BERNARD, illegitimate son of PEPIN I King of Italy & his mistress --- ([797]-Milan 17 Aug 818, bur Milan, San Ambrosio). Thegan's Vita Hludowici Imperatoris names "Bernhardus filius Pippini ex concubina"[635]. Bernard is named only son of Pippin by Einhard[636]. Regino names "Bernhardus filius Pippin rex Italiæ" when recording his death in 818[637]. Settipani cites a litany of St Gallen which lists Bernard among Carolingians of illegitimate birth[638]. He was brought up at Kloster Fulda. His paternal grandfather sent him back to Italy in autumn 812, granting him the title "rex Langobardorum" in Apr 813. Einhard's Annales that "Walanem filium Bernhardi patruelis sui" was sent to Italy in 812 as guardian for "Bernhardum filium Pippin nepotem suum [Karoli imperatoris]"[639]. He was confirmed 11 Sep 813 at Aix-la-Chapelle as BERNARD I King of Italy, as vassal of the emperor, ruling under the regency of Adalhard abbé de Corbie[640]. Although he swore allegiance to his uncle Emperor Louis I "le Pieux" on the latter's accession in 814, the emperor passed the Ordinatio Imperii in Jul 817 which failed to mention Bernard's royal status, effectively depriving him of any role in government and of his royal title. Bernard rebelled unsuccessfully in Dec 817. He was tricked into returning to France to ask for the emperor's forgiveness at Chalon-sur-Saône, but was taken to Aix-la-Chapelle where he was sentenced to death. The Annales Xantenses record that "Bernhardus rex Langobardorum" was blinded in 818[641]. Thegan's Vita Hludowici Imperatoris records that "Bernhardus filius Pippini ex concubina" was blinded and died on the third day which followed this[642]. After his death, Italy was once more placed under the direct rule of the emperor[643].
m ([813]) CUNIGUNDIS, daughter of --- (-after 15 Jun 835). Settipani refers to an act of the monastery of San Alessandro, Parma dated 15 Jun 835 which names her[644]. The origin of Cunigundis is not known. Settipani suggests[645] that she was Cunigundis, daughter of Héribert, relative of St Guillaume Comte de Toulouse in order to explain the transmission of the name Héribert into the family of Bernard King of Italy. This is highly speculative. It would also mean that Héribert was older than suggested in the document CAROLINGIAN NOBILITY, as it is unlikely that Cunigundis was born later than 800 assuming that the birth date of her son is correctly estimated at [815].
King Bernard & his wife had one son