Childeric III (died about
754), king of the Franks, was the last king of the
Merovingian dynasty from
743 to his deposition in
751.
The throne had been vacant for seven years when the
mayors of the palace, Carloman and
Pepin the Short, decided in
743 to recognize Childeric as king. Neither his parentage nor his relation to the Merovingian family are known for sure. He may have been the son of
Chilperic II.
He took no part in public business, which was directed, as previously, by the mayors of the palace. When, in
747, Carloman retired into a monastery, Pepin resolved to take the royal crown for himself. Pepin sent letters to
Pope Zachary, asking whether the title of king belonged to the one who had exercised the power or the one with the royal lineage. The pope responded that the real power should have the royal title as well. In
751, Childeric was dethroned and
tonsured, deposit et detonsit, on the orders of Zachary's successor,
Stephen II, according to
Einhard, quia non erat utilis, "because he was not useful." His long hair was the symbol of his dynasty and thus the royal rights (some say magical powers), by cutting it, they divested him of all royal prerogatives. In
752, he and his son Theuderic were placed in the monastery of
Saint-Bertin, though some say he in
Saint-Omer and Theuderic in
Saint-Wandrille. He died about four years later. Under the
Carolingians, he received bad press, being called a
rex falsus, false king, despite the fact that it was Pepin who raised him to his throne.
