"Long-haired kings" - this was the name of the first dynasty of French kings, descended from Salic Franks, an independent branch living in Tosandria (between the rivers Meuse and Scheldt) since 420, the leader of which was the founder of the Merovingian clan - Faramond, according to many scientists, the mythical character . From the 5th to the middle of the 8th centuries, the Merovingians ruled in the territories of modern France and Belgium.
Legends of ancient France
This semi-legendary dynasty of French kings is surrounded by mystery, myths and fiction. The Merovingians themselves called the "New Mages."
They were considered miracle workers, seers and sorcerers, all of whose powerful strength lay in long hair. The figure of Faramond, the son of Markomir, as well as his descendants, including Merovey himself, is controversial. The existence of many of them, as well as the fact that they take their kind directly from the Trojan king Priam, or, at worst, from his relative, the hero of the Trojan war Aeneas, has not been documented in any way. Like the fact that Merovingians come from Jesus Christ. Some people call them the Northern Rus. Some articles say that the dynasty takes its kind from Merovey, that's why it is called. Others claim that Merovei was generally 13th in the family.
Historical evidence
The first historical person, many researchers consider only the son of Merovey - Childeric. Many, but not all. Most consider the true founder of the kingdom to be his son, that is, the grandson of Merovey - Clovis (481-511), who successfully ruled for 30 years and was buried in the Peter and Paul Church in Paris (now the church of St. Genevieve). This dynasty of French kings was glorified by Holdwig I. And not only because France adopted Catholicism under him, and his baptism was the birth of a new Roman Empire. Under him, the Frankish (translated “free”) state significantly increased in size, it is even compared with the “high civilization” of Byzantium. It flourished. Literacy was five times higher than after 500 years.
Strong and weak representatives of the glorious dynasty
Kings from the Merovingian clan were, as a rule, prominent and highly educated people. Wise and sometimes tough rulers, such as Dagobert II (676-679), who ruled not for long, but boldly. He concentrated all power in the hands of the monarch, which made the state strong, but did not like aristocratic circles and the church. This king was martyred. According to one version, he was killed in a dream by his godson, who pierced his eye with a spear. The church, which condoned regicide, canonized him in 872. After this, we can say the last true representative of the Merovingians, the time comes for the reign of the Mayordom. Childeric III (743-751), the last of the Merovingian house, no longer had practical power. He was seated on the throne by Mayors Pepin Korotkim and Karloman after the throne had been empty for 7 years. Allegedly he was the son of Hilperic II, but there is no evidence of his belonging to the Merovingian family at all. Naturally, he was a toy in the hands of dignitaries.
Carolings and their best representative
Carolingians - a dynasty of French kings, succeeding rulers from the Merovean clan. The first ruler was Pepin III the Short (751-768), who was the mayor before the coronation, that is, the highest dignitary at the Merovingian court. He also knows that he was the father of Charlemagne. Pepin, who seized power by force and untruth, imprisoned the last of the glorious dynasty of Merovey - Childeric III.
The most striking personality not only in the Carolingian dynasty, ruling from 751 to 987, but also in the entire history of France, is Charles I the Great (768-814). His name gave the name of the dynasty. A successful warrior who made more than 50 campaigns, he unreasonably expanded the borders of France. In 800, Charles was proclaimed emperor in Rome. His power became unlimited. Introducing strict laws, he concentrated power in his hands as much as possible. For the slightest fault of everyone who violated the laws established by him, the death penalty awaited. Karl twice a year gathered a council of secular and spiritual higher nobility. Based on joint decisions, he passed laws. With his court, the emperor traveled throughout the country for personal control. Of course, such business conduct plus reorganization of the army could not but give positive results. France flourished. But the empire crumbled with his death. Not seeing a worthy heir, Karl distributed allotments to his sons, who were at enmity with each other. Subsequently, crushing continued.
The end of the empire created by Karl
The dynasty of French kings from the Carolingian family ruled the country for more than two centuries, but there was not even one representative of this dynasty even the slightest resembling Charles I the Great. The last ruler in the rank of emperor Berengar I died in 924. In 962, the Holy Roman Empire was founded by the German king Otto I the Great. She began to consider herself the successor of the Carolingian Empire. The last king of this dynasty was Louis V the Lazy, who had been in power for one year - from 986 to 987. According to some versions, he was poisoned by his mother. Probably because he was lazy. And although he appointed his uncle as heir, the clergy and power seated Hugo Capet on the throne.
Third Royal House of France
The dynasty of French kings, ruling since 987, was called the Robertins, later the Capetians, as you might guess, by the name of the first legally seated throne, Hugo Capeta (reign of 987-996). More is known about the representatives of this dynasty that ended with the death of
Charles IV the Beautiful in 1328, if only because the Maurice Druon trilogy “Cursed Kings”, incredibly popular in the Soviet Union, is dedicated to the reign of the last five kings of the Capetian dynasty, and the first two rulers from the Valois dynasty, the younger branch of the Capetians. Philip IV the Beautiful and all his offspring were cursed by the Grand Master of the Templars at the time of his execution.
Branched and strong
Representatives of this royal family and under the Carolingians were proclaimed kings of France - the two sons of the founder of the dynasty, Robert the Strong, Count of Anjou - the eldest Ed in 888, and the younger Robert in 922. But the Carolingians remained the ruling royal family. And already Hugo Capet founded his legitimate dynasty, which, one might say, remained in power until 1848, because the subsequent ruling houses of Valois, Bourbons, Orleanides were the younger branches of the Capetings. The dynasty of French kings since 987 is famous not only for its ramified nature, but also for having received from the Carolingian a fragmented state in which the king’s power extended only from Paris to Orleans, she turned France into a powerful monarchical power, stretching from the shores of the Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea . This was done by the efforts of her best kings - Louis VI Tolstoy (1108-1137), Philip II Augustus Krivoy (1179-1223), one of the most prominent representatives of this house, Louis IX of Saint (1226-1270), Philip III of the Bold (1270- 1285), and, of course, Philip IV the Beautiful (1285-1314). He completely changed France, turning it into a power, somewhat reminiscent of our modern state.
A nickname left over the centuries
The dynasty of French kings, the name of which came from the nickname, is also Capetings. The addition to the name of the first monarch Hugo the Great was first mentioned only in the XI century. According to some researchers, he received such a nickname because he wore an abbey hat (cappa). He was the secular abbot of such famous monasteries as Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Saint-Denis, and several others.
As noted above, the Capetings were the eldest branch of this vast family, the offspring of which were founded by other dynasties of the French kings. The table below illustrates the above.
The Capetings (987-1848) - the third ruling dynasty of France |
Actually Capetings (main branch) 987 - 1328 | Dynasty Valois 1328 - 1589 | Bourbons 1589 - 1792 | Orleans House - 1830-1848 |
| | | |
First ruler Hugo Capet (987-996) The last king Charles IV (1322-1328) | First ruler Philip VI (1328-1350) The last king Henry III (1574-1589) | First ruler Henry IV (1589-1610) The last king Louis XVI (1774-1792 executed) Restoration of the Bourbons (1814-1830) | The Last King Louis Philippe (1830-1848) |
Smart, hard, very beautiful
Philip the Beautiful had a very successful marriage, in which four children were born. Three boys were alternately the kings of France - Louis X the Grumpy (1314-1316), Philip V Long (1316-1322), Charles IV the Beautiful (1322-1328). These weak kings were far from their illustrious father. In addition, they did not have sons, except for John I the Posthumous, the offspring of Louis X the Grumpy, who died 5 days after baptism. The daughter of Philip the Beautiful married the English king Edward II, which gave their son Edward III of the Plantagenet clan the right to challenge the rights to the French throne at the Valois branch, which occupied him after the death of Karl the Beautiful. This led to the start of the Hundred Years War.
Branch of valois
The dynasty of French kings, which began to rule from the 14th century, was called the Valois dynasty (1328-1589), since its ancestor was the cousin of the last monarch of the Capetians, Philippe Valois. This ruling house has suffered many misfortunes - a bloody war, loss of territories, a plague epidemic, popular uprisings, the largest of which is Jacquerie (1358). Only in 1453 France, once again in its history, regains its former greatness and is restored to its former borders. And Jeanne d, Ark, or the Orleans maiden, who expelled the English, the "grateful Frenchmen" were burned at the stake.
Bartholomew’s night also occurred during the reign of this dynasty - August 24, 1572. And this royal house had its worthy representatives, such as
Francis I. During his reign, France flourished during the Renaissance and the absolute power of the monarch was strengthened. The last king of this house was the youngest and most beloved son of the schemer Catherine de Medici (the first - Kings
Francis II and Charles IX) Henry III. But he was stabbed with a stylet by the fanatical Dominican monk Jacques Clement. Henry III was glorified by the novels of Alexander Dumas “Queen Margot”, “Countess de Monsoro”, “Forty-five”. There were no sons, and the Valois dynasty ceases to be ruling.
Bourbons
The time is coming for the French kings of the Bourbon dynasty, founded in 1589 by Henry IV of Navara (1589-1610). The founder of this youngest branch of the Capetians was the son of Louis IX of Saint Robert (1256-1317) after his wife sire de Bourbon. Representatives of this dynasty in France occupied the throne from 1589 to 1792, and from 1814 to 1848, while in Spain, after several restorations, they finally left the stage only in 1931. In France, as a result of the revolution of 1792, the dynasty was deposed, and King Louis XVI was executed in 1793. They were restored to the throne after the fall of Napoleon I in 1814, but not for long - before the revolution of 1848. The most famous French king of the Bourbon dynasty, of course, Louis XIV or the King of the Sun.
He received such a nickname not only because he was in power for 72 years (he took the throne at the age of five in 1643, died in 1715), but because of the beautiful equestrian ballets in which he participated in the image of a luminary or Roman emperor holding in the hands of a golden shield resembling the sun. The country could not boast of particular successes during his reign. And the bloody revolutions that shook the country at the end of the 18th and middle of the 19th centuries indicate that the rule of the Bourbons did not suit the population of France.
French royal houses of the 19th century
What is famous for the dynasty of French kings of the 19th century? By the fact that it was interrupted by revolutions, restored and interrupted again. In the 19th century, Emperor Napoleon I Bonaparte sat on the French throne from 1804 to 1815. After his overthrow, the Bourbons Restoration took place . Louis XVIII (1814-1824), 67th monarch of France, ascended the throne. He was the last French king who was not overthrown, the last two (Charles X 1824-1830, Louis Philippe - 1830-1848) deprived the throne by force. Napoleon I's nephew, the first president of the French Republic, Louis Napoleon Bonoparte or Napoleon III was the last reigning person. In the rank of emperor of France from 1854 to 1870 he was in power until his capture by William I. There were still attempts to occupy the French throne, but to prevent this, in 1885 all the crowns of the French kings were sold out, and the country was finally declared a republic. In the 19th century, the dynasty of French kings occupied the throne, a table with the dates and order of reign of which is given below.
Dynasties of French kings occupying the throne in the 19th century |
1892-1804 | Bonaparte | Bourbon Restoration | Orleans House | Bonaparte |
_ | Napoleon I 1804 - 1814 | Louis XVIII (1814-1824) Karl X (1824-1830) | Louis Philippe I (1830-1848) | Napoleon III (1852-1870) |
Merovingians, Carolingians, Capetings (including Valois, Bourbons, Orleanides), Bonoparts - these are the ruling dynasties of the French.