King Sigebert III despaired of having a male heir. He accepted a proposal to adopt Grimoald's son and gave him the typically Merovingian name of Childbert. The Austrasian queen then produced a son, named Dagobert after his grandfather, and Sigebert changed his arrangements and entrusted Grimoald with Dagobert's education. When Sigebert died his own son was to succeed him as Dagobert II, but Grimoald had the infant tonsured and gave him to Dido, bishop of Poitiers, who took him to Ireland. Grimoald put his own son, known as Childebert the Adopted, on the throne of Austrasia.199

Grimoald and his son were murdered, and Childeric II became king of Austrasia, and then king of all the Franks, but he too was assassinated. The Austrasians then managed to located Dagobert II and secured his return. Ebroin as well as factions within the Austrasian nobility plotted against Dagobert, and in 679, in the Woëvre Forest, he was assassinated 'traitorously through the trickery of the dukes and with the consent of the bishops.' About the same time the Austrasian mayor of the palace, Wulfoald, also disappeared.199

Assassinated by order of Pepin 'the Fat.'190