From "The Plantagenet Chronicles" edited by Elizabeth Hallam, ISBN 1-55584-018-3, p21:
In 800 the Emperor crowned Charlemagne as Emperor of a massive Empire which encompassed modern France, Italy and most of Germany. In 843 it was divided between his grandsons, West Francia, or France, being given to Charles the Bald.

King of the Lombards from 774.127

Weis" "Ancestral Roots. . ." (50:13), (140:13), (146:13), (148:13), (182:5),
(190:13), (191:14).
Comments posted to GEN-MEDIEVAL by Don Stone:
. . . "Most modern authorities give Charlemagne's birth year as 747, but Settipani and Van Kerrebrouck (1993) give 748; see their detailed analysis in note 3, p. 191." Charlemagne must be taken as the central focus of medieval European history. He is one of the handful of truly great men in world history and many volumes have been written concerning his deeds. For centuries after his death descent from him was considered as one of the chief prerequisites for legitimacy as a ruler. Even today societies exist for those who can trace their ancestry back to Charlemagne. He had a very large number of children and grandchildren and his descendants today undoubtedly number in the millions. It is not my purpose to give a complete biography here. I offer the following broad sketch for the reader who has no background in medieval history at all:
Between the fall of the Roman Empire in AD 476 and the rise of Charlemagne in the years just before AD 800, Europe was a hodgepodge of small states which originated from the settling down of the various tribes of "Barbarians" which had brought down the Empire. Charlemagne's ancestors, the Franks, had established themselves in what is today northern France and western Germany. Gradually they began to become dominant over their neighbors and their territory and influence increased. Charlemagne was able to accelerate this trend. Using his remarkable skills as a military leader and as an administrator, he was able to bring a large portion of western Europe under his control. In AD 800, on Christmas day, the Pope crowned him the Emperor of the revived Roman Empire (sometimes referred to as the "Holy Roman Empire"). This is an enormously significant event, psychologically and symbolically, in the history of Europe. Charlemagne passed the Empire on to his son, LOUIS, but it did not survive intact for very long as it was divided between his three grandsons. European politics, however, for long afterwards revolved around just how the Empire would be divided. Charlemagne was married four times. Only his second wife, HILDEGARDE OF SWABIA, bore him any sons - four of them - Charles, PEPIN, LOUIS, and Lothar. The other three wives produced no descendants. We know of at least five concubines of Charlemagne. They bore him six sons and two daughters.