[1][2] Fastrada was born circa 765 at Ingelheim, the daughter of the powerful East Frankish Count Rudolph (also called Eadolf), and his wife, Aeda.
Due to her influence Pepin the Hunchback, son of Charlemagne and Himiltrude, was publicly tonsured after an attempted rebellion against his father.
Fastrada soon won a reputation for cruelty, although this is reported by chronicler Einhard in his Vita Karoli Magni,[5] who had not arrived at Charlemagne's court while she was still alive.
Due to Archbishop Richulf's influence, she was not buried in the Basilique Saint-Denis, the burial site of almost all the Frankish and French monarchs, nor St. Arnulf's Abbey near Metz.
[12] This ring, the stone of which was a gift from a snake, bound Charlemagne to Fastrada in such a way that he did not want to release her corpse for burial even when it was already beginning to decompose.