Enter the Franks, a Teutonic or Germanic tribe who were to give their name to the country and provided the first Royal House, the Merovingians who ruled much of France as Frankia from 451AD till 751AD to be followed by the Carolingians, who already controlled parts of Eastern France, who now gradually took over and became all powerful in the person of Charlemagne the grandson of ‘the Hammer’ Charles Martel.

The Hammers of Charles Martel

Charlemagne, perhaps the most well known Frank of all became Holy Roman Emperor from 800 till his death in 814 and continued to be King of the the Franks during that time.

His lands were divided on his death which weakened Frankia and during the 10th Century there were fresh invasions. Celtic peoples from Britain landed in Brittany and Scandinavians invaded Normandy both took large swathes of territory from the Franks.