Style of the French sovereign
Encyclopedia
The precise style of French Sovereigns varied over the years. Currently, there is no French sovereign; three distinct traditions (the Legitimist, the Orleanist, and the Bonapartist) exist, each claiming different forms of title.
The three styles laid claim to by pretenders to the French throne are:
s would be addressed as such by the Church), and came into frequent use during the reign of Charles VI
; under his son, Charles VII
, it became recognised as a hereditary and exclusive title of the Kings of France. Pope Julius II
, allied between 1510 and 1513 with Henry VIII of England
against Louis XII of France
, considered transferring the title from the French monarch to the English monarch, drafting a Papal brief to this effect; however, it was never issued. The French Kings thus continued to use the title, in particular on diplomatic documents, less frequently in France itself or in everyday parlance.
, who had himself crowned Emperor. It is the title to which the Bonapartists and their supporters continue to lay claim.
, but King Charles VIII of France
, determined to bring the territory under royal control, forced her to marry him; as a result, the France and Brittany were placed in personal union, and the King of France also held the title of Duke of Brittany.
Legally, however, the Duchy remained separate from France proper; the two titles were linked only by the marriage of the King and Queen, and when the King died childless, the title 'Duke of Brittany' remained with Anne, rather than passing to the heir of France, Louis XII
. Louis, however, married Anne himself, and so the King of France was once more Duke of Brittany. Legally, Brittany still remained distinct, dependent on the Ducal bloodline; when Anne died, Brittany passed to her daughter and heiress, Claude
, rather than remaining with the King of France. However, the King became Duke once more upon the death of Louis XII, at which point the crown was inherited by Francis I
– who was already Duke of Brittany by virtue of his marriage to Claude.
Claude's death in 1524 separated the Duchy from the crown once more, and (it would transpire) for the final time. Because Claude, like her mother, was sovereign Duchess, the title of 'Duke' did not remain with her husband, but instead passed to her son, Francis IV of Brittany, who was also Dauphin of France. Legally, the Crown and Duchy were again separate, but the Duke was a child, and the Duchy had been governed as an integral part of France for years; the King had little trouble in maintaining royal control over the Duchy. Breton independence was effectively ended when in 1532 the Estates of Brittany proclaimed the perpetual union of Brittany with the French crown. Francis IV remained Duke of Brittany, and upon his death in 1536 was succeeded by his brother, Henry
; legally, however the Duchy was part of France. Any trace of Breton independence ended with the ascension of Henry, as Henry II, to the French throne; the Crown and Duchy were now united by inheritance, and the completion of the merging of Brittany into France was thus carried out. Notably, when Henry III
(last direct male from Claude) died, Brittany passed as part of the Crown to the next heir of France, Henry of Navarre
, rather than to Claude's most senior heirs (either Henry II, Duke of Lorraine
or Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
). Brittany ceased to be used as a title of the King of France after the death of Duchess Claude.
to Joan I of Navarre
, and from 1589 to the present.
In the first case, the union was merely that of the two crowns: although the relevant Kings held both titles, the two Kingdoms were legally distinct, bound only by the descent of the Kings from the marriage between Joan and Philip. Accordingly, when their direct male descent died out, the two domains separated, France passing to Philip's nephew, Philip of Valois
, and Navarre being inherited by the granddaughter (and senior heiress) of Joan and Philip, Joan II of Navarre
. However, Joan's possessions within France, inherited from her forebears the Counts of Champagne, did not pass with Navarre to Joan's heirs; instead, by treaty, Joan exchanged them for other lands within France, Philip then merging the Champenois inheritance into the French crown.
By chance, France and Navarre were united again in 1589, in the person of Henry IV of France
: his mother, Joan III of Navarre, had been the Queen of Navarre (and senior heiress of Joan II), his father, Antoine de Bourbon
, had been the senior-most heir after the House of Valois. He thus became 'King of France and Navarre'. He was also, by inheritance, a holder of other significant lands within France: Béarn, Donnezan and Andorra, which were, although a part of the feudal boundaries of France, were independent sovereignties; and, under crown jurisdiction, the duchies of Albret, Beaumont, Vendôme, and the counties of Foix, Armagnac, Comminges, Bigorre and Marle.
By established tradition, lands within the legal borders of France (thus, Henry's duchies and counties) would merge into the crown when the holder became King; independent lordships, whether they were or were not part of France's feudal borders, would remain distinct possessions. Henry, however, refused to follow this tradition: having no legitimate sons to pass his possessions onto, and forced to fight to secure his rule over France, he wanted to ensure that if he died without legitimate children, in the ensuing division of his inheritance, his sister Catherine would receive all of their parental inheritance (if he allowed his French lands to merge with the crown before dying without legitimate children, the merged lands would go as part of the crown to the next heir to the throne, his cousin Henri, Prince of Condé
). Accordingly, by letters patent of 13 April 1590, he declared that his personal estates would remain separate from the crown, and unsubjected to Salic law; in Letters of 21 December 1596, he further stated that "our ancient domain, in our kingdom of Navarre and sovereign land of Béarn and Donazan, low countries of Flanders, as well as our duchies, counties, viscounties, lands, lordships in this our kingdom, be and remained disunited, disjoint and separate of our house of France not to be in any way included or merged unless it is by us otherwise ordered, or unless God bestows on us the grace of having children we desire to provide thereto." The Paris Parlement refused to register these Letters, stating that French public law did not allow the division of a monarch's public and private possessions; instead, Henry had them registered at the Parlements of Bordeaux and Toulouse. Thus, from 1589–1607, the King of France and Navarre was also the Lord of Béarn, Duke of Albret and Vendôme, Count of Foix, etc.
These acts were reversed in 1606-1607: Henry had a legitimate son, and the death of his sister without issue had nullified any need to share the Navarrese inheritance. By an Edict of 1607, the original ruling of the Paris Parlement that lands within France were automatically merged in the Crown was upheld, and the King ceased to be Duke of Albret and Vendôme, Count of Foix, etc. Because Navarre, Béarn, Andorre and Donazan were independent of France, however, the King remained separately the King of Navarre, and Lord of the other domains.
In October 1620, the merging of the Navarrese inheritance into France was furthered, when Louis XIII on 20 October had an Edict passed in Pau by the Sovereign Council of Navarre, to prevent "the misfortunes and inconveniences which would occur if, failing a male heir to our Royal House, said countries passed by inheritance to Foreign princes, thereby opening a door to enter into our Kingdom.". By this "perpetual and irrevocable Edict", Navarre, Béarn, Andorra and Donezan were united and incorporated into the crown of France: although, as in the case of Scotland and England in 1707, whilst the Navarrese domains were politically and monarchically united with France, they retained their separate institutions - thus, they were bound irrevocably to France, but not merged into it. Unlike the British Act of Union, however, Navarre lost its independent judiciary, a fact the Navarrese resented for a long time afterwards. Nonetheless, in recognition of the separate nature of the Kingdom of Navarre (and the lordships of Béarn, Andorra and Donezan, which were considered attached to the Crown of Navarre), the Bourbon Kings of France customarily used the title 'King of France and Navarre'.
In the troubles of 1789, Navarre - being a distinct Kingdom - by order of the Navarrese estates refused to elect representatives to the Estates General of France, instead sending four representatives of the Estates to Versailles at the 'invitation' of the King; these representatives, arriving in July 1789, refused to sit with the National Assembly, and instead the Navarrese estates attempted to revoke the 1620 Union. This was denied, and by vote of the assembly the King's title was changed from 'King of France and Navarre' to 'King of the French' (thus denying the separation between the two Kingdoms, and emphasising the - presumed - unity of the French people). By the constitution of 1791, this change was effected, and the merging of Navarre was completed - it lost all of its separate institutions, and was denied any recognition as a state separate from the French nation. Although the last Bourbons entitled themselves 'King of France and Navarre' once more, it was a title only, 'Navarre' having ceased to exist as anything more than a name.
In addition, Alsace
requested that the King take the title "Landgrave of Upper and Lower Alsace" in relation to the territory, but this did not happen.
(reign disputed)
The three styles laid claim to by pretenders to the French throne are:
- Legitimist: "Most high, most potent and most excellent Prince, X, by the Grace of GodBy the Grace of GodBy the Grace of God is an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch taken to be ruling by divine right, not a title in its own right....
, King of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and of NavarreNavarreNavarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
, Most Christian Majesty." (Très haut, très puissant et très excellent Prince, X, par la grâce de Dieu, Roi de France et de Navarre, Roi Très-chrétien)
- OrleanistOrléanistThe Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
: "X, by the Grace of GodBy the Grace of GodBy the Grace of God is an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch taken to be ruling by divine right, not a title in its own right....
and by the constitutional law of the State, King of the French." (X, par la grâce de Dieu et par la loi constitutionnelle de l'État, Roi des Français)
- BonapartistBonapartistIn French political history, Bonapartism has two meanings. In a strict sense, this term refers to people who aimed to restore the French Empire under the House of Bonaparte, the Corsican family of Napoleon Bonaparte and his nephew Louis...
: "X, By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French." (X, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français.)
Francorum Rex
The Latin term Francorum Rex was the official Latin title of the "King of the Franks" after the accession of the Carolingian Dynasty (sometimes taking the form of Rex Francorum); this title was used in official documents until French replaced Latin as the formal language of legal documents, and remained used on coins until the 18th century. However, from as early as the 12th century, the form Franciae Rex ("King of France") was also used.Most-Christian King
This title Rex Christianissimus, or Roi Très-chrétien owed its origins to the long, and distinctive, relationship between the Catholic Church and the Franks. France was the first modern state recognised by the Church, and was known as the 'Eldest Daughter of the Church'; Clovis, the King of the Franks, had been recognised by the Papacy as a protector of Rome's interests. Accordingly, this title was frequently accorded to the French Kings (although on a number of occasions Kings of other realmRealm
A realm is a dominion of a monarch or other sovereign ruler.The Old French word reaume, modern French royaume, was the word first adopted in English; the fixed modern spelling does not appear until the beginning of the 17th century...
s would be addressed as such by the Church), and came into frequent use during the reign of Charles VI
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
; under his son, Charles VII
Charles VII of France
Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
, it became recognised as a hereditary and exclusive title of the Kings of France. Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II , nicknamed "The Fearsome Pope" and "The Warrior Pope" , born Giuliano della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513...
, allied between 1510 and 1513 with Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
against Louis XII of France
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
, considered transferring the title from the French monarch to the English monarch, drafting a Papal brief to this effect; however, it was never issued. The French Kings thus continued to use the title, in particular on diplomatic documents, less frequently in France itself or in everyday parlance.
King of the French
With the French Revolution came the writing of a Constitution for France. As part of the reforms, the monarch ceased to be an absolute ruler of hereditary lands deriving power from God; instead, he became a constitutional ruler ruling by the will of the French People and for the good of the French People. By a decree on 12 October 1789, the king's title was thus changed from 'By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre' to 'By the Grace of God and by the constitutional law of the State, King of the French' (French: Par la grâce de Dieu et par la loi constitutionnelle de l'État, Roi des Français), becoming official with the institution of the new constitution on 1 October 1791. The monarchy was abolished a year later, and the Bourbon supporters supported Louis XVI, and then Louis XVII and Louis XVIII, as King of France and Navarre rather than King of the French, under which title the Bourbons were restored in 1815. However, the constitutional monarchy was revived in 1830, with the Bourbon deposition. Although the Orleanist constitutional monarchy, the so-called 'July Monarchy', was abolished in 1848, the heirs of Louis-Philippe continued to claim the title and legacy.Emperor of the French
The Bonapartist legacy, the title was instituted in 1804 by Napoleon BonaparteNapoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, who had himself crowned Emperor. It is the title to which the Bonapartists and their supporters continue to lay claim.
Distinct titles
In addition to the titles above, the Kings of France at one point or another held other titles attached to the Crown.Brittany
Brittany, during the Middle Ages, was feudally a part of the Kingdom of France (i.e. it was within the traditional borders of the realm, and the King of France was deemed to be overlord of the Duchy); effectively, however, it was a largely independent state. This came to an end with the death of Francis II of Brittany; the Duchy was inherited by his daughter, AnneAnne 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, Duke of Brittany and Margaret of Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Queen Eleanor of...
, but King Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
, determined to bring the territory under royal control, forced her to marry him; as a result, the France and Brittany were placed in personal union, and the King of France also held the title of Duke of Brittany.
Legally, however, the Duchy remained separate from France proper; the two titles were linked only by the marriage of the King and Queen, and when the King died childless, the title 'Duke of Brittany' remained with Anne, rather than passing to the heir of France, Louis XII
Louis XII of France
Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes...
. Louis, however, married Anne himself, and so the King of France was once more Duke of Brittany. Legally, Brittany still remained distinct, dependent on the Ducal bloodline; when Anne died, Brittany passed to her daughter and heiress, Claude
Claude of France
Claude of France was a princess and queen consort of France and ruling Duchess of Brittany. She was the eldest daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne, Duchess of Brittany....
, rather than remaining with the King of France. However, the King became Duke once more upon the death of Louis XII, at which point the crown was inherited by Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
– who was already Duke of Brittany by virtue of his marriage to Claude.
Claude's death in 1524 separated the Duchy from the crown once more, and (it would transpire) for the final time. Because Claude, like her mother, was sovereign Duchess, the title of 'Duke' did not remain with her husband, but instead passed to her son, Francis IV of Brittany, who was also Dauphin of France. Legally, the Crown and Duchy were again separate, but the Duke was a child, and the Duchy had been governed as an integral part of France for years; the King had little trouble in maintaining royal control over the Duchy. Breton independence was effectively ended when in 1532 the Estates of Brittany proclaimed the perpetual union of Brittany with the French crown. Francis IV remained Duke of Brittany, and upon his death in 1536 was succeeded by his brother, Henry
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
; legally, however the Duchy was part of France. Any trace of Breton independence ended with the ascension of Henry, as Henry II, to the French throne; the Crown and Duchy were now united by inheritance, and the completion of the merging of Brittany into France was thus carried out. Notably, when Henry III
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
(last direct male from Claude) died, Brittany passed as part of the Crown to the next heir of France, Henry of Navarre
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
, rather than to Claude's most senior heirs (either Henry II, Duke of Lorraine
Henry II, Duke of Lorraine
Henry II was Duke of Lorraine from 1608 until his death. His two daughters were Duchesses of Lorraine by marriage. He was also the brother-in-law of King Henry IV of France.-History and Family:...
or Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain
Isabella Clara Eugenia of Austria was sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands in the Low Countries and the north of modern France, together with her husband Albert. In some sources, she is referred to as Clara Isabella Eugenia...
). Brittany ceased to be used as a title of the King of France after the death of Duchess Claude.
The Navarrese inheritance
Navarre was twice united with France: from 1314–1328 (effectively from 1284, upon the marriage of Philip IV of FrancePhilip IV of France
Philip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of...
to Joan I of Navarre
Joan I of Navarre
Joan I , the daughter of king Henry I of Navarre and Blanche of Artois, reigned as queen regnant of Navarre and also served as queen consort of France.-Life:...
, and from 1589 to the present.
In the first case, the union was merely that of the two crowns: although the relevant Kings held both titles, the two Kingdoms were legally distinct, bound only by the descent of the Kings from the marriage between Joan and Philip. Accordingly, when their direct male descent died out, the two domains separated, France passing to Philip's nephew, Philip of Valois
Philip VI of France
Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328...
, and Navarre being inherited by the granddaughter (and senior heiress) of Joan and Philip, Joan II of Navarre
Joan II of Navarre
Joan II was Queen of Navarre from 1328 until her death. She was the only daughter of Margaret of Burgundy, first wife of King Louis X of France...
. However, Joan's possessions within France, inherited from her forebears the Counts of Champagne, did not pass with Navarre to Joan's heirs; instead, by treaty, Joan exchanged them for other lands within France, Philip then merging the Champenois inheritance into the French crown.
By chance, France and Navarre were united again in 1589, in the person of Henry IV of France
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
: his mother, Joan III of Navarre, had been the Queen of Navarre (and senior heiress of Joan II), his father, Antoine de Bourbon
Antoine of Navarre
Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme was head of the House of Bourbon from 1537 to 1562, and jure uxoris King of Navarre from 1555 to 1562.-Family:...
, had been the senior-most heir after the House of Valois. He thus became 'King of France and Navarre'. He was also, by inheritance, a holder of other significant lands within France: Béarn, Donnezan and Andorra, which were, although a part of the feudal boundaries of France, were independent sovereignties; and, under crown jurisdiction, the duchies of Albret, Beaumont, Vendôme, and the counties of Foix, Armagnac, Comminges, Bigorre and Marle.
By established tradition, lands within the legal borders of France (thus, Henry's duchies and counties) would merge into the crown when the holder became King; independent lordships, whether they were or were not part of France's feudal borders, would remain distinct possessions. Henry, however, refused to follow this tradition: having no legitimate sons to pass his possessions onto, and forced to fight to secure his rule over France, he wanted to ensure that if he died without legitimate children, in the ensuing division of his inheritance, his sister Catherine would receive all of their parental inheritance (if he allowed his French lands to merge with the crown before dying without legitimate children, the merged lands would go as part of the crown to the next heir to the throne, his cousin Henri, Prince of Condé
Henri I de Bourbon, prince de Condé
Henri de Bourbon-Condé was a French Prince du Sang and Huguenot general like his more prominent father, Louis I, Prince of Condé....
). Accordingly, by letters patent of 13 April 1590, he declared that his personal estates would remain separate from the crown, and unsubjected to Salic law; in Letters of 21 December 1596, he further stated that "our ancient domain, in our kingdom of Navarre and sovereign land of Béarn and Donazan, low countries of Flanders, as well as our duchies, counties, viscounties, lands, lordships in this our kingdom, be and remained disunited, disjoint and separate of our house of France not to be in any way included or merged unless it is by us otherwise ordered, or unless God bestows on us the grace of having children we desire to provide thereto." The Paris Parlement refused to register these Letters, stating that French public law did not allow the division of a monarch's public and private possessions; instead, Henry had them registered at the Parlements of Bordeaux and Toulouse. Thus, from 1589–1607, the King of France and Navarre was also the Lord of Béarn, Duke of Albret and Vendôme, Count of Foix, etc.
These acts were reversed in 1606-1607: Henry had a legitimate son, and the death of his sister without issue had nullified any need to share the Navarrese inheritance. By an Edict of 1607, the original ruling of the Paris Parlement that lands within France were automatically merged in the Crown was upheld, and the King ceased to be Duke of Albret and Vendôme, Count of Foix, etc. Because Navarre, Béarn, Andorre and Donazan were independent of France, however, the King remained separately the King of Navarre, and Lord of the other domains.
In October 1620, the merging of the Navarrese inheritance into France was furthered, when Louis XIII on 20 October had an Edict passed in Pau by the Sovereign Council of Navarre, to prevent "the misfortunes and inconveniences which would occur if, failing a male heir to our Royal House, said countries passed by inheritance to Foreign princes, thereby opening a door to enter into our Kingdom.". By this "perpetual and irrevocable Edict", Navarre, Béarn, Andorra and Donezan were united and incorporated into the crown of France: although, as in the case of Scotland and England in 1707, whilst the Navarrese domains were politically and monarchically united with France, they retained their separate institutions - thus, they were bound irrevocably to France, but not merged into it. Unlike the British Act of Union, however, Navarre lost its independent judiciary, a fact the Navarrese resented for a long time afterwards. Nonetheless, in recognition of the separate nature of the Kingdom of Navarre (and the lordships of Béarn, Andorra and Donezan, which were considered attached to the Crown of Navarre), the Bourbon Kings of France customarily used the title 'King of France and Navarre'.
In the troubles of 1789, Navarre - being a distinct Kingdom - by order of the Navarrese estates refused to elect representatives to the Estates General of France, instead sending four representatives of the Estates to Versailles at the 'invitation' of the King; these representatives, arriving in July 1789, refused to sit with the National Assembly, and instead the Navarrese estates attempted to revoke the 1620 Union. This was denied, and by vote of the assembly the King's title was changed from 'King of France and Navarre' to 'King of the French' (thus denying the separation between the two Kingdoms, and emphasising the - presumed - unity of the French people). By the constitution of 1791, this change was effected, and the merging of Navarre was completed - it lost all of its separate institutions, and was denied any recognition as a state separate from the French nation. Although the last Bourbons entitled themselves 'King of France and Navarre' once more, it was a title only, 'Navarre' having ceased to exist as anything more than a name.
Other examples
The King of France was also at times ruler of lands outside France itself. If he would not or could not merge these lands into the French crown, and thus the French state, he would legally be sovereign of those lands separately to his role as French King. In such cases, the King's styles would be treated differently in the relevant territory. However, the title would be used only within the territory, or in documents relating to the territory; it would not be formally used as part of the King's title outside the relevant lands.- The DauphinéDauphinéThe Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of :Isère, :Drôme, and :Hautes-Alpes....
: the area had been ceded to the King of France by the last Dauphin de Viennois in 1349, on the condition that the land and title always be used by the King's eldest son; because the territory was legally part of the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, rather than of FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Emperors legally forbade the region to be united with France. Nonetheless, when there was no Dauphin of France, the King would be personally sovereign over the Dauphiné. His title there, when there was no Dauphin of France, was par la grâce de Dieu roi de France, dauphin de Viennois, comte de Valentinois et de Diois ("By the Grace of God King of France, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois"). - ProvenceProvenceProvence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
: The territory was ceded to Louis XI by Margaret of AnjouMargaret of AnjouMargaret of Anjou was the wife of King Henry VI of England. As such, she was Queen consort of England from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471; and Queen consort of France from 1445 to 1453...
, the heiress, on 19 October 1480, and united to the crown in the following year; however, the Union was legally reversed by the 1486 Edict of Union, which stipulated that Provence and its accompanying territories would "in no way be subordinated to the crown or realm of France". Accordingly, the King of France was titled in relation to Provence, par la grâce de Dieu roi de France, comte de Provence, Forcalquier et terres adjacentes ("By the Grace of God King of France, Count of Provence, ForcalquierForcalquierForcalquier is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river...
and the lands adjacent.") - Charles VIII used the title "King of NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and Jerusalem" in relation to the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of NaplesThe Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
; his successor, Louis XII, titled himself Ludovicus Dei Gratia Francorum Neapolis et Hierusalem Rex Dux Mediolani ("Louis, By the Grace of God King of the Franks, of Naples and of Jerusalem, Duke of Milan"). He abandoned it by the treaty of BloisBloisBlois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
of 22 Oct 1505. - Francis IFrancis I of FranceFrancis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
used the title roi de France, duc de MilanMilanMilan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, comte d'Asti, seigneur de Gênes ("King of France, Duke of Milan, Count of AstiAstiAsti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
, Lord of GenoaGenoaGenoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
") in relation to the Duchy of MilanDuchy of MilanThe Duchy of Milan , was created on the 1st of may 1395, when Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan, purchased a diploma for 100,000 Florins from King Wenceslaus. It was this diploma that installed, Gian Galeazzo as Duke of Milan and Count of Pavia...
. - In January 1641, the King of France was chosen by the Catalonians as 'Count of BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, RoussillonRoussillonRoussillon is one of the historical counties of the former Principality of Catalonia, corresponding roughly to the present-day southern French département of Pyrénées-Orientales...
, and Cerdagne'; accordingly, official documents relating to the area between 1641 and 1652 described the King as Dei gratia Galliarum et Navarrae Rex, comes Barcinonae, Rossilionis et Ceritaniae ("By the Grace of God King of the GaulsGaulsThe Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
and Navarra, Count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdagne"). Roussillon and Cerdagne were later ceded to France by SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but were merged directly into the crown.
In addition, Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
requested that the King take the title "Landgrave of Upper and Lower Alsace" in relation to the territory, but this did not happen.
List of changes to the royal style
| Period | Style | Hugh Capet Hugh Capet of France Hugh Capet , called in contemporary sources "Hugh the Great" , was the first King of France of the eponymous Capetian dynasty from his election to succeed the Carolingian Louis V in 987 until his death.-Descent and inheritance:... , Robert II Robert II of France Robert II , called the Pious or the Wise , was King of France from 996 until his death. The second reigning member of the House of Capet, he was born in Orléans to Hugh Capet and Adelaide of Aquitaine.... |
|---|---|---|
| 1031–1032 | By the Grace of God, King of the Franks, Duke of Burgundy | Henry I Henry I of France Henry I was King of France from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians... |
| 1032–1137 | By the Grace of God, King of the Franks | Henry I Henry I of France Henry I was King of France from 1031 to his death. The royal demesne of France reached its smallest size during his reign, and for this reason he is often seen as emblematic of the weakness of the early Capetians... , Philip I Philip I of France Philip I , called the Amorous, was King of France from 1060 to his death. His reign, like that of most of the early Direct Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time... , Louis VI Louis VI of France Louis VI , called the Fat , was King of France from 1108 until his death . Chronicles called him "roi de Saint-Denis".-Reign:... |
| 1137–1152 | By the Grace of God, King of the Franks and Duke of the Aquitanians, Count of the Poitevins | Louis VII Louis VII of France Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England... |
| 1152–1180 | By the Grace of God, King of the Franks | Louis VII Louis VII of France Louis VII was King of France, the son and successor of Louis VI . He ruled from 1137 until his death. He was a member of the House of Capet. His reign was dominated by feudal struggles , and saw the beginning of the long rivalry between France and England... |
| 1180–1190 | By the Grace of God, King of the Franks, Count of Artois | Philip II Philip II of France Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne... |
| 1190–1223 | By the Grace of God, King of France | Philip II Philip II of France Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne... |
| 1223–1237 | By the Grace of God, King of France, Count of Artois | Louis VIII Louis VIII of France Louis VIII the Lion reigned as King of France from 1223 to 1226. He was a member of the House of Capet. Louis VIII was born in Paris, France, the son of Philip II Augustus and Isabelle of Hainaut. He was also Count of Artois, inheriting the county from his mother, from 1190–1226... , Louis IX Louis IX of France Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and... |
| 1237–1285 | By the Grace of God, King of France | Louis IX Louis IX of France Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and... , Philip III Philip III of France Philip III , called the Bold , was the King of France, succeeding his father, Louis IX, and reigning from 1270 to 1285. He was a member of the House of Capet.-Biography:... |
| 1285–1305 | By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne | Philip IV Philip IV of France Philip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of... |
| 1305–1314 | By the Grace of God, King of France | Philip IV Philip IV of France Philip the Fair was, as Philip IV, King of France from 1285 until his death. He was the husband of Joan I of Navarre, by virtue of which he was, as Philip I, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1284 to 1305.-Youth:A member of the House of Capet, Philip was born at the Palace of... |
| 1314–1316 | By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne | Louis X Louis X of France Louis X of France, , called the Quarreler, the Headstrong, or the Stubborn was the King of Navarre from 1305 and King of France from 1314 until his death... , John I John I of France John I , called the Posthumous, was King of France and Navarre, and Count of Champagne, as the son and successor of Louis the Headstrong, for the five days he lived... |
| 1316–1322 | By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne and Burgundy | Philip V Philip V of France Philip the Tall was King of France as Philip V and, as Philip II, King of Navarre and Count of Champagne. He reigned from 1316 to his death and was the penultimate monarch of the House of Capet. Considered a wise and politically astute ruler, Philip took the throne under questionable... |
| 1322–1328 | By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne | Charles IV Charles IV of France Charles IV, known as the Fair , was the King of France and of Navarre and Count of Champagne from 1322 to his death: he was the last French king of the senior Capetian lineage.... |
| 1328–1350 | By the Grace of God, King of France | Philip VI Philip VI of France Philip VI , known as the Fortunate and of Valois, was the King of France from 1328 to his death. He was also Count of Anjou, Maine, and Valois from 1325 to 1328... |
| 1350–1360 | By the Grace of God, King of France, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne | John II John II of France John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,... |
| 1360–1361 | By the Grace of God, King of France | John II John II of France John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,... |
| 1361–1363 | By the Grace of God, King of France, Duke of Burgundy | John II John II of France John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,... |
| 1363–1364 | By the Grace of God, King of France | John II John II of France John II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,... |
| 1364–1422 | By the Grace of God, King of France; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois* | Charles V Charles V of France Charles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380 and a member of the House of Valois... , Charles VI Charles VI of France Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy... |
| 1422-1486 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Charles VII Charles VII of France Charles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris... , Louis XI Louis XI of France Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois.... , Charles VIII Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois... |
| 1486–1491 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Charles VIII Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois... |
| 1491–1495 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Charles VIII Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois... |
| February-July 1495 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Naples and Jerusalem, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent** | Charles VIII Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois... |
| 1495–1498 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Charles VIII Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois... |
| April 1498-1499 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XII Louis XII of France Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes... |
| 1499–1505 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; King of Naples and Jerusalem, Duke of Milan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XII Louis XII of France Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes... |
| 1505–1512 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Duke of Milan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XII Louis XII of France Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes... |
| 1512–1514 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XII Louis XII of France Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes... |
| 1514–1515 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XII Louis XII of France Louis proved to be a popular king. At the end of his reign the crown deficit was no greater than it had been when he succeeded Charles VIII in 1498, despite several expensive military campaigns in Italy. His fiscal reforms of 1504 and 1508 tightened and improved procedures for the collection of taxes... |
| 1515–1521 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Duke of Milan, Count of Asti, Lord of Genoa; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Francis I Francis I of France Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch... |
| 1521–1524 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent** | Francis I Francis I of France Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch... |
| 1524–1559 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent** | Francis I Francis I of France Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch... , Henry II Henry II of France Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,... |
| 1559–1560 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Scotland; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Francis II Francis II of France Francis II was aged 15 when he succeeded to the throne of France after the accidental death of his father, King Henry II, in 1559. He reigned for 18 months before he died in December 1560... |
| 1560–1589 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Charles IX Charles IX of France Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:... , Henry III Henry III of France Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,... |
| 1589–1607 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre, co-Prince of Andorra, Duke of Albret, Beaumont and Vendôme, Count of Foix, Armagnac, Comminges, Bigorre and Marle, Lord of Béarn, and Donezan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Henry IV Henry IV of France Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France.... |
| 1607–1620 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre, co-Prince of Andorra, Lord of Béarn, and Donezan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Henry IV Henry IV of France Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France.... , Louis XIII Louis XIII of France Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority... |
| 1620–1641 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XIII Louis XIII of France Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority... |
| 1641–1652 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre; Count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdagne; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XIII Louis XIII of France Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority... , Louis XIV Louis XIV of France Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days... |
| 1652–1791 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois | Louis XIV Louis XIV of France Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days... , Louis XV 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... , Louis XVI Louis XVI of France Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793.... |
| 1791-1814 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre | Louis XVI Louis XVI of France Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793.... , (Louis XVII Louis XVII of France Louis XVII , from birth to 1789 known as Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy; then from 1789 to 1791 as Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France; and from 1791 to 1793 as Louis-Charles, Prince Royal of France, was the son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette... ), Louis XVIII Louis XVIII of France Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815... |
| 1791–1792 | By the Grace of God and by the Constitutional Law of the State, King of the French | Louis XVI Louis XVI of France Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793.... |
| 1804–1805 | By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français) | Napoleon I Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815... |
| 1805–1806 | By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French, King of Italy (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français, Roi d'Italie) | Napoleon I Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815... |
| 1806–1809 | By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of Rhine (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français, Roi d'Italie, Protecteur de la Confédération du Rhin) | Napoleon I Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815... |
| 1809–1814 | By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of Rhine, Mediator of the Helvetic Confederation (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français, Roi d'Italie, Protecteur de la Confédération du Rhin, Médiateur de la Confédération Helvétique) | Napoleon I Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815... |
| 1814–1815 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre | Louis XVIII Louis XVIII of France Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815... |
| March-June 1815 | By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French | Napoleon I Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815... , (Napoleon II Napoleon II of France Napoléon II , after 1818 known as Franz, Duke of Reichstadt, was the son of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, and his second wife, Marie Louise of Austria... ) |
| 1815–1830 | By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre | Louis XVIII Louis XVIII of France Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815... , Charles X Charles X of France Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him... , (Louis XIX Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angouleme Louis Antoine of France, Duke of Angoulême was the eldest son of Charles X of France and, from 1824 to 1836, the last Dauphin of France... ), (Henry V Henri, comte de Chambord Henri, comte de Chambord was disputedly King of France from 2 to 9 August 1830 as Henry V, although he was never officially proclaimed as such... ) |
| 1830–1848 | By the Grace of God and by the Constitutional Law of the State, King of the French | Louis-Philippe Louis-Philippe of France Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the... |
| 1852–1870 | By the Grace of God and the will of the Nation, Emperor of the French | Napoleon III of France Napoleon III of France Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte was the President of the French Second Republic and as Napoleon III, the ruler of the Second French Empire. He was the nephew and heir of Napoleon I, christened as Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte... |
(reign disputed)