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See also List of Queens and Empresses of France

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. The earliest date would be the establishment of the Merovingian Frankish kingdom by Clovis I in 486 with the defeat of Syagrius, the last Roman official in Gaul. That kingdom's rulers were deposed in the 8th century. The Treaty of Verdun established the Kingdom of Western Francia in 843. Another date favored by many medieval historians is 987, the beginning of the Capetian Dynasty, and of rule by the Direct Capetians.

However, the relevance of such traditional outlooks on the origins of modern nations is historically dubious (see below for recent studies). In light of these recent trends, this list begins with Charles the Bald 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 1422 to 1801 also claimed the title of King of France. For a short time, this had some basis in fact - under the terms of the 1420 Treaty of Troyes, Charles VI had recognized his son-in-law Henry V of England as regent and heir. After the death of the two, Henry VI, succeeded his grandfather 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 Calais (and the Channel Islands), and Calais itself fell in 1558. Nevertheless, English monarchs continued to claim the title until the creation of the United Kingdom 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" (Template:Lang-la) remained in use until the reign of Philip IV. During the brief period when the French Constitution of 1791 was in effect (1791-1792) and after the July Revolution in 1830, the style "King of the French" was used instead of "King of France (and Navarre)". It was a constitutional innovation known as popular monarchy which linked the monarch's title to the people, not to the territory of France.

Frankish Predecessors: the Merovingian and Carolingian Dynasties (c. 410 to 843)

See also List of Frankish Kings

The name of France comes from the Germanic tribe known as the Franks. The Merovingian kings began as mere chieftains, the oldest known being Pharamond. Clovis I was the first of these to rise to true kingship. After his death, his kingdom was split between his sons into Soissons (Neustria), Paris, Orleans (Burgundy), and Metz (Austrasia). 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 (mayors of the palace) in Austrasia. Eventually, they united the entire Frankish kingdom for the first time since Clovis. With Mayor Pippin the Younger, 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 Charlemagne, was split by Louis I (Louis the Pious). In 843, while Louis's son Lothair was in power, the great Frankish kingdom was split. The Eastern Kingdom became Germany, the Middle Kingdom became Lotharingia and later part of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Western Kingdom became France. Charles the Bald was the first ruler of the independent West Franks (France).

Carolingian Dynasty (843 to 987)

Picture	Name	King From	King Until
File:Ch1.gif	Charles the Bald	843	October 6, 877
	Louis II	October 6, 877	April 10, 879
	Louis III	April 10, 879	August 5, 882
	Carloman	April 10, 879	December 6, 884
	Charles the Fat	885	January 13, 888
	Odo	February 29, 888	January 1, 898
	Charles the Simple	January 1, 898	June 30, 922
	Robert I	June 30, 922	June 15, 923
	Rudolph	July 13, 923	January 14, 936
	Louis IV	June 19, 936	September 10, 954
	Lothair	November 12, 954	March 2, 986
	Louis V	June 8, 986	May 22, 987

Capetian Dynasty, Direct Capetians (987 to 1328)

The Capetian Dynasty, 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.

Picture	Name	King From	King Until
	Hugh Capet	July 3, 987	October 24, 996
	Robert II	October 24, 996	July 20, 1031
	Henry I	July 20, 1031	August 4, 1060
	Philip I	August 4, 1060	July 29, 1108
	Louis VI	July 29, 1108	August 1, 1137
	Louis VII	August 1, 1137	September 18, 1180
	Philip II Augustus	September 18, 1180	July 14, 1223
	Louis VIII	July 14, 1223	November 8, 1226
File:StL5.gif	Louis IX (Saint Louis)	November 8, 1226	August 25, 1270
	Philip III	August 25, 1270	October 5, 1285
File:Philippe IV Le Bel.jpg	Philip IV "The Fair"	October 5, 1285	November 29, 1314
	Louis X	November 29, 1314	June 5, 1316
	John I	November 15, 1316	November 20, 1316
	Philip V	November 20, 1316	January 3, 1322
	Charles IV	January 3, 1322	February 1, 1328

Capetian Dynasty, House of Valois (1328-1589)

(1328-1498)

Picture	Name	King From	King Until
	Philip VI	February 1, 1328	August 22, 1350
	John II	August 22, 1350	April 8, 1364
File:Roy Charles V.jpg	Charles V	April 8, 1364	September 16, 1380
	Charles VI	September 16, 1380	October 21, 1422
File:Chas vii.jpg	Charles VII	October 21, 1422	July 22, 1461
	Louis XI "The Prudent", "The Spider King"	July 22, 1461	August 30, 1483
	Charles VIII	August 30, 1483	April 7, 1498

Valois-Orléans Branch (1498-1515)

Valois-Angoulême Branch (1515-1589)

Picture	Name	King From	King Until
	Francis I	January 1, 1515	March 31, 1547
File:Henri2-1.jpg	Henry II	March 31, 1547	July 10, 1559
File:Francis2-1.jpg	Francis II	July 10, 1559	December 5, 1560
	Charles IX	December 5, 1560	May 30, 1574
	Henry III	May 30, 1574	August 2, 1589

Capetian Dynasty, House of Bourbon (1589-1792)

Picture	Name	King From	King Until
	Henry IV	August 2, 1589	May 14, 1610
	Louis XIII	May 14, 1610	May 14, 1643
	Louis XIV	May 14, 1643	September 1, 1715
	Louis XV	September 1, 1715	May 10, 1774
	Louis XVI	May 10, 1774	August 10, 1792
	Louis XVII	January 21, 1793	June 8, 1795

First Republic (1792-1804)

Many people were monarchists at the time and consequently refused to recognise the overthrow of the monarchy, and considered Louis XVI's reign to have continued until his death in 1793, then his son Louis XVII to have reigned until his death in 1795, with Louis XVIII's reign then commencing, hence the numbering.

Bonaparte Dynasty - First Empire (1804-1814)

Picture	Name	Emperor From	Emperor Until
	Napoleon I	May 18, 1804	April 11, 1814

Capetian Dynasty, House of Bourbon, Restored (1814)

Bonaparte Dynasty - First Empire, Restored (The Hundred Days, 1815)

Picture	Name	Emperor From	Emperor Until
	Napoleon I	March 20, 1815	June 22, 1815
	Napoleon II	June 22 1815	July 7, 1815

Capetian Dynasty, House of Bourbon, Restored (1815-1830)

Picture	Name	King From	King Until
File:Louisxviii.jpg	Louis XVIII	July 7, 1815	September 16, 1824
File:Charles 1757 1836.gif	Charles X	September 16, 1824	August 2, 1830
	(Louis XIX)	August 2, 1830
File:Comte-de-chambord2.jpg	(Henry V)	2 August, 1830	9 August, 1830

Capetian Dynasty, House of Bourbon-Orléans, The Monarchy of July (1830-1848)

Picture	Name	King From	King Until
	Louis-Philippe, The Citizen King	August 9, 1830	February 24, 1848

Second French Republic (1848 - 1852)

The Second French Republic lasted from 1848 to 1852, when its president, Louis Napoleon, was declared Emperor.

Bonaparte Dynasty, Restored Second Empire (1852-1870)

Later pretenders

The chronology of Head of State of France continues with the Presidents of France. Various pretenders 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. Some "fusionists" recognised the Orléanist claimant after 1883.
• Orléanist claimants to the throne of France — descendants of Louis-Phillippe, 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 1815-48, and since 1870.

The current Monarch of France - The Virgin King of France Louise Maria Phillippe Denale Ferdinand Augustus ascended to Reign on March 11, 2007. The King maintains American Citizenship and resides in California. He was born in Ukraine (Former Soviet Union) and was granted refuge by the Government of the United States of America in 1994. The King's correspondence with The Holy See is under scrutiny to verify Church's Support of the Monarch of France. (United States of America, State of California, City of West Hollywood, March 12, 2007).

References

For a study of France and its rulers, see also:

• Edward James, The Origins of France: Clovis to the Capetians 500-1000. ISBN 0-333-27052-5
• Edward James, The Franks. Blackwell: 1991. ISBN 0-631-17936-4
• The history of France as recounted in the Grandes Chroniques de France, and particularly in the personal copy produced for King Charles V between 1370 and 1380 that is the saga of the three great dynasties, the Merovingians, Carolingians, and the Capetian Rulers of France, that shaped the institutions and the frontiers of the realm. It should be noted that this work was commissioned at a time that France was embroiled in the Hundred Years' War with England, a war fought over hereditary claims to the throne of France. It must therefore be read with a careful eye toward biases meant to justify the Capetian claims of continuity and inheritance.
• The Cambridge Illustrated History of France - Cambridge University Press
• Paul Fouracre and Richard A. Gerberding, Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720. Manchester University Press - ISBN 0-7190-4791-9
• Patrick Geary, Before France and Germany: The Creation and Transformation of the Merovingian World. Oxford: Oxford U. Press, 1988. ISBN 0-19-504458-4
• Patrick Geary, The Myth of Nations: The Medieval Origins of Europe. Princeton U. Press, 2001. ISBN 0-691-11481-1

See also

• Franks (main history of Frankish kingdoms)
• List of Frankish Kings
• Members of the French Royal Families
• Kings of France family tree
• English Kings of France
• Bourbon family tree

• French monarchs
• Lists of monarchs
• Lists of French people