Charles was the youngest son of Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. His father divided Middle Francia between his three sons: the eldest, Louis, received Italy and the emperorship. Lothair II received Lotharingia (modern Lorraine, the Low Countries, and Upper Burgundy).
And the youngest, Charles, received Lower Burgundy (Arles and Provence).
In 860, he ejected them from the Rhone delta. After receiving an appeal for intervention from the Count of Arles, he invaded Provence, but only reached Macon, being restrained by Hincmar of Rheims. Charles of Provence never ruled his realm in anything more than name.
lieutenant was Gerard, rather than he, who in 858 arranged that should Charles die without children, Provence would revert to Charles" brother Lothair World War II
Charles was only a child when his father died. And the governance of his realm was undertaken by his tutor, Count Gerard II of Vienne, whose wife had been a sister-in-law of Emperor Lothar I. Gerard was a vigorous regent, defending the kingdom from the Northmen, who raided up the Rhone as far as Valence.
