, ▁if ▁only ▁to ▁catch ▁a ▁g limp se ▁of ▁the ▁king , ▁queen ▁or ▁their ▁represent atives . ▁The ▁ab bey ▁was ▁effective ▁in ▁util ising ▁the ▁rit uals ▁of ▁commun ion ▁and ▁conf ession ▁to ▁establish ▁itself ▁as ▁a ▁powerful ▁agent ▁of ▁conversion ▁in ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁by ▁histor ians ▁as ▁a ▁‘ training ▁ground ▁for ▁mission aries ▁of ▁mon astic ism ’ , ▁and ▁by ▁extension , ▁Christian ity ▁itself . ▁ ▁Bert ila ’ s ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁p ious ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁nob ility ▁and , ▁later , ▁the ▁em in ence ▁of ▁G is ela , ▁sister ▁of ▁Char lemagne , ▁drew ▁several ▁foreign ▁prin cess es ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁n uns ▁at ▁Ch elles , ▁including ▁Her es with ▁of ▁North umb ria . ▁The ▁ab bey ▁swift ly ▁became ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁fav ored ▁monaster ies ▁for ▁English ▁royal ▁prin cess es ▁in ▁Francia ▁to ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁for ▁their ▁religious ▁instruction , ▁along ▁with ▁other ▁convent s ▁in ▁the ▁Paris ▁bas in ▁such ▁as ▁at ▁Les ▁And ely s ▁( built ▁in ▁ 5 1 1 ▁AD , ▁the ▁first ▁convent ▁in ▁France ) ▁and ▁F éc amp ▁Ab bey ▁( built ▁by ▁D ux ▁W an ing us ▁in ▁ 6 5 8 ). ▁Its ▁international ▁reputation ▁was ▁further ▁secured ▁by ▁Bert ila ’ s ▁g ifts ▁of ▁re lic s , ▁books ▁and ▁tut ors ▁to ▁help ▁establish ▁monaster ies ▁of