Mayor of the palace

Under the Merovingian dynasty, the mayor of the palace (Latin: maior palatii or maior domus) was the manager of the household of the Frankish king.

During the second half of the seventh century, the office evolved into the "power behind the throne". At that time the mayor of the palace held and wielded the real and effective power to make decisions affecting the kingdom, while the kings were increasingly reduced to performing merely ceremonial functions, which made them little more than figureheads (rois fainéants, 'do-nothing kings'). The office may be compared to that of the peshwa, shōgun, sarvadhikari or prime minister, all of which have similarly been the real powers behind some ceremonial monarchs.

In 687, after victory over the western kingdom of Neustria, the Austrasian mayor, Pippin of Herstal, took the title Duke of the Franks to signify his augmented rule. His son and successor, Charles Martel, ruled without elevating a new king during the last four years of his reign (737–741). His sons Carloman and Pepin the Short elevated another Merovingian king, Childeric III, but he was eventually deposed in 751 by Pepin, who was crowned king in his place.

See also Royal Administration of Merovingian and Carolingian Dynasties.

Mayors of the Palace of Austrasia

Name	In office	Family	Remarks
Parthemius	531–548
...
Gogo	567–581
Wandalenus	581–583	Waltrichs
...
Florentianus	um 589
...
Protadus	595–600
Claudius	600
Gondulphus	600–612	Merowingians (uncert.)
Warnachar	613		Short after the assassination of Sigibert II
Rado	613–616/617
Hugh (Chucus)	617–622	Hugobertins (uncert.)
Pepin of Landen	624/25–634	Pippinids	First time
Adalgisel	634–639
Pepin of Landen	639–640	Pippinids	Second time
Otto	640–643
Grimoald I	643–657 oder 662	Pippinids
Ansegisel	657 oder 662–662	Arnulfingians
Wulfoald	662–679	Etichonen (uncert.)
Pepin of Herstal	679–714	Pippinids
Theudoald	714–715	Pippinids	de jure under gis grandmother Plektrud
Charles Martell	715–741	Pippinids	After the Battle of Soissons (718) Maior Domus in all parts of the realm
Carloman	741–747	Pippinids	Austrasia containing also Alemania
Pepin the Short	747–751	Pippinids	Maior Domus for the whole realm

Mayors of the Palace of Neustria

• Mummolin (566)
• Landric, under Clotaire II
• Gundoland (613 or 616–639)
• Aega (639–641), also in Burgundy
• Erchinoald (641–658)
• Ebroin (658–673), deposed
• Wulfoald (673–675), also in Austrasia (662–680)
• Leudesius (675), chosen but later deposed
• Ebroin (675–680), again
• Waratton (680 or 681–682), deposed by his son Gistemar
• Gistemar (682), usurper his father Waratton
• Waratton (682–684 or 686), again
• Berchar (686–688 or 689), murdered in 688 or 689
• Nordebert 687-695), under protection of Pippin of Herstal
• Grimoald II (695–714)
• Theudoald (714–715), also in Austrasia. Driven out of Neustria by the nobility, surrendered claim in 716.
• Ragenfrid (715–718), took power in Neustria in 714 or 715 but defeated by Charles Martel first in 717 and definitively in 718
• Charles Martel (718–741), also in Austrasia (715–741)
• Pepin the Short (741 or 742–751), became king of the Franks in 751

Mayors of the Palace of Burgundy

• Warnachar I (596–599)
• Berthoald (before 603–604)
• Protadius (604–606)
• Claudius
• Rado (613–617)
• Warnachar II (617–626), also in Austrasia
• Godinus (626–627)
• ...
• Aega (639–641), also in Neustria
• Flaochad (642)
• Radobertus (642–662)

Hereafter the office remained vacant, with Burgundy a separate realm under the King of Neustria and Burgundy. The administration of Burgundy was briefly separate under:

• Drogo (695–708), also duke of Champagne from 690 and duke of Burgundy from 697

Mayors of the Palace of Aquitaine

• Brodulf (627–628)

Further reading

• Oman, Charles. The Dark Ages, 476–918. London: Rivingtons, 1914.