From 768 to 800, Charlemagne, also referred to as Charles the Great, was king of the Franks, king of the Lombards, and emperor of the Romans. Charlemagne combined many Western and main Europe at the time of the Early Middle Ages. Since the fall of the Western Roman Empire three centuries before, he was the first acknowledged emperor to rule from Western Europe. The Carolingian Empire is the name given to Charlemagne's broadening Frankish world. Antipope Paschal the Third later canonized him.

Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon had an oldest child, Charlemagne, who was born before their main marriage.

Following his dad's death in the year 768, he ended up being king of the Franks, at first as co-ruler with his brother Carloman I till the latter's death in the year 771. He followed his dad's position to the papacy as sole king and became its protector, driving the Lombards out of Northern Italy and leading an attack into Muslim Spain. He waged a project against the Saxons to his east, requiring them to convert to Christendom or face death, resulting in events like the Massacre of Verden. He reached the peak of his power in the year 800, when Pope Leo the Third crowned him "Emperor of the Romans" on Christmas Day at Rome's Old St. Peter's Basilica.