Capetings

The first reliably known ancestor of the Capetian dynasty is Robert the Strong (d. 866), who during the reign of Charles II Lysy was one of the largest feudal lords of the West Frankish kingdom of his time, managing both secular and several church estates. There are several hypotheses about its origin. Currently, the generally accepted version is that according to which Robert came from the dynasty of Counts Wormsgau . It was first put forward by Karl Glöckner ^[1] and developed by ^[2] . According to her, Robert the Strong is identical to Count Robert IV, the son of Count III at Wormsgau and Oberringau, Robert III and Wiltrude, who was probably the sister of Counts Orleans and Guillaume Blois , as well as Queen Irmentrude , wife of King Charles II of Lys , who died around 834. ^{] [4]} .

After the death in 840 of Emperor Louis I the Pious in the Carolingian Empire , a struggle for inheritance began between his sons. Like many other representatives of the Frankish nobility, Robert the Strong had to make a choice in favor of one of the kings. He held the ruler of the West Frankish kingdom Charles II the Bald, as a result of which he lost his clan possessions. In compensation, he received from Charles II the Bald a series of possessions in Neustria between the Seine and the Loire to protect the kingdom from the raids of the Vikings and Bretons . Robert quite successfully fought against the Vikings, having won several victories, until he died on September 15, 866 in the battle of Brissart ^{[3] [4]} .

Robert's possessions, which in the future formed the basis of the royal domain of the Capetites , did not constitute a single land complex and initially had no name. Conventionally, they are called the "Robertine State." They included the counties of Anjou , Vendome and Manx , and later the county of Paris was annexed. The eastern part of the lands between Lahn and Orleans formed the basis of the royal domain of the Capetites. In addition, the Robertines owned a number of large abbeys, including Saint-Martin-de-Tours and Saint-Denis , which were considered sacred places of the royal dynasty. The possessions of the Robertins between the Seine and the Loire were called the " Neustrian brand " ^[3] .

The sons of Robert the Strong, Ed and Robert , strengthened the power of the Robertine dynasty. Ed, after the deposition in 887 of Emperor Charles III of Tolstoy, was elected king of the West Frankish kingdom, however, after his death, the representative of the Carolingian dynasty, Charles III, was rustic . However, in 922, Ed's brother Robert I was enthroned, who in 923 died in the battle against Karl Prostovaty, who, however, was captured by Count Herbert II de Vermandois , in which he died. The son of Robert I, Hugo the Great , apparently himself abandoned the throne, as a result, Raul of Burgundy was elected king. After the death of Raul in 936, Hugo the Great became the initiator of the election to the throne of the representative of the Carolingian dynasty - Louis IV of Zamorsky , the son of Charles III of the Simple. Probably the reason for this was the desire of Hugo to restore peace in the kingdom, violated by constant conflict. At this time, Hugo had no children, so he could not guarantee the continuity of power. In addition, this choice hit the most powerful enemy of Hugo - Herbert II de Vermandois ^[3] .

Under the new King Hugo, the Great was the most powerful tycoon in the kingdom, having received the title "Duke of the Franks", Louis called him "second after us in all our kingdoms." However, the ambitions of Hugo later led to a conflict with Louis IV, their confrontation continued until the death of the king in 956. He was married to Gedwigi of Saxony , daughter of the King of the East Frankish Kingdom, Henry I Ptitselov of the Saxon Dynasty . She was also the sister of Queen Herberg , the wife of Louis IV, and king (and then emperor) Otto I , who, not wanting the Robertins to become too strong, tried to maintain the balance between the king and his vassal. So in 946 he had to make a campaign in order to free Louis IV, who had been captured by Hugo ^{[3] [5]} .

Hugo Capet

Hugo the Great left several sons. Of these, the eldest, Hugo Capet , who was nicknamed the Capetian dynasty, inherited the possessions and titles of his father, with the exception of Burgundy , which was inherited by his younger brother Otton . Another brother, Ed , became a clergyman, but after the death of Otto, he inherited Burugundia (under the name Henry) ^[6] .

Although Hugo Capet owned the hereditary lands of the Capetians, he was not as powerful a ruler as his father. His possessions were located between Paris in the north and Orleans in the south. In addition, in his submission there were a number of not very large cities ( Senlis , Etampes , Melen , Corbei , Dreux ). In each of the cities, Hugo had a palace and subordinate knights. In addition, Hugo was the secular abbot of several monasteries ( Saint-Martin-de-Tours , Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire , Saint-Germain-des-Prés , Saint-Mor-de-Fosset and some others). However, his possessions were very scattered, between them were the lands of hostile feudal lords (for example, the lords of Monlery and Montmorency ). In addition, around his possessions between the Loire and the Seine were located the possessions of powerful lords, although the ancestors of some of them got their castles and cities from the Robertins, but in the middle of the 10th century they became independent, taking advantage of the weakness of the Robertins after the death of Hugo the Great. For example, Count Blois Thibaut the Dodger , the former vassal of Hugo the Great, was recognized by King Lothar as Count of Blois and Tours in 960, and Chartres and Chateaudon were also part of his possessions. In his possessions, he erected the castles of Blois, Chartres, Châteaudon and Chinon , which embodied his desire for power. And his eldest son and heir, Ed I , who further increased possession, was the personal enemy of Hugo Capet. The counts of Anjou also became independent: although Geoffrey I Grisegonel in 866 called himself “Count of Anjou by the grace and generosity of my lord Hugo,” his son Fulk III Nerra did not recognize himself as a vassal of Hugo, referring to himself in 989 as “Count of Anjou of God by mercy. " But unlike the counts of Blois, the counts of Anjou were allies of Hugo. Another faithful ally of Hugo was Count Vandoma Bouchard ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} .

After Otto's death in 965, Hugo organized the election of his last brother, Ed Heinrich, as the duke, and without coordinating this step with the king. From that moment on, Burgundy was not considered royal linen: its rulers were vassals of only the Frankish duke ^[10] . Subsequently, relying on an alliance with his relatives Liudolfing and the Archbishop of Reims, Hugo was able to maintain a prominent position in the northern part of the kingdom ^[11] . In the conflict between Lothar and Emperor Otton II, he supported Lothar: in 979, Hugo took part in a campaign against Aachen, and during the emperor’s return attack he blocked his path near Paris and forced him to retreat ^[12] .

In 986, King Lothar died, transferring his 19-year-old son, Louis V, to the care of Hugo. After 14 months of reign, the young Louis died on the hunt ^[13] . The rightful heir to the throne was his uncle, Karl of Lorraine , but this challenger had powerful enemies within the kingdom led by Archbishop Reims Adalberon . In addition, many did not want to see the emperor as a vassal on the throne, and the ruling circles of Germany did not want the excessive strengthening of the Duke of Lorraine.

At the assembly of the nobility in Senlis , located in the center of Hugo’s possessions, the majority arrived, already in favor of the Duke of the Franks (end of May 987). Adalberon of Reims in his speech to the audience said that Karl “lost his head so much that he dared to serve someone else’s king and marry an uneven woman from the estate of vassals” ^[14] , while the duke of Hugo possesses all the qualities necessary for the monarch. Hugo received unanimous support. The coronation and anointing of the kingdom took place on July 3, 987 in Noyon ^[13] . It was with the election of Hugo Capet as king of the state, which was assigned the name France , the dynasty finally entrenched on the throne ^[15] .

To strengthen his position, Hugo, already six months after his own election, organized the coronation of his son Robert II the Pious as co-ruler. Elections before this were not held. Thus, Hugo laid the foundation for a new tradition: the first Capetians during their lifetime elevated their sons to the throne in order to avoid elections, during which a representative of another dynasty could reign. This tradition played an important role in the transition from an elected monarchy to a hereditary one ^[16] .

The new king possessed power in full only in a number of small estates in the north of the kingdom: these were the Robertin lands between Paris and Orleans, several counties inherited from the Carolingians, as well as a number of abbeys and bishoprics. In Neustria, after the death of Hugo the Great, the counts of Blois and Anjou strengthened ^[17] . This made Hugo equal or even inferior in strength to a number of territorial princes, limited to formal subordination to his dignity ^[18] . The lands south of the Loire were completely independent of the crown, but the nominal supreme power of Hugo was recognized here quite quickly ^[19] .

Another was the situation in the north. Here the allies of Karl of Lorraine were Count Troyes , Ed Blois and Archbishop Sansa - the traditional opponent of the Archbishop of Reims. In 988, having transferred control of the duchy to his son Otton , Karl started the war against Hugo and occupied Lan , which was considered the capital of the kingdom. Hugo and Robert besieged the city, but its defenders repulsed the assault, and later with a successful sortie forced the besiegers to retreat ^[20] .

When Adalberon died, Hugo decided to make Archbishop of Reims the illegitimate son of King Lothar Arnulf , in order to draw him to his side. But the result was completely different: the new archbishop passed the Reims to Karl of Lorraine (August 989). True, Karl could not take advantage of the control over the coronation site. On March 29, 991, both he and Arnulf were captured due to the treachery of Bishop Lan Adalberon and surrendered to Hugo Capet ^{[21] [22]} . The king imprisoned Karl with his wife and children in a fortress in Orleans, where he died no later than 995.

First Capetings

Hugo Capet died October 24, 996, he was succeeded by Robert II the Pious (March 27, 972 - July 20, 1031). He, like his closest successors, did not actually have control over most of France; attempts to expand his influence beyond the domain, which included only the lands around Paris and Orleans, as a rule, were not very successful. Although Robert II, after the death of his childless uncle, Duke of Burgundy Ed-Heinrich, as a result of the war that lasted until 1016, managed to annex Burgundy after the death of 1002, but this acquisition was short-lived.

Robert the Pious, and then his son, Henry I (May 4, 1008 - August 4, 1060) had to fight with his vassals, especially the Counts of Blois. Immediately after accession to the throne in 1031, Henry had to fight against his mother, Constance of Arles , who wanted to smash her youngest son Robert on the French throne, she was supported by the powerful Count Ed II de Blois . Only thanks to the help of the Norman Duke Robert the Devil, was Henry able to survive. He managed to negotiate with his brother, losing him the Duchy of Burgundy. Also, for the help of the Duke of Normandy, Henry was forced to cede to him part of Veksen , occupying an extremely important strategic position.

Henry, with the help of the Duke of Normandy and Emperor Conrad II, was able to win the war for the throne, but only at the cost of serious concessions to the princes: he lost the vast duchy of Burgundy, which was forced to cede to his brother ( Robert's descendants ruled him until 1361); for the help of Robert the Devil, the king was forced to cede to him the southern part of Vexen , which occupied an extremely important strategic position; he also left untouched the vast territorial complex that belonged to the Counts of Blois. With such results of the war, he could only be "the first among equals" surrounded by his nominal vassals. Thus, the decline of royalty continued.

The powerful vassals of the monarch formally recognized his supreme power over the whole kingdom, but at the same time pursued an independent policy. Many of them were stronger than the king. To ensure the continuity of power, the closest descendants of Hugo Capet, following his example, crowned their heirs during his lifetime. Problems arose even in the royal domain, where the king's vassals built stone castles, beyond the walls of which they could feel completely independent rulers. The barons waged war with each other, oppressed neighboring church communities and cities, and even robbed travelers, as a result of which trade routes became unsafe - including in the vicinity of Paris . The king, having suffered a number of failures in the first half of his reign, for the last ten years has actually done nothing against these vassals, without interfering in the unfolding struggle of the cities with his lords for communal rights.

During the reign of Philip I (1052 - July 29, 1108), the heir to Henry I, a new threat arose when in 1066 the Duke of Normandy William II conquered England . To counteract the strengthening of William, the French king had to look for allies among the opponents of the new English king. Philip I took advantage of the civil strife in the county of Anjou, having received the county of Gatine for recognition as the new Count of Fulka IV , joined to the royal domain in 1068. He also recognized Robert I of Frisia as Count of Flanders in 1071, consolidating the union with his stepdaughter, Berta Holland , by marriage.

During the feudal war in Brittany, Philip defeated Wilhelm’s army near Dole, and as a result of the peace, he managed to return Vexen ^[23] . Later, Philip supported the eldest son of William the Conqueror, Robert Kurtges , in rebellion against his father. After the death of William, the Anglo-Norman monarchy was divided between his two sons, so for some time the threat to the Capetians passed.

In 1078, Philip married his brother Hugo to the heiress of the counties of Vermandois and Valois, which strengthened his position in Picardy. Also in 1101, the Viscount Bourges , going on the First Crusade , laid Philippe Bourges and Dune in Berry , he could not buy them upon his return.

In 1092, Philip abducted Bertrada de Montfort , the wife of Count Anjou, and married her, divorcing his first wife, which caused a conflict with the Count of Flanders, as well as excommunication, which lasted 10 years.

During the reign of Philip, the strengthening of the barons inside the royal estates, as a result of which the routes of communication between the cities were threatened. However, he began to build a management system independent of the territorial princes and able to conduct a stable state policy. The eldest son Louis VI succeeded him, during the reign of which the strengthening of royal power in France began: he achieved the internal unity of the royal domain, thus laying the foundation for the unification of the country by his descendants. He successfully fought against the vassals to protect royal law, the church and public order, trying to establish order and justice in the kingdom.

During the reign of Louis, a threat re-emerged from England, whose king Henry I Bocklerc , the youngest son of William the Conqueror, who was able to annex Normandy to his possessions and began to strengthen his position in the border territories. Relying on the counts of Blois, Nevers and Flanders and the Duke of Burgundy, the king of France in 1109 undertook a campaign against Gisor, who strengthened the English king, but did not succeed. In response, Henry's vassals seriously threatened the possessions of Louis. As a result, he was forced to give up suzerainty over Maine and Brittany.

To fight against Henry, the French king decided to support the claim to Normandy by William Cliton , son of Robert Kurtges, but did not succeed. He also had to fight against the emperor Henry V , the father-in-law of the English king, but the invasion of France was not successful, and after the death of Henry V in 1125 the threat disappeared.

Despite his defeat in Normandy, Louis actively expanded his influence in other major French principalities. He constantly intervened in the conflict between Count Auvergne and Bishop Clermont. He managed to confirm Wilhelm Cliton, count of Flanders, in 1127, but after the death of that in 1128, Thierry of Alsace , who was supported by Henry of England, was established there; although the new count of Flanders brought Louis a vassal oath, he was actually independent. He also could not take advantage of the distemper in England , which began after the death in 1135 of Henry I, who did not leave heirs.

In 1137, Louis was able to arrange the marriage of his heir, Louis VII (September 11–18, 1180), to Alienor , heiress of the Duke of Aquitaine , which ensured the accession to the royal estates of vast estates in the south of France. Louis VI died shortly after marriage, and his son succeeded him.

However, Louis VII could not save Aquitaine, in 1152 he divorced Alienora, from a marriage with which he did not have sons. This divorce had serious consequences, especially considering that the Duchess of Aquitaine almost immediately married Heinrich Plantagenet , who was already the ruler of Anjou, Maine and Touraine, and in 1154 also became king of England. As a result, in the hands of the king of England were huge possessions in France, exceeding the size of the royal domain. Although the relationship between Louis and Henry was originally peaceful, the French king did not want to further strengthen English. In 1173, Louis supported the uprising of the heir to Henry , which turned into an open war, but he did not succeed.

Louis VII undertook a series of campaigns against the "bad lords" of Ильle-de-France, as a result he managed to establish control over the entire territory of the domain, ending what his father had begun. He died in 1180, his only son succeeded him, Philip II Augustus ( August 21, 1165 - July 14, 1223).

The rise of the dynasty under Philip II Augustus

Philip was the last of the Capetings, which was crowned even the life of his father - he managed to strengthen the prestige of the royal authority so much that in the future there were no problems with the transfer of the throne by inheritance. In addition, he became the first ruler to call himself “the king of France” ( lat. Rex Franciae ), and not the king of the Franks ( lat. Rex Francorum ).

Philip II was actively involved in the expansion of the royal domain. He skillfully used the contradictions at the English court. Philip took part in the Third Crusade , on his return from which he supported John the Landless against his brother, King Richard I the Lionheart . After the death of Richard, John the Landless became king, but Philip came out in support of his nephew, Arthur of Breton , who had legal rights to the English throne as the son of the king’s elder brother. Although under the terms of the peace treaty signed in 1200 in Le Gules, the French king recognized John as heir to Richard in all his possessions, he received the county of Evreux, most of Vexin and part of Berry, but after the English king had absorbed the bride of Hugo IX de Lusignan Isabella of Angouleme and married her himself, Philip used the complaint of the Lusignans as a reason for the resumption of the struggle. In March 1202, the king of France demanded that John Landless not only satisfy the claims of the Lusignans, but also transfer Arthur to Breton, Ange, Normandy and Poitou, and after he refused to do this and did not come to Paris for a peer trial, all his possessions in France in April were declared confiscated by the crown. Taking a vassal oath from Arthur for Brittany, Anjou and Touraine, Philip began the conquest of Normandy. Although John was able to capture Arthur, many barons from Anjou and Poitou supported the French king, and after the murder of Arthur in 1203, a number of Norman barons went over to Philip. By 1204, the king of France controlled all of Normandy, by 1205 - Poitou and Sentonge, and at the beginning of 1206 he achieved considerable success in Brittany. However, after the revolt of the barons in Poitou and Sentonges, Philip agreed to a truce, by which he returned to John all the possessions south of the Loire, retaining control of Normandy, Anjou, Maine and Touraine.

Later, John managed to create a coalition against France, which included his nephew, Emperor Otton of Braunschweig , as well as the counts of Flanders , Holland and Boulogne, and the Duke of Brabant . In 1213, the war resumed, but in 1214 at the Battle of Buvin , in which the army of Emperor Otton and his allies was defeated. This victory will have a long-term impact on Western European politics: the power of the French king became undeniable, the English king, who in England faced with the discontent of the barons, who eventually turned into a civil war , concluded a truce and in fact recognized that Normandy, Anjou, Touraine, Maine and Poitou became part of the royal domain.

In the last years of his life, Philip Augustus was mainly engaged in reforming the management of his overgrown domain, conducting financial and administrative reforms, and also limited the power of tycoons. Although he himself did not participate in the Albiguian Crusade to Southern France, he allowed his vassals and knights to help him realize it.

As a result of his reign, Philip managed to transform France from a small feudal state into the most prosperous and powerful country in Europe, and thanks to his reforms, he managed to reorganize the administration of the kingdom and ensure its financial stability.

Closest Successors to Philip II

Philip II Augustus in 1223 was succeeded by his eldest son Louis VIII (September 5, 1187 - November 8, 1226), who as early as 1216 unsuccessfully tried to become king of England. The new king of France continued the expansion of the royal domain. He drove the Plantagenets from a substantial part of Aquitaine? subjugated the counties of Marsh and Angouleme, as well as Limoges and Centauge, but he failed to capture Gascony. In 1225, the king announced a new crusade against the Albigensians, actually directed against the Count of Toulouse. In 1226, the Crusaders captured a number of cities in Languedoc ( Avignon , Nimes , Montpellier , Carcassonne , Narbonne , Pamye , Boker ). But on November 8, the king died of dysentery. As a result, only his son, Louis IX the Holy , managed to get the fruits of his victories.

Louis IX (April 25, 1214 - August 25, 1270), the eldest of the sons of Louis VIII, was a minor at the time of the death of his father, so his mother, Blanca of Castile , became the regent, who managed to further strengthen the authority of the royal power and expanding the royal domain. Under the terms of the Paris Treaty of 1229, the king received half the county of Toulouse, and one of Louis’s brothers, Alphonse , was engaged to the count’s heiress. After the death of his father-in-law, in 1249 he became the Count of Toulouse, and in 1241 he received the county of Poitiers as an appanage . He did not leave children, therefore, after his death in 1271, Toulouse was finally annexed to the royal domain. Another brother of Louis IX, Robert, received in 1237 the county of Artois as an appartment. He became the founder of the branch of Artois . The youngest of the brothers, Charles I of Anjou , received as an outpost the counties of Anjou and Maine. Thanks to a successful marriage in 1246, he was able to become Count of Provence, and later conquer the Sicilian kingdom . He became the ancestor of the Anjou Sicilian house .

Louis IX became an adult in 1234, but this has not changed much. The royal power was already so strong that it was easy for Louis to maintain his authority against the vassals. In 1242, he managed to suppress the rebellion of the South French nobility, supported by the king of England, Henry III , who sought to recover the possessions lost by his father in France. Under the Paris Treaty of 1259, the king of England relinquished control of the Normandy (except the Channel Islands), the counties of Maine, Anjou and Poitou. In exchange, Louis ceded England to Limousin, Perigord, part of Sentong, Kersey, Agenois (Agnes). Henry III also took the vassal oath to the king of France as the duke of Aquitaine (Hyeny). In 1258, Louis renounced suzerainty over Catalonia , Cerdany and Roussillon , thus regulating relations with the kings of Aragon. As a result, these successes seriously increased the authority of the French king among European rulers, who often began to turn to Louis as an arbiter to resolve disputes ^[24] .

Louis IX organized 2 crusades, during the second in 1270 he died of typhus. In 1297, he was canonized ^[24] .

The younger sons of Louis IX were allocated apanages. Of these, Pierre I , Count of Alanson and Persh, did not leave any heirs, and Robert de Clermont , who, thanks to his marriage, inherited the rich seigneur Bourbon , became the ancestor of the Bourbon dynasty, which in 1589 inherited the French crown.

The eldest son, Philip III the Bold , inherited the crown (April 30, 1245 - October 5, 1285). He did not rule for long: in 1284, he organized the unsuccessful Aragonese Crusade , during which he died from dysentery. He was survived by three sons. Of these, Karl Valois became the ancestor of the Valois dynasty, who replaced the eldest branch of the Capetings on the French throne in 1328. The younger, Louis d'Evreux , became the ancestor of the house of d'Evreux .

The throne was inherited by the eldest son of Philip III, Philip IV the Beautiful (1268 - November 29, 1314). Thanks to a marriage with Jeanne I of Navarre, he expanded the royal domain to include the kingdom of Navarre and the county of Champagne. In 1297, he began a war against Flanders, which lasted until 1305. As a result, Lille , Douai , Bethune and Orshe were added to the crown. He also confiscated from King of England Edward I Guyenne, whom he returned only in 1303 after the marriage of his daughter Isabella with his heir, the future Edward II .

Philip IV constantly needed money, so he introduced new taxes, confiscated the property of Jews and Lombards, launched the process of liquidating the Knights Templar , confiscated his property in France, and also spoiled coins. His attempts to tax the clergy led to a conflict with the pope, which ended with the transfer of the papacy to the control of the French kings (the so-called Avignon captivity of the popes ). Also, during the reign of Philip, the influence of legal experts (lists) grew, through the efforts of which the monarch's prerogatives were expanded, and the sovereignty of his power was justified. As a result, his rule is considered a turning point in strengthening royal power, as well as the formation of the cult of the king of France. During the reign of Philip in 1302, the General States were first convened ^[25] .

Recent Capetings

Philip IV had three sons: Louis X the Grumpy (October 4, 1289 - June 5, 1316) Philip V Long (1291/1293 - January 3, 1322) and Charles IV the Beautiful (June 18, 1294 - February 1, 1328). Louis X succeeded his father in 1314. Under him, his uncle, Karl Valois, constantly intervened in the administration of the kingdom. During his reign, Louis had to make concessions to the barons, dissatisfied with the policies of his father. He also tried to increase the income of the crown, initiating several reforms and allowing Jews to return to France. In 1315, he undertook an unsuccessful campaign in Flanders, upon his return from which he fell ill and died in 1316. His second wife gave birth to a son, John I the Posthumous , after the death of her husband, but the child lived only 5 days. As a result, the question of succession arose. Jeanne , the daughter of Louis from her first marriage, with Margarita of Burgundy , who was convicted of adultery, was suspected of being illegitimate, therefore did not want to know to see her queen. As a result, Philip V became the king, who substantiated his rights to the throne with the so-called Salic law , which was first applied in France. As a result of the introduction of this law, women were forbidden to inherit the crown of France or pass it on through their descendants.

Филипп V завершил войну с Фландрией и большую часть своего правления занимался внутренней политикой, пытаясь водворить порядок в администрации. Его правления может рассматриваться как время подведения итогов всей деятельности Капетингов: то, что раньше не вошло в законодательство, теперь подверглось регламентации. Однако предпринятые им монетная реформа и попытки ввести однообразие в путанице мер и весов успехом не увенчались. Он умер в 1322 году, оставив только дочерей, которые по Салическому закону не смогли получить престол. Ему наследовал младший брат Карл IV, во время правления которого фактически правил королевством его дядя, Карл Валуа. Карл IV стал последнем представителем старшей линии династии Капетингов. Он не оставил сыновей и умер в 1328 году. В результате королём Франции стал Филипп VI , сын умершего в 1325 году Карла Валуа, став родоначальником новой королевской династии — Валуа, правившей Францией до 1589 года, когда её сменила другая ветвь Капетингов — Бурбоны.

Старший Бургундский дом

Первой отделившейся ветвью стал Старший Бургундский дом, родоначальником которого стал Роберт I , младший сын короля Роберта II Благочестивого. Под управлением этой династии оказалось Бургундское герцогство, в состав которого включало в себя земли прежних графств Отён , Бон , Авалон , Дижон и Шатийон-сюр-Сьен . Графы других бургундских графств ( Шалон , Макон , Невер , Осер , Тоннер ) были фактически независимыми правителями. Роберт и его ближайшие преемники были простыми феодалами, но постепенно герцоги Бургундии смогли увеличить свои владения и заставить своих вассалов признать свой сюзеренитет. Старшая ветвь угасла в 1361 году после смерти Филиппа I Руврского .

Кроме старшей ветви существовали ещё боковые:

• Португальский королевский дом (Бургундская династия) , правившая в Португалии в 1093—1383 годах. Её родоначальником был Генрих Бургундский (ум. 1112), первый граф Португалии. После смерти в 1383 году Фернанду I трон перешёл к побочной линии — Ависской династии .
• Дом Монтегю . Его родоначальником был Александр I (1170—1205), сеньор де Монтегю. В XIII веке дом разделился на несколько ветвей. Ветвь сеньоров Сомбернон угасла в 1410 году, сеньоров Куша — в 1470 году.
• Второй дом дофинов Вьеннских . Его родоначальником Андре (Гиг VI) (1184—1237), унаследовавший в 1202 году графство Вьенн . Ветвь угасла в 1282 году.

Ветвь Вермандуа

Родоначальником ветви стал Гуго Великий (1057 — 18 октября 1102), младший сын короля Генриха I, который благодаря браку с Аделаидой, наследницей Герберта IV де Вермандуа стал графом Валуа и Вермандуа. Эта ветвь угасла по мужской линии в 1167 году после смерти бездетного Рауля II де Вермандуа (1145 — 17 июня 1167), внука Гуго. Его наследницами последовательно были 2 сестры. Сначала в Валуа и Вермандуа правила старшая, Елизавета (1143 — 28 марта 1183), которая была бездетной. После её смерти на Валуа и Вермандуа претендовали граф Фландрии Филипп Эльзасский , муж Елизаветы, и её сестра Элеонора (1148/1149 — 19/21 июня 1213). В спор вмешался король Франции Филипп II Август, поддержавший Элеонору. По результатам Бовского договора 1185 года нижнее Валуа и Вермандуа (без нескольких территорий, отошедших к Фландрии) были переданы Элеоноре. После смерти бездетного Филиппа Фландрского Элеонора получила часть наследства сестры, однако ряд территорий король Франции удержал за собой. Детей она не оставила, поэтому после её смерти в 1213 году Валуа и Вермандуа окончательно были присоединены к королевскому домену.

Дом де Дрё

Родоначальником рода был один из сыновей короля Франции Людовика VI Толстого — Роберт I (1123—1188), получивший в качестве апанажа графство Дрё . Его сын и наследник, Роберт II (1154—1218) унаследовал от матери ещё и графство Брен . От сыновей Роберта II пошло 2 ветви рода.

Старший сын, Роберт III , унаследовавший родовые владения, стал родоначальником старшей ветви рода, угасшей в 1345 году по мужской линии со смертью графа Пьера I (1298—1345) и в 1355 году по женской со смертью графини Жанны II (1345—1346), сестры Пьера I. От старшей ветви отделились также линия сеньоров Бё, родоначальником которой стал второй сын Роберта III де Дрё, Роберт I де Бё (1217—1264), сеньор де Бё и виконт де Шатоден (угасла в 1398 году со смертью Роберта VI де Бё ), и линия сеньоров Боссар, родоначальником которой был второй сын Роберта II де Бё (1265—1306), Жан I , сеньор де Боссар (угасла в 1590 году со смертью Жана IV де Боссар , сеньора де Морэнвиль).

Наибольшую известность получила младшая ветвь дома, родоначальником которой стал второй сын Роберта II де Дрё — Пьер I Моклерк (1191—1250), женившийся на наследнице герцогства Бретань . Его потомки правили в Бретани до 1514 года. Последней представительницей ветви стала Анна Бретонская (1477—1514), последовательно бывшая женой французских королей Карла VIII и Людовика XII . Однако продолжалась побочная линия д'Эвангур, родоначальником которой стал Франсуа I д'Эвангур (1462 — после 1494), незаконный сын герцога Франсуа II . Также существовала линия сеньоров де Машекуль, родоначальником которой стал младший сын Пьера I, Оливье I де Машекуль (1231—1279). Линия угасла в 1464 году со смертью Маргариты де Машекуль (1374—1464), дамы де Вьеилевинь.

Дом Куртене

Родоначальником его был Пьер I де Куртене (1126—1183), шестой сын короля Франции Людовика VI Толстого , который женился на Елизавете, дочери Рено , сеньора де Куртене, получив в качестве приданого сеньорию Куртене .

The eldest son of Pierre I, Pierre II (1155-1219), who became the ancestor of the most significant branch of the clan, acquired the county of Nevers through marriage, and also became emperor of the Latin Empire . In order to maintain power in the Latin Empire, the descendants of Pierre II were forced to sell most of their possessions in France, but they could not retain power in the empire. The youngest son of Pierre II, Baldwin II (1217–1273) was overthrown in 1261, and the Latin Empire ceased to exist, and Baldwin himself died in Italy. The oldest branch on the male line died out in 1283 with the death of the son of Baldwin II, Philip , whose only daughter, Catherine , married Carl Valois , transferring him the rights to the title of Emperor of the Latin Empire.

In France, there remained other branches of the clan, which came from the younger sons of Pierre I. Their vast estates were fragmented among numerous representatives of the clan. In the last decades of his existence, Courtenay through the Paris Parliament approved the title of Princes of Blood , referring to his origin in a direct male line from Hugo Capet. The last male member of the Courtenay clan died in 1733, and after the death of June 29, 1768, Helene de Courtenay clan finally died out.

There was also a Polish clan Baudouin de Courtenay, whose representatives insisted on the descent from the French Courtenay, although there is no documentary evidence of this. After the partition of Poland, representatives of this kind were recognized as nobles of the Russian Empire .

Anjou Sicilian House

The ancestor of this dynasty was Charles I of Anjou (March 21, 1227 - January 7, 1285), Count of Anjou, Maine, Provence and Forkalkier. In 1266, he conquered the Sicilian kingdom, creating a powerful Mediterranean power, but as a result of Sicilian Vespers in 1282 he lost Sicily and his descendants ruled only in Naples. There were several branches of the genus. Charles II of Anjou who died in 1309 from marriage to Maria of Hungary, he left numerous offspring. From the eldest son, Karl Martel , went the Hungarian branch, whose representatives were the kings of Hungary, and then Poland. The last representative of the branch was Louis I the Great (1326–1382), the king of Hungary and Poland, who left only three daughters - Catherine (1366–1377), who died in the life of her father, Mary (1371–1392), the Queen of Hungary, and Jadwig (1372– 1399), Queen of Poland.

The second son, Louis (1274-1297) was to become the heir to the Kingdom of Naples, but he chose a spiritual career and renounced his rights in 1295. He was elected bishop of Toulouse in 1297, but died in the same year. In 1317 he was canonized. The Kingdom of Naples and Provence were ultimately inherited by his eldest surviving son, Robert (1277–1343), who became the ancestor of the Neapolitan branch. His only son, Carl of Calabria , died before his father, so he was succeeded by his granddaughter, Giovanna I , deposed from the Neapolitan throne and killed in 1282.

The fourth son, Philip I (1278–1332), inherited Taranto , becoming the ancestor of the Tarent branch, which died out in 1374 with the death of Philip II of Tarento . The next of the surviving sons, Pierre (1292–1315) received the county of di Gravina. He died childless. And the youngest of his sons, Giovanni (1294–1336), received the duchy of Durazzo, which included the Albanian possessions of the house. He became the founder of the branch of Durazzo. From this branch came Charles III Durazzo (1345 - February 24, 1386), who in 1382 conquered the Kingdom of Naples, overthrowing Queen Giovanna I. However, Charles's heir, Vladislav (1376/1377 - August 6, 1414) died childless, after which he became his queen. sister, Giovanna II (June 25, 1373 - February 2, 1435), with the death of which the Anjou-Sicilian house finally died out.

House d'Artois

The ancestor was one of the sons of Louis VIII - Robert I d'Artois , who in 1237 received the county of Artois as an appanage . After the death of Robert II in 1302, the county of Artois became the subject of a lengthy lawsuit between his daughter Matilda d'Artois and grandson Robert III , the son of Philippe d'Artois who died in 1298. Matilda, who became Countess d'Artois, prevailed in the dispute. Robert III retained only a few senoria - Conch, Nonancourt and Domfron, and in 1309 he was granted the county of Beaumont-le-Roger. After the death of Mago in 1329, and then in 1330, her heiress, Jeanne of Burgundy , Robert again claimed rights to Artois, however, after it was established that the documents submitted by Robert as evidence of his rights were forged, he was forced to flee to England , and his possessions in France were confiscated. He participated on the side of England in the Hundred Years War and was mortally wounded in 1342.

The branch died out in 1472 after the death of Charles d'Artois , Count of d'E. He did not leave legitimate children, however, from his illegitimate son Carl d'Artois, a side line of the clan went off, which ceased on the male line in 1885.

Valois

The ancestor of the dynasty was Karl Landless (March 12, 1270 - December 16, 1325), Count of Valois, Alencon, Chartres, Anjou and Maine. Representatives of this genus have occupied the French throne since 1328 after the extinction of the elder line of the Capetian clan.

There were several branches of the genus.

• Elder branch . Comes from King Charles VI the Mad , the eldest son of King Charles V the Wise . Faded in 1498 with the death of King Charles VIII .
• The branch of the counts, then the dukes of Alencon . Comes from Charles II , Carl 's youngest son, Count de Valois. Faded in 1525.
• Branch of the Dukes of Anjou . Comes from Louis , the second son of King John II the Good . Representatives of this branch fought for the title of King of Naples. Faded in 1481.
• Branch of the Dukes of Berria . Comes from Jean , the third son of King John II the Good . Faded in 1416.
• Branch of the Dukes of Burgundy . Comes from Philip the Fearless , the fourth son of King John II the Good . Faded in 1477. This branch had two low lines:

  • line of the dukes of Brabant . Comes from Antoine , son of Philip the Fearless. It died out in 1430 after the death of Philip of Brabant , the youngest son of Antoine, who left only illegitimate children, whose offspring died out in 1498.
  • line of counts of Nevers . Comes from Philip , son of Philip the Fearless. Faded in 1491.

• Branch of the Dukes of Orleans . Comes from Louis , the second son of King Charles V the Wise . The senior line died out in 1515. There was also a younger line, the branch of the counts of Angouleme , which comes from Jean , the second son of Louis . His grandson, Louis XII , became king of France after the extinction of the oldest branch of Valois. He died after the death in 1589 of King Henry III , after which the French throne passed to the other branch of the Capetians - the Bourbons.

House d'Evreux

The ancestor was Louis d'Evreux , the youngest son of King Philip III the Bold. From his sons went 2 branches of the clan. The eldest, Carl , became Earl of d'Etamp. This branch died out in 1400 with the death of his eldest son, Louis . The youngest son, Philippe , Count of d'Evreux, married the only daughter of King Louis X, for whom, after being elected King VI of Valois , the title of Queen of Navarre was recognized. This branch died out in 1425 with the death of Charles III of Navarre .

Bourbons

The ancestor was Robert de Clermont (1256 - February 7, 1317)), the youngest of the sons of Louis IX of Saint, who received the county of Clermont-en-Bovezi as an appanage , and later thanks to marriage, inherited the rich seigneur Bourbon , who gave the name of the dynasty. His eldest son, Louis I de Bourbon, received the title of Duke de Bourbon in 1327. Sons of Louis went 2 branches of the clan.

The eldest branch, whose ancestor was Pierre I de Bourbon , the eldest of the sons of the Duke of Louis I, who inherited the ducal title. The oldest line of the family died out in 1503 with the death of Duke Pierre II de Bourbon . Earlier, a branch of Bourbon-Montpensier was separated from it, one of whose representatives, Charles III de Bourbon , a connable of France, married the heiress of Pierre II and inherited the ducal title. But after he was accused of treason in 1523, his possessions and titles were confiscated, and he himself was forced to flee. He died in 1527, leaving no heirs, after which the eldest branch died away. Also, a side branch of the originates from one of the representatives of this genus.

The youngest branch, the ancestor of which was Jacques I de Bourbon , Count de La Marsh and the constable of France, the youngest of the sons of the Duke Louis I. From his youngest son, Jacques , the clan went, who died away in 1429. The eldest of the sons of Jean I did not leave children; the second son, Jean I , had offspring. The eldest of them, Jacques II , who inherited the counties of La Marsh and Castres, left only his daughters, one of whom inherited his possessions and titles. The youngest of the sons, Jean, became the ancestor of the side branch of the Bourbon-Carency. And the second son, Louis I , who inherited the county of Vendome from his mother, became the ancestor of the Vendome branch of the Bourbons.

This branch also soon split into lines. Louis de Bourbon , prince de La Roche-sur-Yon, was married to the daughter of Gilbert de Bourbon-Montpensier , thanks to which his son, Louis III, was able to get part of the confiscated possessions of the connective Charles III de Bourbon. He became the ancestor of the second kind of Bourbon-Montpensier, who died out in 1608. Francois I de Bourbon-Saint-Paul became the founder of the branch of the Dukes of Estuville, which died out in 1546.

Charles IV de Bourbon in 1514 received the title of Duke of Vendome. From his youngest son, Louis , Prince Conde, the Bourbon-Conde branch went out, dying in 1830, and the Bourbon-Conti branch, which was dying away in 1814, came off. The eldest son of Charles IV, Antoine de Bourbon , through marriage became the king of Navarre. His son Henry IV, after the end of the Valois dynasty in 1589 under the Salic Law, became the king of France as the eldest of the descendants of King Louis IX in the male line. Under his descendants, the clan branched out; representatives of the Bourbon dynasty, in addition to France, ruled in several other European states. The oldest branch of the Bourbons (French Bourbons) was suppressed in 1883, its youngest branch, the Orleans house , still exists, in addition to the older line, the branches of Orleans-Bragança and Orleans-Gallier are distinguished. There are also various branches of the Spanish Bourbon family. Representatives of this genus are the kings of Spain. They also ruled in Sicily and Naples ( Neapolitan Bourbons ) and the Duchy of Parma ( Parma Bourbons ). One of the branches of the Parma Bourbons is currently the ruling dynasty in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg .

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