Arnulf (archbishop of Reims)

Arnulf (also Arnulph or Arnoul) was the illegitimate son of King Lothair of France. He became archbishop of Reims.

Arnulf belonged to the Carolingian dynasty, the rule of which in France ended when Arnulf's half-brother, Louis V, died childless. Hugh Capet was elected to succeed him as king. King Hugh made Arnulf archbishop of Reims in March 989, against the will of the previous archbishop, Adalberon, who had wanted to be succeeded by Gerbert of Aurillac. In September, Arnulf supported an attempt to place his uncle Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, on the French throne. Charles briefly held Rheims and Laon. In 990, Arnulf refused to attend a synod at Senlis and he and Charles were imprisoned on 29 March.

In June 991 Archbishop Seguin of Sens presided over a Council of Reims in the Basilica of Saint Basle, which deposed Arnulf for alleged high treason, in favour of Gerbert. This deposition was much opposed, however. Pope John XV sent Leo, abbot of Saints Boniface and Alexius at Rome, as legate to preside over a synod at Mouzon on 2 June 995. Gerbert was suspended from the episcopum. A second synod, held on 1 July, declared the whole process of deposition and elevation to be illegal and invalid. Thus, Arnulf was reinstated.

Arnulf crowned Hugh Magnus, the son of Hugh Capet's successor, Robert II, as co-king in the Capetian tradition in 1017. At this time, any resistance to the new dynasty had died in him. He held the see until his death in 1021, then the only direct male line descendant of the Carolingian family in the eldest living branch.

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Pippinids, Arnulfings and Carolingians

• Legend: → ≡ "father of",
• * ≡ "brother of"

Begga, the daughter of Pepin I, married Ansegisel, the son of Arnulf of Metz, and was the mother of Pepin II.

Pippinids

• Carloman → Pepin I → Grimoald I → Childebert the Adopted

Arnulfings

Arnulf of Metz → Chlodulf of Metz Ansegisel → Pepin II, his sons
Drogo, sons	Arnulf Hugh of Champagne Godfrey Pepin
Grimoald I, son	Theudoald
Charles Martel, sons	Carloman Pepin III Grifo Bernard Jerome Remigius
Childebrand I, son	Nibelung I → Nibelungids

Early
Carolingians

Sons of Charles Martel
Carloman, son	Drogo
Pepin III, sons	Charlemagne, sons Pepin the Hunchback Charles the Younger Pepin Louis the Pious Lothair Drogo Hugh Theoderic Carloman, son Pepin Pepin
Bernard, sons	Wala Adalhard Bernhar

Carolingian
Empire

Sons of Charlemagne
Pepin, son	Bernard → Pepin, Count of Vermandois → Counts of Vermandois
Louis the Pious, sons	Arnulf of Sens Lothair I, sons Louis II of Italy → Ermengard → Louis the Blind → Bosonids Lothair II → Hugh Charles Pepin I, son Pepin II Louis the German, sons Carloman → Arnulf → Louis the Child Ratold Zwentibold → Godfrey Otto Louis the Younger → Louis Hugh Charles the Fat → Bernard Ratold → Adalbert Charles the Bald, sons Louis the Stammerer → Louis III Carloman II Charles the Simple Charles the Child Carloman Lothair the Lame Drogo Pepin Charles

West
Francia

West Francia was in the hands of the Robertians from 888 until 898. It was the last Carolingian kingdom.
Charles the Simple, sons	Louis IV Arnulf Drogo Rorico
Louis IV, sons	Lothair IV Charles Louis Charles of Lorraine Henry
Lothair IV, sons	Louis V Arnulf
Charles of Lorraine, sons	Otto Louis Charles