supply himself with a weapon which could be used against Raoul, began by laying hands on the archbishopric of Rheims, causing his little son Hugh, aged five, to be elected successor to Seulf (925); he then attempted to secure the county of Laon for another of his sons, Odo (927). As Raoul protested, he took Charles from his prison and caused William Longsword, son of Rollo, Duke of Normandy, to do him homage; then to keep up the odious farce, he brought the Carolingian to Rheims, whence he vigorously pressed his prisoner's claims upon the Pope. Finally, in 928, he got possession of Laon.
1 For the sake of clearness in the narrative we give here the genealogy of the descendants of Robert the Strong, down to Hugh Capet:
Odo Marquess of Neustría King of France 888-898 Hugh the Great Duke of the Frauks d. 956 ¹ Hugh Capet Duke of the Franks King of France 987-996 Robert the Strong Marquess of Neustria d. 866 1 CH. 1V. Emma 75 Robert Marquess of Neustria King of France 922-923 1. 27 dau. Herbert II Raoul Duke of Burgundy King of France 923-930 Otto Duke of Burgundy 960-965 1 Ct. of Vermandgis Odo (surnamed Henry) a priest, then Duke of Burgundy 965-1002
- ↑ ¹
