CHARLES, KINGS OF FRANCE. Charlemagne or "Charles (Karl) the Great" was the first Charles to rule over France, but his reign belongs rather to the history of western Europe than to that of any one of the separate kingdoms. So Charlemagne's grand son, Charles the Bald, who received the western part of his father's empire, is called Charles I of France, 843-877. He had nine successors bearing this name, of whom the first four (Charles II, the Fat, 885-887; Charles III, the Simple, 893-922; Charles IV, the Fair, 1322-1328) may be passed with bare mention.