Queen Frédégonde, seated on her Throne, gives orders to two young Men of Térouanne to assassinate Sigebert, King of Austrasia.--Window in the Cathedral of Tournai, Fifteenth Century.
Originally a servant, Fredegund became Chilperic's mistress after he had murdered his wife and queen, Galswintha (c. 568). But Galswintha's sister, Brunhilda, in revenge against Chilperic, began a feud which lasted more than 40 years.
Fredegund is said to be responsible for the assassination of Sigebert I in 575 and made attempts on the lives of Guntram (her brother-in-law and the king of Burgundy), Childebert II (Sigebert's son), and Brunhilda.
After the mysterious assassination of Chilperic (584), Fredegund seized his riches and took refuge in the cathedral at Paris. Both she and her surviving son, Clotaire II, were protected by Guntram until he died in 592.
Said to be ruthlessly murderous and sadistically cruel, Fredegund perhaps has few rivals in monstrousness.
Fredegonde was the daughter of poor peasants in the neighborhood of Montdidier in Picardy, and at an early age joined the train of Queen Audovere, the first wife of King Chilperic.
Fredegonde seized with avidity upon this occasion for persecuting her rival and destroying her step-son, heir to the throne of Chilperic.
Fredegonde sought in these deaths, advantageous for her own children, some sort of horrible consolation for her sorrows as a mother.
Queen Fredegonde was at Tournai, and she issued warnings to the three surviving feuders to make peace; but they took no notice.
Fredegonde loaded Claudius with presents, promised him much more if he succeeded, an urged him not to be scrupulous in his methods, but rather to kill the suspect at the first opportunity, even, at the risk of desecrating a church.
Fredegonde visited the bishop as he lay dying an offered him the sevices of her doctors but he outrightly accused her of being the author of his assassination.
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