Balthild
Wife of Clovis II
Feast: 30 January (not on the universal Roman calendar; kept in the Roman Martyrology or local calendars)
Who they were
Balthild (Bathilde) was a slave in the household of Erchinoald, mayor of the palace of Neustria. King Clovis II freed and married her in 649; her humility, prayer and generosity to the poor only grew. Widowed in 656, she ruled as regent for her five-year-old son Clothaire III, advised by holy bishops such as Eligius and Ouen.
She abolished the trade in Christian slaves, repressed simony, and founded hospitals and monasteries, including Corbie and Chelles. She later entered Chelles herself, died in January 680, and was canonised by Pope Nicholas I.
The miracles
The Catholic Encyclopedia says she was canonised by Pope Nicholas I, but gives no date or details.
Why that counted as sanctity
A freed slave who became queen and used her power to end the slave trade and serve the poor.
- Catholic Encyclopedia (1913), via New Advent - St. Bathilde
- Wikidata Q237750 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Balthild of Chelles (CC BY-SA)
Checked against the sources listed on 21 September 2026. Corrections welcome.