Coronation of Louis VIII and Blanche of Castile at Reims in 1223; a miniature from the
Grandes Chroniques de France, painted in the 1450s, kept at the National Library of France
The monarchs of France ruled, first as kings and later as emperors, from the Middle Ages to 1848. 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.
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" ( Latin: Rex Francorum) 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)
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.)
List of Frankish Kings
Carolingian Dynasty (843 to 987)
| Picture |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
 |
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 (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 |
 |
Louis IX (Saint Louis) |
November 8, 1226 |
August 25, 1270 |
 |
Philip III |
August 25, 1270 |
October 5, 1285 |
 |
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 |
 |
Charles V |
April 8, 1364 |
September 16, 1380 |
 |
Charles VI |
September 16, 1380 |
October 21, 1422 |
 |
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)
| Picture |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
 |
Louis XII |
April 7, 1498 |
January 1, 1515 |
Valois- Angoulême Branch (1515-1589)
| Picture |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
 |
Francis I |
January 1, 1515 |
July 31, 1547 |
 |
Henry II |
July 31, 1547 |
July 10, 1559 |
 |
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 |
Bourbon Dynasty, Restored (1814)
| Picture |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
 |
Louis XVIII |
May 2, 1814 |
March 13, 1815 |
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 |
Bourbon Dynasty, Restored (1815-1830)
| Picture |
Name |
King From |
King Until |
|
Louis XVIII |
July 7, 1815 |
September 16, 1824 |
 |
Charles X |
September 16, 1824 |
August 2, 1830 |
 |
( Louis XIX) |
August 2, 1830 |
August 2, 1830 |
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)
| Picture |
Name |
Emperor From |
Emperor Until |
 |
Napoleon III, Emperor (previously president of France from 1848 - 1852) |
December 2, 1852 |
September 4, 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 1873.
- 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.
