He was the King of Italy (810 - 818). He was the illegitimate son of King Pepin, the third son of the Emperor Charlemagne. In 817, he rebelled against his uncle, the Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious, but was defeated the following year. Louis crowned his eldest son, Lothar (later Holy Roman Emperor) as King of Italy, and had Bernard blinded and imprisoned. His death in 818 grieved Louis, and his display of penance to the court in 822 reduced his prestige and respect amongst the Frankish nobility.