# Charles Martel rules without a king (737)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/737-charles-martel-rules-without-a-king
Location: Frankish realm

After Theuderic IV’s death, the mayor of the palace governed without appointing a new Merovingian king for several years. Within the broader Frankish Kingdoms period, Merovingian and Carolingian rulers built large Frankish realms over former Roman Gaul. Conversion, aristocratic power, church institutions and imperial expansion laid foundations for medieval France. At this point in the timeline, the relevant governing authority is Later Merovingian kings (Kings of the Franks). Charles Martel rules without a king is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France. The event is positioned here so visitors can read it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion, culture and France’s wider international setting.

## Why it matters
Charles Martel rules without a king is a useful marker in the longer transformation of political authority, society and culture in France.

Ruler at the time: [Later Merovingian kings](https://history-france.com/rulers/later-merovingian-kings)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Charles Martel rules without a king](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Charles+Martel+rules+without+a+king&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Charles Martel rules without a king](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Charles+Martel+rules+without+a+king)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)