The
monarchs of France ruled, first as
kingKing may be a title for a head of state.King may also refer to:-Places:* King, Ontario, Canada* King, Indiana, United States* King, North Carolina, United States* King, Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States...
s and later as
emperorAn emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress is the female equivalent. As a title, "empress" may indicate the wife of an emperor or a woman who rules in her own right...
s (the Bonapartes only), from the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
to 1870. There is some disagreement as to when
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
came into existence. The earliest possible date would be the establishment of the Merovingian
FrankishThe Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic tribal confederation first attested in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul...
kingdom by
Clovis IClovis was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one king. He also introduced Christianity. He was the son of Childeric I and Basina. At age 16, he succeeded his father, in the year 481...
in 486 with the defeat of
SyagriusSyagrius was the son of Aegidius, the last Roman magister militum per Gallias. Syagrius preserved his father's rump state between the Somme and the Loire around Soissons after the collapse of central rule in the Western Empire, the so-called "Kingdom" of Syagrius, as Gregory of Tours understood...
, the last
RomanThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
official in
GaulGaul is a historical name used in the context of the Roman Empire in references to the region of Western Europe approximating present day France and Belgium, but also sometimes including the Po Valley, western Switzerland, and the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the west bank of the River...
. That kingdom's rulers were deposed in the 8th century. The
Treaty of VerdunIn the Treaty of Verdun was a treaty by the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, son and successor of Charlemagne, which divided the territories of the Frankish Empire into three kingdoms....
established the Kingdom of
Western FranciaWest Francia or the West Frankish Kingdom was a short-lived kingdom encompassing the lands of the western part of the Carolingian Empire that came under the undisputed control of Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, as a result of the Treaty of Verdun of 843.The Frankish Empire, the great...
in 843.
In light of these trends, this list begins with
Charles the BaldCharles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.- Struggle against his brothers :He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
and the Kingdom of Western Francia, originating in 843, the state which would directly evolve into modern France. For earlier Frankish monarchs, see
List of Frankish Kings.
In addition to the monarchs listed below, the
Kings of England and Great Britain from 1340–1360 and 1369–1801 also
claimed the title of King of FranceThe English claims to the French throne have a long and rather complex history between the 1340s and the 1800s.From 1340 to 1801, with only brief intervals in 1360-1369 and 1420-1422, the kings and queens of England, and after the Acts of Union in 1707 the kings and queens of Great Britain, also...
. For a short time, this had some basis in fact — under the terms of the 1420
Treaty of TroyesThe Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the throne of France upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was signed in the French city of Troyes on May 21, 1420 in the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt...
,
Charles VICharles VI , called the Well-loved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois.-Early life:...
had recognized his son-in-law
Henry V of EnglandHenry V was King of England from 1413 until his death. From an unassuming start his military successes in the Hundred Years' War, culminating with his famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt, saw him come close to uniting the realms of England and France under his rule.-Early life:Henry was born...
as regent and heir. Henry V predeceased Charles VI and so Henry V's son,
Henry VIHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
, succeeded his grandfather Charles VI as King of France. Most of Northern France was under English control until 1435, but by 1453, the English had been expelled from all of France save
CalaisCalais is a town in northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
(and the
Channel IslandsThe Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
), and Calais itself fell in 1558. Nevertheless, English and then British monarchs continued to claim the title for themselves until the creation of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927...
in 1801. Various English kings between 1337 and 1422 had also claimed the title of King of France, but only intermittently.
The title "King of the Franks" remained in use until the reign of
Philip IVPhilip IV , called the Fair , son and successor of Philip III, reigned as King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305...
. During the brief period when the
French Constitution of 1791The short-lived French Constitution of 1791 was the first written constitution of France. One of the basic precepts of the revolution was adopting constitutionality and establishing popular sovereignty, following the steps of the United States of America....
was in effect (1791–1792) and after the
July RevolutionThe French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution, saw the overthrow of King
Charles X of France, the French
Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin
Louis-Philippe, the
Duc d'Orléans,...
in 1830, the
styleA style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title, in other words a term which by tradition or law precedes a reference to a person who holds a post, or which is used to refer to the political office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
"King of the French" was used instead of "King of France (and Navarre)". It was a constitutional innovation known as
popular monarchyPopular monarchy is a system of monarchical governance in which the monarch's title is linked with the people rather than a unitary state. It was the norm in some places from the Middle Ages, and was occasionally used in 19th- and 20th-century Europe, often reflecting the results of a populist...
which linked the monarch's title to the
people, not to the
territory of France.
Early Frankish rulers
The name of France comes from the
GermanicThe Germanic peoples are a historical ethno-linguistic group, originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Common Germanic in the course of the Pre-Roman Iron Age...
tribe known as the
FranksThe Franks or Frankish people were a West Germanic tribal confederation first attested in the 3rd century as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul...
. The Merovingian kings began as mere chieftains, the oldest known being
PharamondPharamond or Faramund is a legendary early king of the Franks, first referred to in the anonymous 8th century Carolingian text Liber Historiae Francorum, also known as the Gesta regnum Francorum. In this work, which is customarily dated to 727, the anonymous author begins by writing of a mythical...
.
Clovis IClovis was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one king. He also introduced Christianity. He was the son of Childeric I and Basina. At age 16, he succeeded his father, in the year 481...
was the first of these to rise to true kingship. After his death, his kingdom was split between his sons into Soissons (
NeustriaThe territory of Neustria or Neustrasia, meaning "new [western] land", originated in 511, made up of the regions from Aquitaine to the English Channel, approximating most of the north of present-day France, with Paris and Soissons as its main cities...
), Paris, Orleans (Burgundy), and Metz (
AustrasiaAustrasia formed the north-eastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
). Various other kingdoms would continue to break apart and be formed as the various Merovingian kings warred with each other.
The Carolingians overpowered the Merovingian kings. First they became their majordomos (mayor of the palace) in Austrasia. Eventually, they united the entire Frankish kingdom for the first time since Clovis. With Mayor
Pippin the YoungerPepin or Pippin , called the Short, and often known as Pepin the Younger or Pepin III, was the Mayor of the Palace and Duke of the Franks from 741 and King of the Franks from 751 to 768...
, the Merovingians were completely phased out. The Carolingian Dynasty would be the first true French monarchy. The great and extended kingdom of Pippin's son, the legendary
CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
(Charles I), was split by
Louis ILouis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
(Louis the Pious). In 843, while Louis I's son
LothairLothair I , king of Italy and crowned Carolingian King of Italy, Emperor of the Romans and was Emperor of the Franks .Lothair was the eldest son of the Carolingian emperor Louis the Pious and his wife Ermengarde of Hesbaye, daughter of...
was in power, the great Frankish kingdom was split. The Eastern Kingdom became Germany, the Middle Kingdom became
LotharingiaLotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855 of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
and later part of the
Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period under a Holy Roman Emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Otto I, crowned in 962. The last was Francis II, who abdicated and dissolved the Empire in 1806 during...
, and the Western Kingdom became France.
Charles the BaldCharles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.- Struggle against his brothers :He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
was the first ruler of the independent West Franks (France).
Carolingian DynastyThe Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with its origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
(840 to 987)
Three of the twelve kings during the 147 year Carolingian Dynasty,
OdoOdo was King of Western Francia . He was a son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and is sometimes referred to as duke of France and also as count of Paris...
, his brother
Robert IRobert I , King of Western Francia , was the younger son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and the brother of Odo, who became king of the Western Franks in 888. West Francia evolved over time into France; under Odo, the capital was fixed on Paris, a large step in that direction...
and Robert's son in law
Raoul/RudolphRudolph was the Duke of Burgundy between 921 and 923 and King of Western Francia from thereafter to his death. Rudolph inherited the duchy of Burgundy from his father, Richard the Justiciar...
, were not from the Carolingian Dynasty but from the rival Robertian Dynasty, named for
Robert the StrongRobert IV the Strong , was Margrave in Neustria. His family is named after him and called Robertians. He was first nominated by Charles the Bald missus dominicus in 853. Robert was the father of the kings Odo and Robert I of France. Robert was the great-grandfather of Hugh Capet and thus the...
(father of Odo and Robert I). The Robertian Dynasty became the
Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
with the ascent to the throne of Hugh Capet (son of
Hugh the GreatHugh the Great was duke of the Franks and count of Paris, son of King Robert I of France and nephew of King Odo. He was born in Paris, Ile-de-France, France. His eldest son was Hugh Capet who became King of France in 987. His family is known as the Robertians.Hugh's first wife was Eadhild,...
, son of Robert I) in 987. The rise and fall of Carolingian
Charles IIICharles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
played out during the ascent of these Robertian kings.
| Portrait |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
Relationship with Predecessor(s) |
 |
Charles II Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.- Struggle against his brothers :He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
the Bald
(Charles II le Chauve) |
June 20, 840 |
October 6, 877 |
Son of Louis the PiousLouis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
or Louis I
Grandson of CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
or Charles I |
 |
Louis II Louis the Stammerer , was the King of Aquitaine and later King of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. He succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in West Francia in 877, though he was never crowned Emperor...
the Stammerer
(Louis II le Bègue) |
October 6, 877 |
April 10, 879 |
Son of Charles II |
 |
Louis III Louis III , King of Western Francia, was the second son of King Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde, and became king, jointly with his brother Carloman, on his father's death in 879.He was a fourth generation descendant of Charlemagne....
|
April 10, 879 |
August 5, 882 |
Son of Louis II |
 |
Carloman Carloman II , King of Western Francia, was the youngest son of King Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde of Burgundy, and became king, jointly with his brother Louis III of France, on his father's death in 879....
|
April 10, 879 |
December 6, 884 |
Son of Louis II |
| align="center" |
|align="center"|Charles III Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, Holy Roman Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. He was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear, in 887...
the Fat
(Charles le Gros) |
June 885 |
January 13, 888 |
Son of Louis the GermanLouis the German , was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.Louis II was made the King of Bavaria from 817 following the Emperor Charlemagne's practice of...
Grandson of Louis the PiousLouis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
Great grandson of CharlemagneCharlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 to his death. He expanded the Frankish kingdoms into a Frankish Empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe...
|
| align="center" |
|align="center"|Odo of ParisOdo was King of Western Francia . He was a son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and is sometimes referred to as duke of France and also as count of Paris...
(Eudes de Paris) |
February 29, 888 |
January 1, 898 |
Son of Robert the Strong Robert IV the Strong , was Margrave in Neustria. His family is named after him and called Robertians. He was first nominated by Charles the Bald missus dominicus in 853. Robert was the father of the kings Odo and Robert I of France. Robert was the great-grandfather of Hugh Capet and thus the...
Elected king against young Charles III. |
| |
Charles IIICharles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
the Simple
(Charles III le Simple) |
January 28, 893 |
June 30, 922 |
Posthumous son of Louis II
Younger half-brother of Louis III and Carloman II |
|-
|align="center"|
||align="center"|
Robert IRobert I , King of Western Francia , was the younger son of Robert the Strong, count of Anjou, and the brother of Odo, who became king of the Western Franks in 888. West Francia evolved over time into France; under Odo, the capital was fixed on Paris, a large step in that direction...
(Robert Ier)||align="center"|June 30, 922||align="center"|June 15, 923||Son of Robert the StrongRobert IV the Strong , was Margrave in Neustria. His family is named after him and called Robertians. He was first nominated by Charles the Bald missus dominicus in 853. Robert was the father of the kings Odo and Robert I of France. Robert was the great-grandfather of Hugh Capet and thus the...
Younger brother of Odo
|-
|align="center"|
||align="center"|RudolphRudolph was the Duke of Burgundy between 921 and 923 and King of Western Francia from thereafter to his death. Rudolph inherited the duchy of Burgundy from his father, Richard the Justiciar...
(Raoul de France)||align="center"|July 13, 923||align="center"|January 14, 936||Son-in-law of Robert I
|-
|align="center"|
||align="center"|Louis IV Louis IV or Ludwig IV may refer to:* Louis the Child, known also as Louis IV .* Louis IV of France .* Ludwig IV, Landgrave of Thuringia .* Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor .* Louis IV, Elector Palatine ....
d'Outremer
(Louis IV d'Outremer)||align="center"|June 19, 936||align="center"|September 10, 954||.
|-
|align="center"|
||align="center"|LothairLothair , sometimes called Lothair IV, was the Carolingian king of West Francia , son of Louis IV and Gerberga of Saxony.-Regency:...
(Lothaire de France)||align="center"|November 12, 954||align="center"|March 2, 986||Son of Louis IV
|-
|align="center"|
||align="center"|Louis VLouis V , called the Indolent or the Sluggard , was the King of Western Francia from 986 until his early death...
the Lazy
(Louis V le Fainéant) ||align="center"|June 8, 986||align="center"|May 22, 987||Son of Lothair
|}
Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, Direct CapetiansFor a full history of the Capetian family, see Capetian dynasty.The House of Capet, or The Direct Capetian Dynasty, , also called The House of France , or simply the Capets, which ruled the Kingdom of France from 987 to 1328, was the most senior line of the Capetian dynasty - itself a derivative...
(987 to 1328)
The Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, the male-line descendants of Hugh Capet, ruled France continuously from 987 to 1792 and again from 1814 to 1848. The branches of the dynasty which ruled after 1328, however, are generally given the specific branch names of Valois and Bourbon.
| Portrait |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
Relationship with Predecessor(s) |
 |
Hugh Capet
(Hugues Capet) |
July 3, 987 |
October 24, 996 |
Grandson of Robert I |
 |
Robert IIRobert II , called the Pious or the Wise, was King of France from 996 until his death. The second reigning member of the House of Capet, he was born in Orléans to Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine....
the Pious
(Robert II le Pieux) |
October 24, 996 |
July 20, 1031 |
Son of Hugh Capet |
 |
Henry I Henry I was King of France from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians...
(Henri Ier) |
July 20, 1031 |
August 4, 1060 |
Son of Robert II |
 |
Philip IPhilip I , called the Amorous, was King of France from 1060 to his death. His reign, like that of most of the early Direct Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time...
(Philippe Ier) |
August 4, 1060 |
July 29, 1108 |
Son of Henry I |
 |
Louis VILouis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis". The first member of the House of Capet to make a lasting contribution to the centralizing institutions of royal power, Louis was born in Paris, the son of Philip I and his first...
the Fat
(Louis VI le Gros) |
July 29, 1108 |
August 1, 1137 |
Son of Philip I |
 |
Louis VIILouis VII, called the Younger or the Young, , was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet...
the Young
(Louis VII le Jeune) |
August 1, 1137 |
September 18, 1180 |
Son of Louis VI |
 |
Philip IIPhilip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
Augustus
(Philippe II Auguste) |
September 18, 1180 |
July 14, 1223 |
Son of Louis VII |
 |
Louis VIIILouis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut...
the Lion
(Louis VIII le Lion) |
July 14, 1223 |
November 8, 1226 |
Son of Philip II Augustus |
 |
Louis IXLouis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was a member of the House of Capet, the son of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile...
the Saint
(Saint Louis) |
November 8, 1226 |
August 25, 1270 |
Son of Louis VIII |
 |
Philip IIIPhilip III , called the Bold , was the King of France, succeeding his father, Louis IX, and reigning from 1270 to 1285. He was a member of the House of Capet.-Biography:...
the Bold
(Philippe III le Hardi) |
August 25, 1270 |
October 5, 1285 |
Son of Louis IX |
 |
Philip IVPhilip IV , called the Fair , son and successor of Philip III, reigned as King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305...
the Fair
(Philippe IV le Bel) |
October 5, 1285 |
November 29, 1314 |
Son of Philip III |
 |
Louis XLouis X of France, , called the Quarreller, the Headstrong, or the Stubborn , was the King of Navarre from 1305 and King of France from 1314 until his death.-Life:...
the Quarreller
(Louis X le Hutin) |
November 29, 1314 |
June 5, 1316 |
Son of Philip IV |
 |
John IJohn I , called the Posthumous, was King of France and Navarre, and Count of Champagne, as the son and successor of Louis X, for the five days he lived...
the Posthumous
(Jean Ier le Posthume) |
November 15, 1316 |
November 20, 1316 |
Son of Louis X |
 |
Philip V Philip V , called the Tall , was King of France and Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1316 to his death, and the second to last of the House of Capet....
the Tall
(Philippe V le Long) |
November 20, 1316 |
January 3, 1322 |
Son of Philip IV
Younger brother of Louis X |
 |
Charles IVCharles IV , was the King of France and of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1322 to his death: he was the last French king of the senior Capetian lineage.-Biography:He was the third son of Philip IV...
the Fair
(Charles IV le Bel) |
January 3, 1322 |
February 1, 1328 |
Son of Philip IV
Younger brother of Philip V |
Not listed above are Hugh MagnusHugh Magnus of France was co-King of France under his father, Robert II, from 1017 until his death in 1025...
, eldest son of Robert II, and Philip of FrancePhilip of France was the first son of Louis VI of France and his second wife Adélaide de Maurienne.The favourite son of his father whilst a child, Philip was enthroned alongside Louis VI as joint-king in 1129...
, eldest son of Louis VI; both were co-Kings with their fathers (in accordance with the early Capetian practice whereby Kings would crown their heirs in their own lifetimes and share power with the co-king), but predeceased them. Because neither Hugh nor Philip were sole or senior king in their own lifetimes, they are not traditionally listed as Kings of France, and are not given ordinals.
Valois (1328-1498)
| Portrait |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
Relationship with Predecessor(s) |
 |
Philip VIPhilip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
of Valois, the Fortunate
(Philippe VI de Valois, le Fortuné) |
February 1, 1328 |
August 22, 1350 |
Son of Charles of ValoisCharles of Valois was the fourth son of Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon. His mother was a daughter of James I of Aragon and Yolande of Hungary. He was a member of the House of Capet and founded the House of Valois...
, who was son of Philip III |
 |
John IIJohn II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philippe VI and Jeanne of...
the Good
(Jean II le Bon) |
August 22, 1350 |
April 8, 1364 |
Son of Philip VI |
 |
Charles VCharles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death and a member of the House of Valois...
the Wise
(Charles V le Sage) |
April 8, 1364 |
September 16, 1380 |
Son of John II |
 |
Charles VICharles VI , called the Well-loved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois.-Early life:...
the Beloved, the Mad
(Charles VI le Bienaimé, le Fol) |
September 16, 1380 |
October 21, 1422 |
Son of Charles V |
 |
Charles VIICharles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France from Paris.He was a member of the House of Valois, the son of Charles VI, but his...
the Victorious, the Well-Served
(Charles VII le Victorieux, le Bien-Servi) |
October 21, 1422 |
July 22, 1461 |
Son of Charles VI |
| align="center" |
|align="center"|Louis XILouis XI , called the Prudent and the Universal Spider or the Spider King, was the King of France from 1461 to 1483...
the Prudent, the Universal Spider
(Louis XI le Prudent, l'Universelle Aragne) |
July 22, 1461 |
August 30, 1483 |
Son of Charles VII |
 |
Charles VIIICharles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
the Affable
(Charles VIII l'Affable) |
August 30, 1483 |
April 7, 1498 |
Son of Louis XI |
House of LancasterThe House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
(1422-1453)
From 1422 Henry VI of EnglandHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
controlled much of northern France in accordance with the Plantagenet claim to the French crown, although Charles VII held sway over large areas south of the Loire River. Charles was crowned at Reims in 1429 and increasingly extended this dominion. By 1453, Henry had lost all French possessions except Calais, effectively putting an end to the Hundred Years' WarThe Hundred Years' War was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne, which was vacant with the extinction of the senior Capetian line of French kings. The two primary contenders were the House of Valois and the House of Plantagenet, also known...
. (See also main article:The Dual-Monarchy of England and France)
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Henry VI of EnglandHenry VI was King of England 1422–1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realms were governed by regents. Contemporaneously, he was described as a peaceful and pious man, not suited for the harsh nature of the struggles facing him...
(Henri II de France ) |
October 21, 1422 |
October 19, 1453 |
Grandson of Charles VI, succession according to the Treaty of Troyes The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the throne of France upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was signed in the French city of Troyes on May 21, 1420 in the aftermath of the Battle of Agincourt...
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Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, Valois-Orléans Branch (1498-1515)
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Louis XIILouis XII , called "the Father of the People" was king of France and the sole monarch from the Valois-Orléans branch of the House of Valois. He reigned from 1498 to 1515 and pursued a very active foreign policy....
Father of the People
(Louis XII le Père du Peuple) |
April 7, 1498 |
January 1, 1515 |
Great-grandson of Charles V
Second cousin, and by first marriage son-in-law of Louis XI
By second marriage husband of Anne of BrittanyAnne, Duchess of Brittany , also known as Anna of Brittany , was a Breton ruler, who was to become queen to two successive French kings. She was born in Nantes, Brittany, and was the daughter of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Gaston IV of Foix and...
, Queen of Charles VIII |
Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, Valois-Angoulême BranchAngoulême in western France was part of the Carolingian empire as the kingdom of Aquitaine. Under Charlemagne's successors, the local count of Angoulême was independent and was not united with the French crown until 1307. By the terms of the Treaty of Brétigny the Angoumois, then ruled by the...
(1515-1589)
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Francis IFrancis I , was king of France from 1515 until his death.Francis I is considered to be France's first Renaissance monarch. His reign saw France make immense cultural advances...
the Father and Restorer of Letters
(François Ier le Père et Restaurateur des Lettres) |
January 1, 1515 |
March 31, 1547 |
Great-great-grandson of Charles V
First cousin once removed, and by
first marriage son-in-law of Louis XII |
| align="center" |
|align="center"| Henry IIHenry II of the House of Valois and son and successor of Francis I was King of France from 31 March 1547, until his death in 1559.-Early years:...
(Henri II) |
March 31, 1547 |
July 10, 1559 |
Son of Francis I |
 |
Francis IIFrancis II Francis II Francis II (19 January 1544 – 5 December 1560, King-consort of Scotland (1558–1560), and King of France (1559 – 1560), was born at the Royal Chateau at Fontainebleau, the son of Henry II, King of France (31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) and Catherine de'...
(François II) |
July 10, 1559 |
December 5, 1560 |
Son of Henry II |
 |
Charles IXCharles IX born Charles-Maximilien, was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. He is best known as king at the time of the St...
|
December 5, 1560 |
May 30, 1574 |
Son of Henry II
Younger brother of Francis II |
 |
Henry IIIHenry III of France , was King of France from 1574 to 1589, and as Henry of Valois, first elected Monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Early years:Henry was born at the Royal Château de...
(Henri III) |
May 30, 1574 |
August 2, 1589 |
Son of Henry II
Younger brother of Charles IX |
Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, House of BourbonThe House of Bourbon is an important European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples & Sicily, and Parma...
(1589-1792)
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Henry IVHenry IV was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France. His parents were Queen Jeanne III and King Antoine of Navarre.As a Huguenot, Henry was involved in the Wars of Religion before...
, Good King Henry, the Green Gallant
(Henri IV, le Bon Roi Henri, le Vert-Galant) |
August 2, 1589 |
May 14, 1610 |
Tenth generation descendant of Louis IX in the male line
Grandnephew of Francis I
Second cousin, and by first marriage brother-in-law of Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III |
 |
Louis XIIILouis XIII reigned as King of France and Navarre from 1610 to 1643.-Early life, 1601—1610:Born at the Château de Fontainebleau, Louis XIII was the eldest child of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici . As son of the king, he was a Fils de France, and as the eldest son, the Dauphin...
the Just
(Louis XIII le Juste) |
May 14, 1610 |
May 14, 1643 |
Son of Henry IV |
 |
Louis XIVLouis XIV , popularly known as the Sun King , was King of France and of Navarre His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days, and is the longest documented reign of any European monarch.Louis began personally governing France after the death...
the Great, the Sun King
(Louis XIV le Grand, le Roi Soleil) |
May 14, 1643 |
September 1, 1715 |
Son of Louis XIII |
 |
Louis XVLouis XV ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death on 10 May 1774...
the Beloved
(Louis XV le Bien-Aimé) |
September 1, 1715 |
May 10, 1774 |
Great-grandson of Louis XIV |
 |
Louis XVILouis XVI of France ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1774 until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792. Suspended and arrested during the Insurrection of 10 August 1792, he was tried by the National Convention, found guilty of treason, and executed by guillotine on 21...
the Last
(Louis XVI le Dernier) |
May 10, 1774 |
August 10, 1792 |
Grandson of Louis XV |
From January 21, 1793 to June 8, 1795, Louis XVI's son Louis-Charles was the titular King of France as Louis XVIILouis XVII of France, also Louis VI of Navarre , from birth to 1789 known as Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy; then from 1789 to 1791 as Louis-Charles, Dauphin of Viennois; and from 1791 to 1793 as Louis-Charles, Prince Royal of France, was the son of King Louis XVI of France and Maria Antonia of...
; in reality, however, he was imprisoned in the Temple throughout this duration, and power was held by the leaders of the Republic. Upon Louis XVII's death, his uncle (Louis XVI's brother) Louis-Stanislas claimed the throne, as Louis XVIIILouis XVIII , Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was King of France and Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815. Louis XVIII spent twenty-three years in exile, from 1791 to 1814, due to the French Revolution, and was exiled again in 1815, upon the return of Napoleon Bonaparte...
, but only became de facto King of France in 1814.
First RepublicThe French First Republic was founded on 22 September, 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon...
(1792-1804)
The First French Republic lasted from 1792 to 1804, when its First Consul, Napoléon Bonaparte, declared himself Emperor of the French.
Bonaparte DynastyThe House of Bonaparte is an imperial and royal European dynasty founded by Napoleon I of France in 1804, a Corsican military leader who rose to notability out of the French Revolution and transformed the French Republic into the First French Empire within five years of his coup d'état...
, First EmpireThe French Empire
, also known as the Greater French Empire or First French Empire, but more commonly known as the Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I in France...
(1804-1814)
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Napoleon INapoleon Bonaparte later known as Napoleon I, and previously Napoleone di Buonaparte, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.Born in Corsica and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France, Bonaparte rose to prominence...
, the Great
(Napoléon Ier, le Grand) |
May 18, 1804 |
April 11, 1814 |
Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, House of Bourbon, Restored (1814)
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Louis XVIIILouis XVIII , Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was King of France and Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815. Louis XVIII spent twenty-three years in exile, from 1791 to 1814, due to the French Revolution, and was exiled again in 1815, upon the return of Napoleon Bonaparte...
, the Desired
(Louis XVIII, le Désiré) |
April 11, 1814 |
March 20, 1815 |
Younger brother of Louis XVI/ uncle of Louis XVII |
Bonaparte DynastyThe House of Bonaparte is an imperial and royal European dynasty founded by Napoleon I of France in 1804, a Corsican military leader who rose to notability out of the French Revolution and transformed the French Republic into the First French Empire within five years of his coup d'état...
, First Empire, RestoredThe French Empire
, also known as the Greater French Empire or First French Empire, but more commonly known as the Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I in France...
(The Hundred DaysThe Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Napoleon Bonaparte's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
, 1815)
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Napoleon INapoleon Bonaparte later known as Napoleon I, and previously Napoleone di Buonaparte, was a military and political leader of France whose actions shaped European politics in the early 19th century.Born in Corsica and trained as an artillery officer in mainland France, Bonaparte rose to prominence...
(Napoléon Ier) |
March 20, 1815 |
June 22, 1815 |
From June 22 to July 7, 1815, Bonapartists considered Napoleon I's son Napoleon II as the legitimate heir to the throne, his father having abdicated in his favor. However, the young child's reign was entirely fictional, as he was residing in Austria with his mother. Louis XVIII was reinstalled as king on July 7.
Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, House of Bourbon, Restored (1815-1830)
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Louis XVIIILouis XVIII , Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was King of France and Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815. Louis XVIII spent twenty-three years in exile, from 1791 to 1814, due to the French Revolution, and was exiled again in 1815, upon the return of Napoleon Bonaparte...
|
July 7, 1815 |
September 16, 1824 |
Younger brother of Louis XVI/ uncle of Louis XVII |
 |
Charles XCharles X ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. His short rule of almost six years came to an end when he instituted his July Ordinances in July 1830, suspending most of the liberties granted in the Charter of 1814...
|
September 16, 1824 |
August 2, 1830 |
Younger brother of Louis XVIII |
The elder son and heir of Charles X, the Dauphin Louis-Antoine, is occasionally considered to have legally been the King of France as Louis XIX in the 20 minutes that passed between Charles X's formal signature of abdication and the Dauphin's own signature.
Henri d'Artois, Charles X's grandson, was considered by monarchists to be the titular King of France, as Henry VHenri V of France and Navarre , best known by his title comte de Chambord was Duke of Bordeaux and Count of Chambord, was disputedly King of France and Navarre from 2–9 August 1830 and afterwards the Legitimist pretender to the throne of France from 1844 to 1883.Henri...
from August 2, 1830 to August 9, 1830, but his reign remained largely fictional, as he acceeded in a revolutionary context and hence was never recognized by the French State. He is generally not accounted for in lists of official French monarchs.
Capetian DynastyThe Capetian dynasty is the largest and oldest European royal house, consisting of the descendants of Hugh Capet of France in the male line. King Juan Carlos of Spain and Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg are members of this family, both through the Bourbon branch of the dynasty.-Name origins and...
, House of Bourbon-Orléans (The Monarchy of July 1830-1848)
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Louis-Philippe I the Citizen King
(Louis Philippe, le Roi Citoyen) |
August 9, 1830 |
February 24, 1848 |
Sixth generation descendant of Louis XIII in the male line
Fifth cousin of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X |
Second Republic (1848 - 1852)
The Second French Republic lasted from 1848 to 1852, when its president, Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, was declared Emperor of the French.
Bonaparte DynastyThe House of Bonaparte is an imperial and royal European dynasty founded by Napoleon I of France in 1804, a Corsican military leader who rose to notability out of the French Revolution and transformed the French Republic into the First French Empire within five years of his coup d'état...
, Second Empire, RestoredThe Second French Empire or Second Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
(1852-1870)
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Napoleon IIINapoleon III , Charles-Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, was the first President of the French Republic and the last monarch of France. He was also Napoleon I's nephew. Made president by popular vote in 1848, Napoleon III ascended to the throne on 2 December 1852, the forty-eighth anniversary of Napoleon...
(Napoléon III) |
December 2, 1852 |
September 4, 1870 |
Nephew of Napoleon I |
Government of National Defence (Paris CommuneThe Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris, from March 28 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and socialists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class...
1870 - 1871)
The transition period between the fall of the Second Empire after the capture of Napoleon III by the Prussians and the assumption of the Third Republic by General Louis Jules TrochuLouis Jules Trochu was a French military leader and politician. He served as President of the Government of National Defense - being France's de facto head of state - from 4 September 1870 until his resignation on 22 January 1871 .- Military career :He...
.
Heads of State following 1871
The chronology of Head of StateHead of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state...
of France continues with the Presidents of the French Republic and short term interim periods by the Chief of State of the French StateThe French state may refer to:*The Republic of France *Vichy France, 'French state' was the official name of the regime first directed by Philippe Pétain, explicitly opposed to the French Republic...
(1940–1944), the Chairman of the Provisional Government of the French RepublicThe Provisional Government of the French Republic was an interim government which governed France from 1944 to 1946, following the fall of Vichy France and prior to the Fourth French Republic....
(1944–1946) and the president of the French Senate (1969 and 1974) during the Fifth RepublicThe Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on 5 October 1958. The Fifth Republic emerged from the collapse of the French Fourth Republic, replacing a parliamentary government with a semi-presidential system...
.
Later pretenders
Various pretenderA pretender is a claimant to an abolished throne or to a throne already occupied by somebody else. The English word pretend comes from the French word prétendre, meaning "to put forward, to profess or claim"...
s descended from the preceding monarchs have claimed to be the legitimate monarch of France, rejecting the claims of the President of France, and of each other. These groups are:
- Legitimist claimants to the throne of France—descendants of the Bourbons, rejecting all heads of state since 1830. Unionists recognized the Orléanist claimant after 1883.
- Orléanist claimants to the throne of France—descendants of Louis-Phillippe, a cadet Bourbon, rejecting all heads of state since 1848.
- Bonapartist claimants to the throne of France—descendants of Napoleon I and his brothers, rejecting all heads of state 1815–52, and since 1870.
- Jacobite claimants to the throne of France—descendants of King Edward III of England and thus his claim to the French throne (renounced by Hanoverian
The House of Hanover is a Germanic royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover and the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland. It succeeded the House of Stuart as monarchs of Great Britain and Ireland in 1714 and held that office until the...
King George IIIGeorge III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
upon union with IrelandThe Acts of Union 1800 describe two complementary Acts, namely:* the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and...
), also claiming Scotland, and Ireland.
See also
- Coronation of the French monarch
The accession of the King of France was legitimized by coronation ceremony performed with the Crown of Charlemagne at Notre-Dame de Reims. However, the person did not need to be crowned in order to be recognized as French monarch; the new king ascended the throne when the coffin of the previous...
- Bourbon family tree
This is a simplified Family tree of the House of Bourbon, from the first duke of Bourbon, to present day, where family representatives are the kings of Spain and heirs to the throne of France.-See also:*House of Bourbon...
- English and French monarchs overlap chart
This chart shows which monarchs of England and France reigned at the same time. This chart was created to help understand the progression of relations between these kingdoms because of the long rivalry between them over the centuries. France has had no monarchs since 1870...
- English Kings of France
- Kings of France family tree
- Members of the French Royal Families
This is a list of non-ruling members of the French royal family. It includes royal consorts, children, and some grandchildren, as well as more recent members of the French Royal House....
- Style of the French sovereign
The precise style of French Sovereigns varied over the years. Currently, there is no French sovereign; three distinct traditions exist, each claiming different forms of title....