# Charlemagne becomes sole king (771)

URL: https://history-france.com/timeline/771-charlemagne-becomes-sole-king
Location: Frankish realm
Categories: ruler-change

Carloman’s death left Charlemagne in sole control of the Frankish kingdom. 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 Charlemagne (King of the Franks; Emperor). Charlemagne becomes sole king mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy. 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
Charlemagne becomes sole king mattered because succession and legitimacy shaped alliances, institutions and the direction of state policy.

Ruler at the time: [Charlemagne](https://history-france.com/rulers/charlemagne)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Charlemagne becomes sole king](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Charlemagne+becomes+sole+king&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Charlemagne becomes sole king](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Charlemagne+becomes+sole+king)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of French history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_French_history)