Louis IV of France

Louis IV
A denier from the reign of Louis IV, minted at Chinon
King of West Francia
Reign936–954
Coronation936 in Laon
PredecessorRudolph
SuccessorLothair
Born920 / 921
Laon
Died10 September 954 (aged 33–34)
Reims
Burial
SpouseGerberga of Saxony
Issue
Detail
HouseCarolingian
FatherCharles the Simple
MotherEadgifu of Wessex

Louis IV (920/921[1] – 10 September 954[2]), called d'Outremer or Transmarinus ("From overseas"), reigned as King of West Francia from 936 to 954. A member of the Carolingian dynasty, he was the only son of king Charles the Simple and his second wife Eadgifu of Wessex, daughter of King Edward the Elder of Wessex.[3] His reign is mostly known thanks to the Annals of Flodoard and the later Historiae of Richerus.

  1. ^ The precise date of birth of Louis IV is unknown. The Annals of Flodoard indicate that he was fifteen in 936 and that he was born in the region of Laon-Reims.
  2. ^ Anselm de Gibours (1726). Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la maison royale de France [Genealogical and chronological history of the royal house of France] (in French). Vol. 1 (3rd ed.). Paris: La compagnie des libraires. p. 36.
  3. ^ Donald A. Bullough, Carolingian Renewal: Sources and Heritage, (Manchester University Press, 1991), 286