Pepin of Herstal

The son of the powerful Frankish statesman Ansegisel, Pepin worked to establish his family, the Pippinids, as the strongest in Francia.Pepin II was probably born in Herstal (Héristal), modern Belgium (where his centre of power lay), whence his byname (sometimes "of Heristal").Ebroin defeated the Austrasians in the Battle of Lucofao and came close to uniting all the Franks under his rule; however, he was assassinated in 681, the victim of a combined attack by his numerous enemies[2] Pepin immediately made peace with his successor, Waratton.Pepin was created mayor in all three Frankish kingdoms (Austrasia, Neustria, and Burgundy) and began calling himself Duke and Prince of the Franks (dux et princeps Francorum).However, Charles (son of Pepin and Alpaida) had gained favour among the Austrasians, primarily for his military prowess and ability to keep them well supplied with booty from his conquests.Despite the efforts of Plectrude to silence her child's rival by imprisoning him, he became the sole mayor of the palace—and de facto ruler of Francia—after a civil war which lasted for more than three years after Pepin's death.
The painting of St Hubert of Liège as he offers his services to Pepin of Heristal
Duke and Prince of the FranksCharles MartelMayor of the PalaceAustrasiaWulfoaldTheudoaldNeustriaBercharGrimoaldBurgundyJupilleLiègePlectrudeAlpaidaGrimoald the YoungerDrogo of ChampagneChildebrandArnulfingsPippinidsAnsegiselCarolingian dynastyPippin the ElderChildebert the AdoptedArnulf of MetzChlodulf of MetzGrimoald IICarolingiansCarlomanPepin the ShortCarloman ICharlemagnePepin the HunchbackCharles the YoungerPepin of ItalyLouis the PiousPepin I of AquitaineTreaty of VerdunLothair I, Holy Roman EmperorMiddle FranciaCharles the BaldWest FranciaLouis the GermanEast FranciaFrankishFranciaAlemanniFrisiansFranconiansGermanyMerovingianPepin I the ElderCarolingianHerstalBelgiumMartinEbroinBattle of LucofaoWarattonTheuderic IIIBattle of TertryVermandoisDuke of ChampagneWillibrordMoselleChildebrand IRedbad (film)RedbadRoel ReinéJonathan Bankspublic domainPfister, ChristianChisholm, HughEncyclopædia BritannicaOman, CharlesWallace-Hadrill, J. M.The Fourth Book of the Chronicle of Fredegar with its ContinuationsBachrach, Bernard S.ArnulfingMayor of the Palace of AustrasiaMayor of the Palace of NeustriaMayor of the Palace of BurgundyDuke of the FranksPippinids, ArnulfingsPepin IGrimoald IHugh of ChampagnePepin IIIBernardNibelungidsAdalhardCarolingianEmpirePepin I, Count of VermandoisCounts of VermandoisArnulf of SensLothair ILouis II of ItalyErmengardLouis the BlindBosonidsLothair IICharlesPepin IIArnulfLouis the ChildRatoldZwentiboldLouis the YoungerCharles the FatLouis the StammererLouis IIICarloman IICharles the SimpleCharles the ChildWestFranciaRobertiansLouis IVLothair IVCharles of LorraineLouis V