Judith's first husband Ethelwulf was much older than she and by the time
they were married, possibly incapable of fathering a child by her. We
don't really know much about her marriage to her stepson, whose primary
reason for marrying her may have been to perpetuate the English alliance
with the Carolingians. In any event, it was not *Judith's* lack of a
child that left the throne vacant for Alfred; in fact, his next eldest
brother left at least two sons, but (as suggested below) they were quite
young in 871 and were passed over in favor of the adult Alfred, by that
time Ethelwulf's only surviving son.
John Parsons
On Thu, 14 Aug 1997, Jo Ann McNamara wrote:
>
> > Prof. McNamara wrote that when Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald, was
> > not married to Alfred, "she returned home in disgrace."
> >
> > What is the evidence for the disgrace? I had thought her disgrace was due
> > to her running off with Baldwin. Could her disgrace in Wessex perhaps
> > have been because she produced no heirs for either father or son? Could
> > she have been thought unfertile?
> >
> > ---Jan
> Charles had already confined his daughter because of the scandal she
> brought with her from England before she ran off with Baldwin. I think
> that Hincmar mentions her earlier history in his review of the case but
> it is certainly noted by Asser who claims that it was against Christian
> law and (he adds) pagan custom. As I have noted, I am not convinced of
> the latter claim but in any case, Alfred's condemnation of the process is
> clear. I don't think her fertility was an issue except insofar as it
> left the throne vacant for Alfred (who probably would have been chosen
> anyway over an infant.)
>
> Jo Ann
>
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