ancestor of the Capetian kings of France.

A member of a powerful aristocratic family and a count of various regions between the Seine and Loire rivers, Robert served the Carolingian king of France Charles II the Bald; by his bold and inspiring military leadership he succeeded in checking the depredations of the Northmen who were laying waste the settlements near the Loire. A victory over the Northmen in 865 was followed by the king's grant to Robert of full control over Neustria early the next year; but he was killed in a skirmish against the Northmen in September. The memory of Robert's exploits and the lands he had acquired brought great influence to his family. His sons, Eudes and Robert I, both became kings of West Francia (or France); and the Capetian kings (from 987) were his direct descendants.