List of rulers of Lorraine
Encyclopedia
The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions. The first rulers of the region were kings of the Franks whose kingdom was called Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...

. The Latin construction "Lotharingia" evolved over time into "Lorraine" in French, "Lotharingen" in Dutch and "Lothringen" in German. After the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...

 kingdom was absorbed into its neighbouring realms in the late ninth century, dukes were appointed over the territory. In the mid-tenth century, the duchy was divided into Lower Lorraine
Lower Lorraine
The Duchy of Lower Lorraine or Lower Lotharingia , established in 959 was a stem duchy of the medieval German kingdom, which encompassed part of modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands, the northern part of the German Rhineland and a part of northern France east of the Schelde river.It was created out...

 and Upper Lorraine, the first evolving into the historical Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....

, the second became known as the Duchy of Lorraine and existed well into the modern era.

Kings of Lotharingia

  • Lothair II (855–869)


Charles the Bald claimed Lotharingia on Lothair's death and was crowned king in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...

, but his brother Louis the German
Louis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...

 opposed his claim and in 870 the Treaty of Mersen divided Lotharingia between the two brothers and subsequently their sons. In 880, the Treaty of Ribemont
Treaty of Ribemont
There are two Treaties of Ribemont, the first is from 880 and the second is from 1179.-The treaty of 880:The Treaty of Ribemont in 880 was the last treaty on the partitions of the Frankish Empire...

 gave the whole of Lotharingia to Louis the Younger, son of Louis the German.
  • Charles the Bald
    Charles the Bald
    Charles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...

     (869–870)
  • Louis the Younger
    Louis the Younger
    Louis the Younger , sometimes Louis III, was the second eldest of the three sons of Louis the German and Emma. He succeeded his father as the King of Saxony on 28 August 876 and his elder brother Carloman as King of Bavaria from 880...

     (880–882)
  • Charles the Fat
    Charles the Fat
    Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, western Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. In 887, he was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear...

     (882–887)
  • Arnulf of Carinthia
    Arnulf of Carinthia
    Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...

     (887–895)
  • Zwentibold
    Zwentibold
    Zwentibold was the illegitimate son of the Carolingian Emperor Arnulf of Carinthia. In 895 his father, then king of East Francia, granted him the Kingdom of Lotharingia, which he ruled until his death.After his death he was declared a saint and martyr by the Catholic Church.- Life :Zwentibold...

     (895–900)
  • Louis the Child
    Louis the Child
    Louis the Child , sometimes called Louis IV or Louis III, was the last Carolingian ruler of East Francia....

     (900–911)
  • Charles the Simple
    Charles the Simple
    Charles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...

     (911–922)


In 922, Lotharingia was subsumed into the Kingdom of Germany
Kingdom of Germany
The Kingdom of Germany developed out of the eastern half of the former Carolingian Empire....

.

Dukes of Lorraine

  • Gebhard (903–910)
  • Reginar
    Reginar, Duke of Lorraine
    Reginar I Longneck was the Duke of Lorraine from 910 until his death. He stands at the head of the clan of Reginarids, an important Lotharingian noble family....

     (910–915)
  • Gilbert (925–939)
  • Henry
    Henry I, Duke of Bavaria
    Henry I was Duke of Bavaria.He was the second son of the German King Henry the Fowler and his wife Matilda. He attempted a revolt against his older brother Otto I in 938 in alliance with Eberhard of Franconia and Giselbert of Lorraine, believing he had a claim on the throne. In 939 he was defeated...

     (939–940)
  • Otto
    Otto, Duke of Lorraine
    Otto was the Count of Verdun by inheritance and Duke of Lorraine by appointment of Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor. He was the son of Count Ricwin and the count's first wife, who was probably a Liudolfing...

     (942–944)
  • Conrad (944–953)
  • Bruno
    Bruno I, Archbishop of Cologne
    Bruno the Great was Archbishop of Cologne, Germany, from 953 until his death, and Duke of Lotharingia from 954. He was the brother of Otto I, king of Germany and later Holy Roman Emperor....

     (953–965)


In 959, Lorraine was divided into two districts: Upper and Lower, each being given to a margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...

 or vice-duke under Bruno. Upon Bruno's death in 965, that of Lower Lorraine, whose margrave had died, was left vacant until 977. In that year Charles
Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Charles of Lorraine was the son of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony and younger brother of King Lothair. He was a sixth generation descendant of Charlemagne...

 was appointed duke of Lower Lorraine and Frederick I was elevated duke in Upper Lorraine. The two duchies remained separate, following separate pathways, except for the brief period between 1033 and 1044.

Matfriding dynasty

  • Godfrey I
    Godfrey I, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Godfrey I was the count of Hainault from 958 and margrave or vice-duke of Lower Lorraine from 959, when that duchy was divided by Duke Bruno, who remained duke until his death in 965....

     (959–964)
  • Richar
    Richar, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Richar was the count of Mons from 963 or 964 and vice-duke of Lower Lorraine from 968.After the death of Godfrey I, count of Hainault and vice-duke of Lower Lorraine, the Emperor Otto I gave Richar half of the county of Hainault with title of count of Hainault. The regions of Valenciennes was...

     (968–972)

Carolingian dynasty

  • Charles
    Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Charles of Lorraine was the son of Louis IV of France and Gerberga of Saxony and younger brother of King Lothair. He was a sixth generation descendant of Charlemagne...

     (976–991)
  • Otto
    Otto, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Otto was the duke of Lower Lorraine from 993 until his death. He was the son of Charles, son of King Louis IV, and his first wife, a daughter of Robert de Vermandois, count of Meaux and Troyes....

     (991–1012)

House of Ardennes–Verdun

  • Godfrey II
    Godfrey II, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Godfrey II , called the Childless, son of Godfrey I, Count of Verdun, was the count of Verdun from his father's death in 1002 and duke of Lower Lorraine after the death in 1012 of the Carolingian Otto, who left no sons....

     (1012–1023) (also known as Godfrey I)
  • Gothelo I (1023–1044) (also duke of Upper Lorraine)
  • Gothelo II
    Gothelo II, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Gothelo II , variously called the Coward, the Sluggard, the Indolent, or the Lazy , has been often said to be Duke of Lower Lorraine after the death of his father Gothelo I, Duke of both Lower and Upper Lorraine until his own death in 1046.When Gothelo I died in 1044, Godfrey III, his eldest son,...

     (1044–1046)

House of Ardennes–Verdun

  • Godfrey III
    Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Godfrey III , called the Bearded, was the eldest son of Gothelo I, duke of Upper and Lower Lorraine. By inheritance, he was count of Verdun and he became margrave of Antwerp as a vassal of the duke of Lower Lorraine...

     the Bearded (1065–1069) (also known as Godfrey II, also duke of Upper Lorraine)
  • Godfrey IV
    Godfrey IV, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Godfrey IV , known as the Hunchback, was a son of Godfrey the Bearded, whom he succeeded as duke of Lower Lorraine in 1069. His mother was Doda and his sister was Ida....

     (1069–1076) (also known as Godfrey III)

House of Boulogne (Ardennes–Bouillon)

  • Godfrey V
    Godfrey of Bouillon
    Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...

     (1087–1100) (also known as Godfrey IV)

House of Limburg

  • Henry I
    Henry, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Henry I was the count of Limburg and Arlon from 1082 to his death and duke of Lower Lorraine between 1101 to 1106. He was the son of Waleran I of Limburg and Jutta, daughter of Frederick, Duke of Lower Lorraine....

     (1101–1106)

House of Leuven

  • Godfrey I of Leuven
    Godfrey I of Leuven
    Godfrey I , called the Bearded, the Courageous, or the Great, was the landgrave of Brabant, and count of Brussels and Leuven from 1095 to his death and duke of Lower Lorraine from 1106 to 1129...

     (1106–1129) (also known as Godfrey V)

House of Limburg

  • Waleran
    Waleran, Duke of Lower Lorraine
    Waleran II , called Paganus meaning "the Pagan", probably due to a late baptism, was the Duke of Limburg and Count of Arlon from his father's death in about 1119 until his own twenty years later...

     (1129–1139)

House of Leuven

  • Godfrey II of Leuven
    Godfrey II of Leuven
    Godfrey II was the count of Leuven, landgrave of Brabant by inheritance from 23 January 1139. He was the son of Godfrey I and Ida of Chiny...

     (1139–1142) (also known as Godfrey VI)
  • Godfrey III of Leuven
    Godfrey III of Leuven
    Godfrey III was count of Leuven , landgrave of Brabant, margrave of Antwerp, and duke of Lower Lorraine from 1142 to his death.He was the son of Godfrey II and Lutgarde of Sulzbach...

     (1142–1190) (also known as Godfrey VII)

Passes to the Duke of Brabant
Duke of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created by the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, son of Godfrey III of Leuven . The Duchy of Brabant was a feudal elevation of the since 1085/1086 existing title of Landgrave of Brabant...

, who until 1795 kept the title "Duke of Lotharingia".

House of Ardennes-Bar

  • Frederick I
    Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine
    Frederick I was the count of Bar and duke of Upper Lorraine. He was a son of Wigeric, count of Bidgau, also count palatine of Lorraine, and Cunigunda, and thus a sixth generation descendant of Charlemagne....

     (959–978)
  • Thierry I
    Thierry I, Duke of Upper Lorraine
    Theodoric I was the count of Bar and duke of Upper Lorraine from 978 to his death. He was the son and successor of Frederick I and Beatrice, daughter of Hugh the Great, count of Paris, and sister to the French king Hugh Capet.His mother was the regent until 987...

     (978–1026/1027)
  • Frederick II
    Frederick II, Duke of Upper Lorraine
    Frederick II , son of Thierry I and Richilde von Blieskastel, daughter of Folmar III, Count in Bliesgau; was the count of Bar and duke of Lorraine, co-reigning with his father from 1019....

     (1026/1027)
  • Frederick III
    Frederick III, Duke of Upper Lorraine
    Frederick III was the Count of Bar and Duke of Upper Lorraine from the death of his father, Frederick II, in 1026 or 1027 to his own death. His mother was Matilda, daughter of Herman II, Duke of Swabia....

     (1026/1027–1033)

House of Ardennes-Verdun

  • Gothelo (r. 1033–1044) (also duke of Lower Lorraine).
  • Godfrey, the Bearded (r. 1044–1046) (also duke of Lower Lorraine)

House of Metz (Ardennes-Metz)

Portrait Name Start term End term Note
Adalbert
Adalbert, Duke of Lorraine
Adalbert was the Duke of Upper Lorraine from 1047 until his death. He was the first son of Gerard de Bouzonville , Count of Metz, and Gisela ....

1047 1048  
Gerhard 1048 6 March 1070  
Thierry II
Thierry II, Duke of Lorraine
Theodoric II , called the Valiant, was the duke of Lorraine from 1070 to his death. He was the son and successor of Gerhard and Hedwige de Namur...

6 March 1070 23 January 1115  
Simon I
Simon I, Duke of Lorraine
Simon I was the duke of Lorraine from 1115 to his death, the eldest son and successor of Thierry II and Hedwige of Formbach....

23 January 1115 13 April 1138  
Matthias I
Matthias I, Duke of Lorraine
Matthias I was the duke of Lorraine from 1138 to his death as the eldest son and successor of Simon I and Adelaide. Like his forefathers going back to Thierry II and even to Adalbert, he was a stern supporter of the king of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor...

13 April 1138 13 May 1176  
Simon II
Simon II, Duke of Lorraine
Simon II was the Duke of Lorraine from 1176 to 1205. He was the son and successor of Matthias I and Judith, daughter of Frederick II, Duke of Swabia....

13 May 1176 1205  
Frederick I
Frederick I, Duke of Lorraine
Frederick I was the duke of Lorraine from 1205 to his death. He was the second son of Matthias I and Judith, daughter of Frederick II, Duke of Swabia. He succeeded his brother, Simon II, who had already given him the county of Bitche in 1176 and had recognised him over the northern, germanophone...

1205 7 April 1206  
Frederick II
Frederick II, Duke of Lorraine
Frederick II was the duke of Lorraine from 1206 to his death, son of Frederick I and Ludmilla, daughter of Mieszko III the Old, of the Piast Dynasty....

7 April 1206 10 October 1213  
Theobald I
Theobald I, Duke of Lorraine
Theobald I was the duke of Lorraine from 1213 to his death. He was the son and successor of Frederick II and Agnes of Bar....

10 October 1213 17 February 1220  
Matthias II
Matthias II, Duke of Lorraine
Matthias II was Duke of Lorraine from 1220 to his death. He was the son of Duke Frederick II and Agnes of Bar and succeeded his brother, Theobald I....

17 February 1220 24 June 1251  
Frederick III
Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine
Frederick III was the Duke of Lorraine from 1251 to his death. He was the only son and successor of Matthias II and Catherine of Limburg....

24 June 1251 31 December 1302  
Theobald II
Theobald II, Duke of Lorraine
Theobald II was the duke of Lorraine from 1303 to his death. He was the son and successor of Frederick III and Margaret, daughter of King Theobald I of Navarre....

31 December 1302 13 May 1312  
Frederick IV
Frederick IV, Duke of Lorraine
Frederick IV , called the Fighter, was the Duke of Lorraine from 1312 to his death.-Biography:Frederick was born in Gondreville, the son and successor of Theobald II and Isabella of Rumigny....

13 May 1312 23 August 1328  
Raoul
Rudolph, Duke of Lorraine
Rudolph , called the Valiant , was the Duke of Lorraine from 1329 to his death. He was the son and successor of Frederick IV and Elisabeth, daughter of Albert I of Germany, a Habsburg, whence his name...

23 August 1328 26 August 1346 killed at the Battle of Crécy
Battle of Crécy
The Battle of Crécy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War...

John I
John I, Duke of Lorraine
John I was the duke of Lorraine from 1346 to his death. As an infant of six months, he succeeded his father, Rudolph, who was killed in the Battle of Crécy. His mother was Mary, daughter of Guy I of Blois....

26 August 1346 27 September 1390  
Charles II
Charles II, Duke of Lorraine
Charles II , called the Bold was the duke of Lorraine from 1390 to his death and constable of France from 1418 to 1425....

27 September 1390 25 January 1431  
Isabella
Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine
Isabella was suo jure Duchess of Lorraine, from 25 January 1431 to her death in 1453. She was the first wife of Duke Rene of Anjou, King of Naples, and the mother of his children, which included Margaret of Anjou, Queen consort of England as the wife of Henry VI.From 1435 to 1442, Isabella was...

25 January 1431 28 February 1453 with her husband, René I

House of Anjou

Portrait Name Start term End term Note
René I 25 January 1431 28 February 1453 with his wife, Isabella
Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine
Isabella was suo jure Duchess of Lorraine, from 25 January 1431 to her death in 1453. She was the first wife of Duke Rene of Anjou, King of Naples, and the mother of his children, which included Margaret of Anjou, Queen consort of England as the wife of Henry VI.From 1435 to 1442, Isabella was...

John II
John II, Duke of Lorraine
John II of Anjou was Duke of Lorraine from 1453 to his death. He inherited the duchy from his mother, Duchess Isabelle, during the life of his father, Duke René of Anjou, also Duke of Lorraine and titular king of Naples...

28 February 1453 16 December 1470  
Nicholas I
Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine
Nicholas of Anjou was the son of John II, Duke of Lorraine and Marie de Bourbon.He succeeded his father in 1470 as Duke of Lorraine, and assumed the titles of Marquis of Pont-à-Mousson, Duke of Calabria, and Prince of Girona, as heir apparent of Bar, Naples, and Aragon respectively.He did not...

16 December 1470 24 July 1473  

House of Lorraine

Junior branch of the previous rulers of Ardennes–Metz, known as the House of Lorraine
Portrait Name Start term End term Note
René II
René II, Duke of Lorraine
René II was Count of Vaudémont from 1470, Duke of Lorraine from 1473, and Duke of Bar from 1483 to 1508. He claimed the crown of the Kingdom of Naples and the County of Provence as the Duke of Calabria 1480–1493 and as King of Naples and Jerusalem 1493–1508...

24 July 1473 10 December 1508 grandson of René I and Isabella; also Duke of Bar
Antoine
Antoine, Duke of Lorraine
Antoine , known as the Good, was Duke of Lorraine from 1508 until his death in 1544.-Biography:Antoine was born at Bar-le-Duc, the son of René II, Duke of Lorraine and Philippa of Guelders...

10 December 1508 14 June 1544  
Francis I
Francis I, Duke of Lorraine
Francis I was a member of the French nobility. He was briefly Duke of Lorraine from 1544–1545.-History:...

14 June 1544 12 June 1545  
Charles III
Charles III, Duke of Lorraine
Charles III , known as the Great, was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death.-History:He was the eldest surviving son of Francis I, Duke of Lorraine, and Christina of Denmark...

12 June 1545 14 May 1608  
Henry II 14 May 1608 31 July 1624  
Nicole 31 July 1624 25 November 1625 she was the daughter of Henry I; the estates of Lorraine eventually decided that she was not eligible to reign, and gave the crown to her uncle, Francis II; her husband and first cousin, Charles IV, would reign thereafter
Francis II
Francis II, Duke of Lorraine
Francis II , was the son of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine and Claude of Valois. He was Duke of Lorraine briefly in 1624, quickly abdicating in favour of his son.-Biography:...

25 November 1625 1 December 1625 he immediately abdicated in favor of his son, Charles IV; died 1632
Charles IV
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...

1 December 1625 19 January 1634 abdicated in favor of his brother
Nicholas II
Nicholas II, Duke of Lorraine
Nicholas Francis , also known as Nicholas II, was briefly Duke of Lorraine and Duke of Bar for a few months in 1634, spanning the time between the abdication of his older brother and his own resignation...

19 January 1634 1 April 1634 fled into exile and abdicated in favour of his older brother; the duchy remained under effective French control for the next 27 years
Charles IV
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...

1 April 1634 18 September 1675 nominally restored as a result of his brother's abdication; Lorraine was occupied by France, and the Duke in exile, from 1634 to 1661 and again from 1670 until his death
Charles V Leopold
Charles V, Duke of Lorraine
Charles V , Karl V. Leopold, , son of Nicolas François, Duke of Lorraine, and Claude Françoise de Lorraine. Karl Leopold was born in Vienna and became the brother in law of Emperor Leopold and son in law of emperor Ferdinand III...

18 September 1675 18 April 1690 He was in exile and Lorraine was occupied by France throughout his nominal reign
Leopold
Leopold, Duke of Lorraine
Leopold , surnamed the Good, was Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1690 to his death.-Early life:Leopold Joseph Charles Dominique Agapet Hyacinthe was the son of Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, and his wife Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria, a half-sister of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor.At the time of...

18 April 1690 27 March 1729 He was in exile and Lorraine was occupied by France until 30 October 1697, when it was returned to Léopold Joseph; it was again occupied by France from 1702 to 1714, although the duke remained in place
Francis III Stephen
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...

27 March 1729 9 July 1737 traded Lorraine in exchange for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Grand Duchy of Tuscany
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was a central Italian monarchy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1859, replacing the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence...

; elected Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...

 in 1745; died 1765, husband of Empress Maria Theresa

House of Leszczyński

Portrait Name Start term End term Note
Stanislaus 9 July 1737 23 February 1766 former king of Poland. After him, the Duchy is inherited by his son-in-law, king Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...

and incorporated in his dominions

External links

Titles of the dukes of Lorraine from contemporary documents with bibliography

Further reading

Putnam, Ruth. Alsace and Lorraine: From Cæsar to Kaiser, 58 B.C.-1871 A.D. New York: 1915.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK