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A personal union is the combination by which two or more different state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
s are governed by the same monarch, while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It is not to be confused with a federation
Federation

A federation is a Political union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the state is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a Unilateralism decision of the central government....
, which internationally is considered as a single state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
. Nor is it to be confused with dynastic union
Dynastic union

A dynastic union is the combination by which two different states are governed by the same monarch or dynasty, while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct....
, where the union can be under a dynasty.

Personal unions can arise for very different reasons, ranging from near coincidence (a princess who is already married to a king becomes queen regnant
Queen regnant

A queen regnant is a qualifying reference to a female monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchical powers of a ruler, in contrast to a "queen consort", who is the wife of a male reigning as monarch and who is without any official powers of state....
, and their child inherits the crown of both countries) to virtual annexation
Annexation

Annexation is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities....
 (where a personal union sometimes was seen as a means of preventing uprisings).






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A personal union is the combination by which two or more different state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
s are governed by the same monarch, while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It is not to be confused with a federation
Federation

A federation is a Political union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government. In a federation, the self-governing status of the state is typically constitutionally entrenched and may not be altered by a Unilateralism decision of the central government....
, which internationally is considered as a single state
State

A state is a political Social contract with effective sovereignty over a geographic area and representing a population. These may be nation states, State or multinational states....
. Nor is it to be confused with dynastic union
Dynastic union

A dynastic union is the combination by which two different states are governed by the same monarch or dynasty, while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct....
, where the union can be under a dynasty.

Personal unions can arise for very different reasons, ranging from near coincidence (a princess who is already married to a king becomes queen regnant
Queen regnant

A queen regnant is a qualifying reference to a female monarch possessing and exercising all of the monarchical powers of a ruler, in contrast to a "queen consort", who is the wife of a male reigning as monarch and who is without any official powers of state....
, and their child inherits the crown of both countries) to virtual annexation
Annexation

Annexation is the legal incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities....
 (where a personal union sometimes was seen as a means of preventing uprisings). They can also be codified (i.e. the constitutions of the states clearly express that they shall share the same person as head of state) or non-codified, in which case they can easily be broken (e.g. by different succession rules).

Because president
President

President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, company, trade unions, university, and country. Etymology, a "president" is one who Wiktionary:Preside, who sits in leadership ....
s of republic
Republic

A republic is a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch but in which the people have an impact on its government. The word originates from the Latin term res publica....
s are ordinarily chosen from within the citizens of the state in question, personal unions are almost entirely a phenomenon of monarchies
Monarchy

A monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is absolutely or nominally lodged in an individual, who is the head of state, often for Life tenure or until abdication, and "is wholly set apart from all other members of the state." The person who heads a monarchy is called a monarch....
, and sometimes the term dual monarchy is used to signify a personal union between two monarchies.

Personal union was also a bureaucratic device used in Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the colloquial English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party , which established a Totalitarianism dictatorship that existed from 1933 to 1945....
 to combine high level state positions with equivalent positions in the National Socialist Party
National Socialist Party

Many political parties in various contexts have referred to themselves as National Socialist parties. Because there is noclear definition of National Socialism, the term has been used to mean very different things....
.

There is a somewhat grey area between personal unions and federations, and the first has regularly grown into the second.

The following provides some detail of personal unions through history. There are no longer any personal unions in today's world.

Andorra

  • Partial personal union with France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
     since 1607 (the French president, and formerly the king of France
    List of French monarchs

    The monarchs of France ruled, first as kings and later as emperors , from the Middle Ages to 1870. There is some disagreement as to when France came into existence....
    , is one of the Heads of State in Andorra, the other co-head of state is the Bishop
    Bishop

    A bishop is an ordination or consecration member of the Clergy#Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight....
     of La Seu d'Urgell, Catalonia
    Catalonia

    Catalonia , is an Autonomous Community in northeast Spain.Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km? and has an official population of 7,210,508. It borders France and Andorra to the north, Aragon to the west, the Valencian Community to the south, and the Mediterranean Sea to the east ....
    , Spain
    Spain

    Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
    .)


Aragon, Crown of

On 1162 Alfonso II of Aragon
Alfonso II of Aragon

File:Alfonso II de Arag?n from Liber feudorum maior.jpgAlfonso II or Alfons I , called the Chaste or the Troubadour, was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1162 until his death....
 was the first person to bear the titles of King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona, ruling what was called later Crown of Aragon
Crown of Aragon

The Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.At the height of its power by the 14th and 15th centuries, the Crown of Aragon was a thalassocracy controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain, Northern Catalonia, as well as some of the major islands and mainland...
.

Bohemia

  • Personal union with Poland 1003 - 1004 (Bohemia occupied by Poles)
  • Personal union with Poland 1300 - 1306 and Hungary 1301 - 1305 (Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III)
  • Personal union with Luxembourg 1313 - 1378 and 1383 - 1388
  • Personal union with Hungary 1419-1439 (Sigismund of Luxemburg and his son in law) and 1490 - 1526 (Jagellon dynasty)
  • Personal union with Austria and Hungary 1526 - 1918 (except years 1619 - 1620)


Brandenburg


  • Personal union with the Duchy of Prussia from 1618, when Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia
    Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia

    Albert Frederick was duke of Duchy of Prussia from 1568 until his death. He was a son of Albert of Prussia and Anna Marie of Brunswick-L?neburg....
     died without male heirs and his son in law John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg
    John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg

    John Sigismund was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern. He also served as a Duchy of Prussia.John Sigismund was born in Halle, Saxony-Anhalt to Joachim Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg, and his first wife Catherine, Princess of Brandenburg-K?strin....
     became ruler of both countries. Brandenburg and Prussia maintained separate governments and seats of power in Berlin
    Berlin

    Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
     and Königsberg
    Königsberg

    K?nigsberg was after World War II in 1946 renamed Kaliningrad by the Soviet Union.The city was the Capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945....
     respectively until 1701, when Frederick I
    Frederick I of Prussia

    Frederick I , of the House of Hohenzollern dynasty, was Prince-elector of Brandenburg and the first King in Prussia ....
     consolidated them into one government.


Commonwealth realms


The conception of a personal union was suggested to keep the Irish Free State
Irish Free State

The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand....
 as a Commonwealth Realm
Commonwealth Realm

A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 Sovereignty states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as their monarch....
.

The phrase personal union appears in some discussion about the early Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations, also known as the Commonwealth or the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organization of fifty-three independent member states....
 , though its application to Commonwealth was refuted by others.

Congo Free State


  • Personal union with Belgium
    Belgium

    * A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
     from 1885 to 1908, when it became a Belgian colony.


Croatia

  • Personal union with Hungary
    Hungary

    Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
     from 1102 to 1918


Denmark

  • Harthacanute
    Harthacanute

    Harthacanute was King of Denmark from 1035 to 1042 as well as King of England from 1040 to 1042. He came from Northmannia according to Adam of Bremen and was the only son of Canute the Great and Emma of Normandy....
     ruled both Denmark and England
    England

    native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
     from 1040 to 1042
  • Personal union with Norway
    Norway

    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
     from 1380 to 1814 (the Norwegian Riksrĺd was abolished in 1536)
  • The Kalmar Union
    Kalmar Union

    The Kalmar Union is a historiography term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently....
     with Norway
    Norway

    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
     and Sweden
    Sweden

    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
     from 1389 to 1521 (sometimes defunct)
  • The kings of Denmark at the same time being dukes of Schleswig
    Schleswig

    Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark. The region is also known archaically in English language as Sleswick....
     and Holstein
    Holstein

    Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider River. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany.Holstein once existed as the County of Holstein , the later Duchy of Holstein , and was the northernmost territory of the Holy Roman Empire....
     1460-1864 (Holstein being part of the Holy Roman Empire
    Holy Roman Empire

    The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
    , now part of Germany
    Germany

    Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
    )
  • Personal union with Iceland
    Iceland

    Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland , is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean between mainland Europe and Greenland....
     from 1918 to 1944 when Iceland became a republic


England

  • Harthacanute
    Harthacanute

    Harthacanute was King of Denmark from 1035 to 1042 as well as King of England from 1040 to 1042. He came from Northmannia according to Adam of Bremen and was the only son of Canute the Great and Emma of Normandy....
     ruled both England and Denmark
    Denmark

    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
     from 1040 to 1042
  • Personal union with Ireland
    Kingdom of Ireland

    The Kingdom of Ireland was the name given to the Irish state from 1541, by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. It was based on the contested legitimacy of the right of conquest....
     from 1541 (when Ireland was raised to the level of a kingdom) to 1707
  • Personal union with Scotland
    Scotland

    conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
     from 1603 to 1707 (when they were joined together in the Kingdom of Great Britain
    Kingdom of Great Britain

    The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
    )
  • Personal union with the Netherlands
    Netherlands

    The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
     from 1689 to 1702, with the Dutch
    Dutch people

    The Dutch are the people native to the Netherlands, a country in north-western Europe.Dutch people, or descendants of Dutch people, are also found in migrant communities world wide,See the Dutch #Dutch diaspora. and form a mentionable part of the population of Canada,Australia, South Africa and the United States....
     Stadtholder
    Stadtholder

    A Stadtholder in the Low Countries was a medieval function which during the 18th century developed into a rare type of de facto hereditary head of state of the thus "crowned" Dutch Republic....
     also serving as the King of England, Scotland and Ireland. The actual situation was slightly more complex with the Dutch provinces Holland
    Holland

    Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
    , Zeeland
    Zeeland

    Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
    , Utrecht
    Utrecht (province)

    Utrecht is the smallest Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest....
    , Gelderland
    Gelderland

    Gelderland is a Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem....
     and Overijssel
    Overijssel

    Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification of NL21....
     entering into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe
    Drenthe

    Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east....
     in 1696. Only 2 Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland
    Friesland

    Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the bigger region known as Frisia. In order to distinguish it from the other Frisian regions, it is commonly specified as Westerlauwer Frisia, Westerlauwer Friesland, West Frisia or West Friesland....
     and Groningen
    Groningen (province)

    Groningen is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the Germany state of Lower Saxony , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea....
    .


Finland

  • The status of the Grand Duchy of Finland
    Grand Duchy of Finland

    The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland that existed in its territory 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire....
    , ruled from 1809 to 1917 by the Czar of Russia
    Russia

    Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
     as the Grand Duke of Finland, closely resembled a personal union and is often described as such by Finns. In accordance with the Treaty of Fredrikshamn Finland was legally a part of the Russian Empire
    Russian Empire

    File:Russian Emperor Flag.jpgFile:Romanov Flag.svgThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917....
     that was granted autonomy at the sufferance of the Czar; the autonomous status was temporarily repealed
    Russification of Finland

    The Russification of Finland was a governmental policy of the Russian Empire aimed at the termination of Grand Duchy of Finland?s Autonomous entity....
     later on.


France

  • Personal union with the Duchy of Burgundy
    Duchy of Burgundy

    The Duchy of Burgundy was a feudal territory once existing within the France in the Middle Ages. It roughly conforms to the modern Bourgogne. Existing between 843 and 1477, the Duchy was ruled by a succession of Duke of Burgundy, whose extinction with the death of Charles the Bold in 1477 led to the Duchy being absorbed into the French crown...
     from 1361, when John II of France
    John II of France

    John II , called John the Good , was Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, and Duke of Normandy from 1332, Count of Poitiers from 1344, Duke of Aquitaine from 1345, and King of France from 1350 until his death, as well as Duke of Burgundy from 1361 to 1363....
     succeeded to the Duchy, until 1363, when he passed it to his son Philip the Bold
    Philip the Bold

    Philip the Bold can refer to:* Philip the Bold, also known as Philip II Duke of Burgundy * Philip III of France ...
    .
  • Personal union with the Duchy of Brittany from 1491, when Duchess Anne of Brittany
    Anne of Brittany

    Anne, 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 of Brittany and Margaret of Foix....
     married King Charles VIII of France
    Charles VIII of France

    Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was List of French monarchs from 1483 to his death. Charles was a member of the House of Valois. His invasion of Italy initiated the long series of Italian Wars which characterized the first half of the 16th century....
     under duress, to 1532 when the Duchy of Brittany was formally annexed to the Kingdom of France.
  • Personal union with the Kingdom of Navarre
    Kingdom of Navarre

    The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
     from 1589 to 1620, when Navarre was formally integrated into France.
  • Partial personal union with Andorra
    Andorra

    Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, is a small landlocked country in western Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France....
     since 1607 (the French president is one of the Heads of State in Andorra)


Note: The point at issue in the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession

War of the Spanish Succession was a war fought in 1701-1714, in which several European powers combined to stop a possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under a single Bourbon monarch, upsetting the European Balance of power in international relations....
 was the fear that the succession to the Spanish throne dictated by Spanish law, which would devolve on Louis, le Grand dauphin — already heir to the throne of France — would create a personal union that would upset the European balance of power
Balance of power

Balance of power may refer to:* balance of power in international relations ? when there is parity or stability between competing forces* balance of power ? when an individual or minor group can exercise a decisive influence on legislation because evenly weighted major groups act in opposition to each other...
 (France had the most powerful military in Europe at the time, and Spain the largest empire).

Great Britain

  • Personal union with Ireland
    Kingdom of Ireland

    The Kingdom of Ireland was the name given to the Irish state from 1541, by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. It was based on the contested legitimacy of the right of conquest....
     from creation in 1707 to abolition
    Act of Union 1800

    The phrase Act of Union 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and the Act of Union 1800 ,...
     in 1801 (when they were joined together in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

    The 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....
    )
  • Personal union with Hanover
    Electorate of Hanover

    The Electorate of Brunswick-L?neburg became the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1692, when the Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, elevated Duke Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-L?neburg to the rank of Prince-elector of the Empire as a reward for aid given in the War of the Grand Alliance....
     from the accession of George I
    George I of Great Britain

    George I was List of British Monarchs#House of Hanover and King of Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of Electorate of Hanover in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
     in 1714 to abolition
    Act of Union 1800

    The phrase Act of Union 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are the Union with Ireland Act 1800 , an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, and the Act of Union 1800 ,...
     in 1801


Hanover

  • Personal union with Great Britain
    Kingdom of Great Britain

    The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
     and Ireland
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
     from 1714 to 1801
  • Personal union with the United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
     from 1801 to 1837, when differing succession laws resulted in Queen Victoria
    Victoria of the United Kingdom

    Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....
     ascending the British throne and her uncle Ernest Augustus that of Hanover
    Hanover

    Hanover or Hannover#Definitions , on the river Leine, is the capital city of the Federal states of Germany of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the House of Hanover, in their dignities as the dukes of Brunswick-L?neburg ....
    .


Holy Roman Empire

  • Personal union with Spain
    Spain

    Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
     from 1519 to 1556 under Charles V
    Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

    Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
    .
  • Personal union with Hungary
    Hungary

    Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
     from 1526 to 1806


Hungary

  • Personal union and Real union
    Real Unión

    Real Uni?n Club de Ir?n is a Spain football club, based in the city of Ir?n, in the Basque Country , near the border with France. It currently plays in Segunda Divisi?n B, holding home matches at the 5,000 seater Stadium Gal....
     with Croatia
    Croatia

    Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a Central European country at the crossroads of Pannonian Plain, Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea....
     from 1102 to 1918.
  • Personal union with Poland
    Poland

    Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
     and Bohemia
    Bohemia

    History...
     1301 - 1305
  • Personal union with Poland
    Poland

    Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
     from 1370 to 1382 under the reign of Louis the Great
    Louis I of Hungary

    Louis I the Great was King of Hungary from 1342 and of King of Poland from 1370.Louis was the head of the senior branch of the Angevin dynasty....
    . This period in Polish history is sometimes known as the Andegawen Poland. Louis inherited the Polish throne from his maternal uncle Casimir III
    Casimir III of Poland

    Casimir III the Great , last List of Polish monarchs from the Piast dynasty , was the son of King Wladyslaw I the Elbow-high and Jadwiga of Gniezno and Greater Poland....
    . After Louis' death the Polish nobles (the szlachta
    Szlachta

    Szlachta refers to the nobility social class in the Kingdom of Poland , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the increasingly polonized territories under their control ....
    ) decided to end the personal union, since they didn't want to be governed from Hungary, and chose Louis' younger daughter Jadwiga
    Jadwiga of Poland

    Not to be confused with Jadwiga of Greater PolandJadwiga of Anjou was Queen of Poland from 1384 to her death. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elisabeth of Bosnia....
     as their new ruler, while Hungary was inherited by his elder daughter Mary
    Mary of Hungary

    Mary of Hungary was queen regnant of Kingdom of Hungary from 1382 until her death in 1395....
    . Personal union with Poland in the second time from 1440 to 1444.
  • Personal union with Bohemia from 1419 to 1439 and from 1490 to 1918
  • Personal union with the Holy Roman Empire from 1410 to 1439 and from 1526 to 1806 (except 1608-1612)
  • Personal union with Austria
    Austria

    Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
     from 1867 to 1918 (the dual monarchy
    Dual monarchy

    Dual monarchy occurs when two separate kingdoms are ruled by the same monarch, follow the same foreign policy, exist in a customs union with each other and have a combined military but are otherwise self-governing....
     of Austria-Hungary
    Austria-Hungary

    Austria-Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Kaiserlich und k?niglich Monarchy was a state in Central Europe ruled by the House of Habsburg, constitutionally a personal union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary....
    ) under the reigns of Franz Joseph and Charles IV
    Karl I of Austria

    Charles I was the last ruler of the Austria-Hungary. He was the last Emperor of Austria, the last Kingdom of Hungary, the last Croatia-Slavonia, and the last Kingdom of Bohemia , and the last monarch of the Habsburg dynasty....
    .


Iceland

  • Personal union with Denmark
    Denmark

    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
     from 1918 to 1944 when the country became a republic


Ireland

  • Personal union with England
    Kingdom of England

    The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a state in North-West Europe. The Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and a number of smaller outlying islands?what is today the legal unit of England and Wales....
     from 1541 (when the Irish Parliament proclaimed King Henry VIII of England, King of Ireland) to 1707 (upon the formation of Great Britain).
  • Personal union with Scotland
    Kingdom of Scotland

    The Kingdom of Scotland was a state in North-West Europe which existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a Anglo-Scottish border to the south with the Kingdom of England, with which it was united to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, under the terms of the Acts of Union 1707, in 170...
     (and England) from 1603 to 1707 (when England and Scotland were joined together in the Kingdom of Great Britain
    Kingdom of Great Britain

    The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
    )
  • Personal union with the Netherlands
    Netherlands

    The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
     from 1689 to 1702, with the King of Ireland, Scotland and England also serving as Stadtholder of most of the provinces of the Netherlands. The actual situation was slightly more complex with the Dutch provinces Holland
    Holland

    Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
    , Zeeland
    Zeeland

    Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
    , Utrecht
    Utrecht (province)

    Utrecht is the smallest Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest....
    , Gelderland
    Gelderland

    Gelderland is a Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem....
     and Overijssel
    Overijssel

    Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification of NL21....
     entering into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe
    Drenthe

    Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east....
     in 1696. Only 2 Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland
    Friesland

    Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the bigger region known as Frisia. In order to distinguish it from the other Frisian regions, it is commonly specified as Westerlauwer Frisia, Westerlauwer Friesland, West Frisia or West Friesland....
     and Groningen
    Groningen (province)

    Groningen is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the Germany state of Lower Saxony , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea....
    .
  • Personal union with Great Britain
    Great Britain

    Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
     from 1707 to 1801 (when they were joined together in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
    United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

    The 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....
    ).
  • Personal union with Hanover
    Electorate of Hanover

    The Electorate of Brunswick-L?neburg became the ninth Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire in 1692, when the Holy Roman Emperor, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, elevated Duke Ernest Augustus, Elector of Brunswick-L?neburg to the rank of Prince-elector of the Empire as a reward for aid given in the War of the Grand Alliance....
     from 1714 to 1801.
  • Personal union with the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1937/1949 (see Irish head of state from 1936-1949
    Irish head of state from 1936-1949

    During the period of 1936 to 1949 it was unclear whether or not the Irish state was a republic or a form of constitutional monarchy and whether its head of state was the President of Ireland or the King of Ireland, George VI of the United Kingdom....
    ).


Lithuania

  • Personal union with Poland
    Poland

    Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....
     from 1386 to 1569 - the Polish-Lithuanian Union
    Polish-Lithuanian Union

    The term Polish?Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that lasted for prolonged periods of time and led to the creation of the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth?the "Republic of the Two Nations"?in...
    . In 1569 transformed into a federation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
    Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

    The Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries in 16th and 17th-century Europe, formed by a Union of Lublin of Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569....
    .


Luxembourg

  • Personal union with Bohemia
    Bohemia

    History...
     1313 - 1378 and 1383 - 1388
  • Personal union with the Netherlands
    Netherlands

    The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
     from 1815 to 1890


Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre

The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....

  • Personal union with France
    France

    France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
     from 1589 to 1620, when Navarre was formally integrated into France.


The Netherlands

  • Personal union with England
    England

    native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
    , Scotland
    Scotland

    conventional_long_name = ScotlandAlba|common_name= Scotland|image_flag = Flag of Scotland.svg|flag_width = 130px...
     and Ireland
    Ireland

    Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
     from 1689 to 1702, with the stadtholder
    Stadtholder

    A Stadtholder in the Low Countries was a medieval function which during the 18th century developed into a rare type of de facto hereditary head of state of the thus "crowned" Dutch Republic....
     of most of the provinces of the Netherlands also serving as King of England, Scotland and Ireland. The actual situation was slightly more complex, as until 1795 the Dutch Republic
    Dutch Republic

    The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was a European republic between 1581 and 1795, in about the same location as the modern Kingdom of the Netherlands, which is the successor state....
     was a confederation
    Confederation

    Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense , foreign affairs, or a common currency, with the central government being required to provide support for all members....
     of nominally independent provinces. The provinces of Holland
    Holland

    Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
    , Zeeland
    Zeeland

    Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
    , Utrecht
    Utrecht (province)

    Utrecht is the smallest Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest....
    , Gelderland
    Gelderland

    Gelderland is a Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem....
     and Overijssel
    Overijssel

    Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification of NL21....
     entered into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe
    Drenthe

    Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east....
     followed in 1696. Two Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland
    Friesland

    Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the bigger region known as Frisia. In order to distinguish it from the other Frisian regions, it is commonly specified as Westerlauwer Frisia, Westerlauwer Friesland, West Frisia or West Friesland....
     and Groningen
    Groningen (province)

    Groningen is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the Germany state of Lower Saxony , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea....
    , as they had different stadtholders from the other provinces.
  • Personal union with Luxembourg
    Luxembourg

    Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a small landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany....
     from 1815 to 1890.


Norway

  • Personal union with Sweden
    Sweden

    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
     from 1319 to 1343
  • Personal union with Denmark
    Denmark

    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
     from 1380 to 1814 (the Norwegian Riksrĺd was abolished in 1536)
  • The Kalmar Union
    Kalmar Union

    The Kalmar Union is a historiography term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently....
     with Denmark
    Denmark

    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
     and Sweden
    Sweden

    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
     from 1389 to 1521 (sometimes defunct)
  • Personal union with Sweden
    Sweden

    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
     from 1814 (when Norway declared independence from Denmark and was forced
    Swedish campaign against Norway (1814)

    The Campaign against Norway, or The Norwegian-Swedish War of 1814 was fought between Sweden and Norway in the summer of 1814. The war resulted in Norway entering into union with Sweden, but with its own constitution and parliament....
     into a union with Sweden
    Union between Sweden and Norway

    The Union between Sweden and Norway , was the union of the kingdoms of Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union, following the Treaty of Kiel, the declaration of Norway in 1814, a Swedish campaign against Norway , the Convention of Moss, on August 14, 1814, and the Norwegian constitu...
    ) to 1905


Poland

  • Personal union with Bohemia
    Bohemia

    History...
     1300 - 1306 and Hungary
    Hungary

    Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....
     1301 - 1305 (Wenceslas II and Wenceslas III)
  • Personal union with Hungary from 1370 to 1382 and 1440 to 1444 (see Hungary section above
    Personal union

    A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states are governed by the same monarch, while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct....
    )
  • Personal union with Lithuania
    Lithuania

    Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast to the southwest....
     from 1386
    Jogaila

    Jogaila, later Wladyslaw II Jagiello , was Grand Duchy of Lithuania and King of Poland. He ruled in Lithuania from 1377, at first with his uncle, Kestutis....
     to 1569
    Union of Lublin

    The Union of Lublin replaced the personal union of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy, since Sigismund II Augustus, the last of the Jagiellons, remained childless after three marriages....
     known as the Polish-Lithuanian Union
    Polish-Lithuanian Union

    The term Polish?Lithuanian Union sometimes called as United Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania refers to a series of acts and alliances between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that lasted for prolonged periods of time and led to the creation of the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth?the "Republic of the Two Nations"?in...
    . In 1569 the union was transformed into a federation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
    Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

    The Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries in 16th and 17th-century Europe, formed by a Union of Lublin of Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569....
    .
  • Personal union with Electorate of Saxony
    Duchy of Saxony

    The medi?val Duchy of Saxony was a late Early Middle Ages "Carolingian stem duchy" covering the greater part of Northern Germany. It covered the area of the modern German states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony-Anhalt and most of Schleswig-Holstein....
     from 1697 to 1706, 1709 to 1733, and 1734 to 1763.
  • Eastern part: Personal union with Russia
    Russia

    Russia , or the Russian Federation , is a list of countries spanning more than one continent country extending over much of northern Eurasia....
     from 1814 to 1832, known as Congress Poland
    Congress Poland

    Congress Poland [], officially and formally Kingdom of Poland and informally known as Russian Poland was a constitutional personal union of the Russian Empire created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, replaced by the Central Powers in 1915 with the Kingdom of Poland ....
    ; following the suppression of an army revolt, the territory was annexed outright by Russia.


Poland-Lithuania

  • Personal union with Sweden
    Sweden

    Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....
     from 1592 to 1599
  • Personal union with Saxony
    Saxony

    The Free State of Saxony is a States of Germany of Germany. Located in the southeastern part of present-day Germany. It is the tenth-largest German state in area and the sixth largest in population , of Germany's sixteen states....
     from 1697 to 1705, 1709 to 1733 and 1733 to 1763


Portugal

  • Iberian Union
    Iberian Union

    Iberian Union is a modern day term that refers to the historical political unit that governed all of the Iberian peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580?1640, through a personal union....
     with Spain
    Spain

    Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
     from 1580 to 1640, under Philip II
    Philip II of Spain

    Philip II was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, List of monarchs of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England, as husband of Mary I of England, from 1554 to 1558, lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories, such as Duke or Count; and King of Portugal as Philip I...
     (also known as Philip I of Portugal), his son
    Philip III of Spain

    Philip III was the monarch of Spain and King of Portugal, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death. His Political minister was the Francisco Gom?z de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma....
     and grandson
    Philip IV of Spain

    Philip IV , was List of Spanish monarchs between 1621 and 1665, Sovereignty of the Spanish Netherlands, and List of Portuguese monarchs until 1640....
    .


Romania

  • Personal union between Wallachia
    Wallachia

    Wallachia or Walachia is a Historical regions of Romania and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians....
     and Transylvania
    Transylvania

    Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountains, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term frequently encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of Crisana, Maramures, and Banat....
     from 1599 to 1600 under the rule of Michael the Brave
    Michael the Brave

    Michael the Brave was the Prince of Wallachia , of Transylvania , and of Moldavia , the three Romanian principalities that he united under his rule....
  • Personal union between Wallachia
    Wallachia

    Wallachia or Walachia is a Historical regions of Romania and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians....
    , Moldavia
    Moldavia

    Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river....
     and Transylvania
    Transylvania

    Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountains, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term frequently encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of Crisana, Maramures, and Banat....
     from 1600 to 1601 under the rule of Michael the Brave
    Michael the Brave

    Michael the Brave was the Prince of Wallachia , of Transylvania , and of Moldavia , the three Romanian principalities that he united under his rule....
  • Personal union between Wallachia
    Wallachia

    Wallachia or Walachia is a Historical regions of Romania and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians....
     and Moldavia
    Moldavia

    Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river....
     from 1859 to 1862 under the rule of Alexander John Cuza
    Alexander John Cuza

    Alexander John Cuza was a Moldavian-born Romanian politician who ruled as the first Domnitor of the Danubian Principalities between 1859 and 1866....


Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach

The duchies of Saxe-Weimar
Saxe-Weimar

History of Saxony-Weimar was a duchy in Thuringia, Germany. The chief town and capital was Weimar....
 and Saxe-Eisenach
Saxe-Eisenach

History of Saxony-Eisenach was the name of three different duchies that existed at different times in the Germany province of Thuringia. The chief town and capital of all three duchies was Eisenach....
 were in personal union from 1741, when the ruling house of Saxe-Eisenach died out, until 1809, when they were merged into the single duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

The Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was created in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, which had been in personal union since 1741, when the Saxe-Eisenach line had died out....
.

Schleswig and Holstein

Duchies with peculiar rules for succession
Order of succession

An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant....
.
  • The kings of Denmark
    Denmark

    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
     at the same time being dukes of Schleswig and Holstein 1460-1864. (Holstein being part of the Holy Roman Empire
    Holy Roman Empire

    The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
    )


Scotland

  • Personal union with France from 1559 to 1560
  • Personal union with England
    England

    native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
     and Ireland
    Kingdom of Ireland

    The Kingdom of Ireland was the name given to the Irish state from 1541, by the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 of the Parliament of Ireland. It was based on the contested legitimacy of the right of conquest....
     from 1603 to 1707 (when England and Scotland were joined together in the Kingdom of Great Britain
    Kingdom of Great Britain

    The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
    )
  • Personal union with the Netherlands
    Netherlands

    The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
     from 1689 to 1702, with the King of Scotland, England and Ireland also serving as Stadtholder of most of the provinces of the Netherlands. The actual situation was slightly more complex with the Dutch provinces Holland
    Holland

    Holland is a name in common usage given to two regions in the western part of Netherlands. The name 'Holland' is also often mistakenly used to refer to the whole of The Netherlands....
    , Zeeland
    Zeeland

    Zeeland , also called Zealand in English language and Zeelandic, is a province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium....
    , Utrecht
    Utrecht (province)

    Utrecht is the smallest Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, and is located in the center of the country. It is bordered by the Eemmeer in the north, Gelderland in the east, the river Rhine in the south, South Holland in the west, and North Holland in the northwest....
    , Gelderland
    Gelderland

    Gelderland is a Provinces of the Netherlands of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem....
     and Overijssel
    Overijssel

    Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics classification of NL21....
     entering into personal union in 1689 and Drenthe
    Drenthe

    Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east....
     in 1696. Only 2 Dutch provinces never entered into the personal union: Friesland
    Friesland

    Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the bigger region known as Frisia. In order to distinguish it from the other Frisian regions, it is commonly specified as Westerlauwer Frisia, Westerlauwer Friesland, West Frisia or West Friesland....
     and Groningen
    Groningen (province)

    Groningen is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the Germany state of Lower Saxony , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea....
    .


Spain

  • Personal union with the Holy Roman Empire
    Holy Roman Empire

    The Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early modern Europe under a Holy Roman Emperor....
     from 1519 to 1556 under Charles I
    Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

    Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I of Spain, of the Spanish realms from 1516 until his abdication in 1556....
     (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor)
  • Iberian Union
    Iberian Union

    Iberian Union is a modern day term that refers to the historical political unit that governed all of the Iberian peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580?1640, through a personal union....
     of all kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula
    Iberian Peninsula

    The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes modern-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar and a very small area of France....
    , including Portugal
    Portugal

    Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....
    , from 1580 to 1640, under Philip II
    Philip II of Spain

    Philip II was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, List of monarchs of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England, as husband of Mary I of England, from 1554 to 1558, lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories, such as Duke or Count; and King of Portugal as Philip I...
     (also known as Phillip I of Portugal), his son
    Philip III of Spain

    Philip III was the monarch of Spain and King of Portugal, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death. His Political minister was the Francisco Gom?z de Sandoval y Rojas, Duke of Lerma....
     and grandson
    Philip IV of Spain

    Philip IV , was List of Spanish monarchs between 1621 and 1665, Sovereignty of the Spanish Netherlands, and List of Portuguese monarchs until 1640....
    .


Sweden

  • Personal union with Norway
    Norway

    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
     from 1319 to 1343
  • The Kalmar Union
    Kalmar Union

    The Kalmar Union is a historiography term meaning a series of personal unions that united the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden under a single monarch, though intermittently....
     with Denmark
    Denmark

    Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....
     and Norway
    Norway

    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
     from 1389 to 1521 (sometimes defunct)
  • Personal union with Poland-Lithuania
    Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

    The Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth was one of the largest and most populous countries in 16th and 17th-century Europe, formed by a Union of Lublin of Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569....
     from 1592 to 1599
  • Personal union with Norway
    Norway

    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
     from 1814 to 1905 (sometimes called Sweden-Norway)


United Kingdom

  • Personal union with Hanover
    Kingdom of Hanover

    The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October of 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III of the United Kingdom to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic wars....
     from 1801 to 1837, when differing succession laws resulted in Queen Victoria
    Victoria of the United Kingdom

    Victoria was from 20 June 1837 the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and from 1 May 1876 the first Empress of India of the British Raj until her death....
     ascending the British throne and her uncle Ernest Augustus that of Hanover.
  • Personal union with Ireland
    Irish Free State

    The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand....
     from 1922 to 1937/1949 (see Irish head of state from 1936-1949
    Irish head of state from 1936-1949

    During the period of 1936 to 1949 it was unclear whether or not the Irish state was a republic or a form of constitutional monarchy and whether its head of state was the President of Ireland or the King of Ireland, George VI of the United Kingdom....
    ).


See also

  • Union
  • Political union
    Political union

    A political union is a type of state which is composed of or created out of smaller states. Unlike a personal union, the individual states share a common government and the union is recognized internationally as a single political entity....
  • Real union
    Real Unión

    Real Uni?n Club de Ir?n is a Spain football club, based in the city of Ir?n, in the Basque Country , near the border with France. It currently plays in Segunda Divisi?n B, holding home matches at the 5,000 seater Stadium Gal....
  • Constituent country
    Constituent country

    A constituent country is a country that is part of a larger entity, such as a sovereign state or Supranationalism body....
  • Confederation
    Confederation

    Usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution, confederations tend to be established for dealing with critical issues such as defense , foreign affairs, or a common currency, with the central government being required to provide support for all members....