Sigbert III

Sigebert III
Sigebert III's signet ring
King of Austrasia
Reign	633-656
Predecessor	Dagobert I
Successor	Childebert the Adopted
Mayor of the Palace	Grimoald the Elder
Born	630
Died	c. 656 (aged 25–26)
Burial	Nancy Cathedral
Consort	Chimnechild
Issue	Childebert (adopted son) Dagobert II (biological son) Bilichild (daughter)
Dynasty	Merovingian
Father	Dagobert I
Mother	Ragnétrude
Religion	Chalcedonian Christianity (Sanctified)

Sigebert III (c. 630–656) was the Merovingian king of Austrasia from 633 to his death around 656. He was described as the first Merovingian roi fainéant —do-nothing king—, in effect the mayor of the palace ruling the kingdom throughout his reign. However he lived a pious Christian life and was later sanctified, being remembered as Saint Sigebert of Austrasia in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.

Sigebert was born in 630 as the eldest son of Dagobert I, King of the Franks, and his concubine Ragnetrude. The king recalled and made peace with Saint Amand, who was previously banished for criticizing the king's vices, and asked him to baptize his new-born son. The ceremony was performed at Orléans and Charibert II, Dagobert's half-brother who was King of Aquitaine at the time, was the god-father. Dagobert assigned the education of Sigebert to Pepin of Landen, who was the mayor of the palace in Austrasia under his father Chlotar II, until 629. Pepin took the young Sigebert and moved with him to his domains in Aquitane, where they stayed the next 3 years.

In 633, a revolt of the nobles forced Dagobert to make the three-year old Sigebert king of Austrasia, similar to how his father Chlotar II had made him king of Austrasia in 623. However, he refused to give the power to Pepin of Landen by making him Mayor of the palace for the child-king. Instead he has put Sigebert under the tutelage of Adalgisel as Mayor of the palace and the Bishop of Cologne Saint Cunibert as regent, while keepin Pepin in Neustria as hostage. In 634 Dagobert's second son, Clovis II, was born, and the king forced the nobles to accept him as the next King of Neustria and Burgundy, setting up a new division of the empire.