List of French consorts

Eugénie de Montijo, the last French consort
Marie Antoinette, queen consort of Louis XVI, was beheaded during the French Revolution

This is a list of the women who have been queens consort or empresses consort of the French monarchy. All monarchs of France were male, although some women have governed France as regents.

53 women were married to French monarchs: 49 queens and three empresses. Ingeborg of Denmark and Anne of Brittany were each queen more than once. Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy was queen de jure during the Republican and Imperial periods, but never wife of the de facto head of the French state.

From 1285 to 1328, the crowns of Navarre and France were united by virtue of the marriage of Joan I of Navarre to Philip IV of France, and by the succession of their three sons, Louis X, Philip V, and Charles IV. Thus, the wives of these three kings were queens consort of Navarre as well as of France. With the death of Charles IV, however, Navarre passed out of the hands of the French kings until 1589, when Henry III of Navarre became Henry IV of France.

Upon Henry IV's succession, his wife, Margaret of Valois, who was already queen consort of Navarre, also became queen consort of France. Thereafter, until 1791, queens of France were also queens of Navarre. The crown of Navarre merged with the French crown in 1620, but the French kings continued to call themselves King of Navarre until 1791. The title of King of Navarre was reassumed with the Restoration of 1814–15, but dropped with the Revolution of 1830; the Bonaparte and Orléans consorts did not use it.

Regents

Many French consorts acted as regents for their husbands or their children during the children's minorities. These were:

Catherine de Medici served as regent for her husband and sons

Madame de Maintenon

Madame de Maintenon, mistress of Louis XIV, married the king in the winter of 1685–1686 privately by François de Harlay de Champvallon, archbishop of Paris, in the presence, it is believed, of Père la Chaise, the king's confessor, the Marquis de Montchevreuil, the chevalier de Forbin, and Alexandre Bontemps. Owing to the inequality of social status, she and the King did not marry openly (which would have allowed her to become queen). No written proof of the marriage is extant, but that it took place is nevertheless certain. It is important to remember that Madame de Maintenon was never queen of France, simply a royal consort.

Carolingian dynasty

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse
Ermentrude of OrléansOdo, Count of Orléans823842869Charles II the Bald
Richilde of ProvenceBivin of Gorzec. 8458705/6 October 8772 June 910
Adelaide of ParisAdalard of Parisc. 850-853February 8755/6 October 87710 April 87910 November 901Louis II the Stammerer
RichardisErchanger, Count of Nordgauc. 84086212 December 88413 January 88818 September, 894-896Charles the Fat
Théodrate of Troyes868before 885February 8881 January 898903Odo I
Frederonne887907917Charles III the Simple
Eadgifu of EnglandEdward the Elder of England9027 October 919922after 955
Béatrice of VermandoisHerbert I, Count of Vermandoisc. 880895922923after 931Robert I
Emma of FranceRobert I of France89492113 July 923934Rudolph
Gerberga of SaxonyHenry the Fowler of Germanyc. 91393910 September 9545 May 984Louis IV
Emma of ItalyLothair II of Italyc. 94896526 March 986?Lothair
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse

Capetian dynasty

Direct Capetians

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Adelaide of AquitaineWilliam III, Duke of Aquitainec. 9459703 July 98724 October 9961004Hugh
Rozala of ItalyBerengar II of Italyc. 937988/9899969967 February 1003Robert II
Bertha of BurgundyConrad of Burgundyc. 95299610001035?
Constance of ArlesWilliam I, Count of Provence986100320 July 103125 July 1034
Matilda of FrisiaLiudolf, Margrave of Frisiac. 102410341044Henry I
Anne of KievYaroslav I, Grand Prince of Kievc. 102419 May 10514 August 10601075
Bertha of HollandFloris I, Count of Hollandc. 1055107210921094Philip I
Bertrade de MontfortSimon I de Montfortc. 107015 May 109229 July 11081117
Adélaide de MaurienneHumbert II, Count of Savoy10923 August 11151 August 113718 November 1154Louis VI
Eleanor of AquitaineWilliam X, Duke of Aquitaine112222 July 1137113725 December 113721 March 1152
annulment
1 April 1204Louis VII
Constance of CastileAlfonso VII of León and Castile1141115411541160
Adèle of ChampagneTheobald II, Count of Champagnec. 11401164?18 September 11804 June 1206
Isabelle of HainautBaldwin V, Count of Hainaut5 April 1170118029 May 11801190Philip II
Ingeborg of DenmarkValdemar I of Denmark117515 August 119325 August 11935 November 1193
separated
29 July 1236
Agnes of MeraniaBerthold IV, Duke of Meraniaabout 1175June 1196?1200
repudiated
20 July 1201
Ingeborg of DenmarkValdemar I of Denmark117515 August 11931200
restored
14 July 1223
husband's death
29 July 1236
Blanche of CastileAlfonso VIII of Castile4 March 118822 May 120014 July 12236 August 12238 November 122626 November 1252Louis VIII
Margaret of ProvenceRamon Berenguer IV, Count of Provencec. 122127 May 1234?25 August 127021 December 1295Louis IX
Isabella of AragonJames I of Aragon124728 May 126225 August 1270Not crowned28 January 1271Philip III
Maria of BrabantHenry III, Duke of Brabant125421 August 127424 June 12755 October 128510 January 1321
Joan I of NavarreHenry I of Navarrec. 14 January 127116 August 12845 October 1285?4 April 1305Philip IV
Margaret of BurgundyRobert II, Duke of Burgundy129023 September 130529 November 1314uncrowned15 August 1315Louis XImprisoned during her husband's reign due to the Tour de Nesle Affair. Arms unknown.
Clementia of HungaryCharles Martel of Anjou129319 August 131524 August 13155 June 131612 October 1328
Joan II, Countess of BurgundyOtto IV, Count of Burgundy1291130720 November 13169 January3 January 132221 January 1330Philip V of France
Blanche of Burgundyc. 129613083 January 1322uncrowned19 May 1322April 1326Charles IVImprisoned during her husband's reign due to the Tour de Nesle Affair. Arms unknown.
Marie of LuxembourgHenry VII, Holy Roman Emperor130421 September 132215 May 132326 March 1324
Jeanne d'ÉvreuxLouis, Count of Évreux13105 July 132511 May 13261 February 1328 husband's death4 March 1371
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms

House of Valois

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Joan the LameRobert II, Duke of Burgundy24 June 1293July 13131 February/1 April 132827 May 132812 September 1348Philip VI
Blanche of NavarrePhilip III of Navarre1330–133329 January 1350not crowned22 August 1350 husband's death 5 October 1398
Joanna I of AuvergneWilliam XII, Count of Auvergne8 May 132613 February 134922 August 135026 September 135029 September 1360John II
Joanna of BourbonPeter I, Duke of Bourbon3 February 133813508 April 136419 May 13644 February 1378Charles V
Isabeau of BavariaStephen III, Duke of Bavariac. 137017 July 1385138921 October 1422
husband's death
24 September 1435Charles VI
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms

House of Lancaster

Some sources refer to Margaret of Anjou as Queen of France,[1] but her right to enjoy that title is disputed. She was briefly recognized only in English-controlled territories of France. (See main article:Dual monarchy of England and France)

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Margaret of AnjouRené I of Naples23 March 143023 April 1445not crowned as Queen of France19 October 1453
defeat of the English in the Hundred Years War
25 August 1482Henry VI of England
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms

Capetian dynasty

House of Valois

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Marie of AnjouLouis II of Naples14 October 140418 December 1422?22 July 1461
husband's death
1463Charles VII
Charlotte of SavoyLouis, Duke of Savoy144314 February 145122 July 1461?30 August 1483
husband's death
1 December 1483Louis XI
Anne of BrittanyFrancis II, Duke of Brittany25 January 14776 December 14918 February 14927 April 1498
husband's death
9 January 1514Charles VIII
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms

House of Valois-Orléans

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Joan of ValoisLouis XI of France23 April 14648 September 14767 April 1498
husband's ascension
Not crownedDecember 1498
annulment
4 February 1505Louis XII
Anne of BrittanyFrancis II, Duke of Brittany25 January 14778 January 149918 November 15049 January 1514
Mary TudorHenry VII of England18 March 14969 October 15145 November 15141 January 1515
husband's death
25 June 1533
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms

House of Valois-Angoulême

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Claude of FranceLouis XII of France14 October 149918 May 15141 January 1515
husband's ascension
10 May 151720 July 1524Francis I
Eleanor of AustriaPhilip I of Castile15 November 14984 July 15305 March 153231 March 1547
husband's death
25 February 1558
Catherine de' MediciLorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino13 April 151928 October 153331 March 1547
husband's ascension
10 June 154910 July 1559
husband's death
5 January 1589Henry II
Mary, Queen of ScotsJames V of Scotland8 December 154224 April 155810 July 1559
husband's ascension
Not crowned
because already crowned Queen of Scotland
5 December 1560
husband's death
8 February 1587Francis II
Elisabeth of AustriaMaximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor5 June 155426 November 157025 March 157130 May 1574
husband's death
22 January 1592Charles IX
Louise of LorraineNicholas, Duke of Mercœur30 April 155313 February 1575Not crowned2 August 1589
husband's death
29 January 1601Henry III
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms

House of Bourbon

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Margaret of ValoisHenry II of France14 May 155318 August 15722 August 1589
husband's accession
Not crowned1599
divorce
27 March 1615Henry IV
Marie de' MediciFrancesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany26 April 15735 October? 160013 May 161014 May 1610
husband's death
3 July 1642
Anne of AustriaPhilip III of Spain22 September 160124 November 1615Not crowned14 May 1643
husband's death
20 January 1666Louis XIII
Maria Theresa of SpainPhilip IV of Spain10 September 16389 June 1660Not crowned30 July 1683Louis XIV
Marie LeszczyńskaStanisław I of Poland23 June 17034 September 1725Not crowned24 June 1768Louis XV
Marie Antoinette of AustriaFrancis I, Holy Roman Emperor2 November 175519 April 1770 (by proxy)
16 May 1770
10 May 1774
husband's ascension
Not crowned21 September 1792
husband's deposition
16 October 1793
executed
Louis XVI
Marie Joséphine of Savoy (titular queen)Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia2 September 175316 April 177116 June 1795
husband's proclamation
Not crowned13 November 1810Louis XVIII of France
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms

Bonaparte dynasty

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became empress Coronation Ceased to be empress Death Spouse Arms
Joséphine de BeauharnaisJoseph-Gaspard Tascher23 June 17639 March 179618 May 1804
husband's ascension
2 December 180410 January 1810
divorce
29 May 1814Napoleon I
Marie Louise of AustriaFrancis II, Holy Roman Emperor12 December 179111 March 1810 (by proxy)
1 April 1810
Not crowned6 April 1814
husband's abdication
17 December 1841
Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became empress Coronation Ceased to be empress Death Spouse Arms

Capetian dynasty

House of Bourbon

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Marie Thérèse of FranceLouis XVI of France19 December 1778June 17992 August 1830 for 20 minutesNot crowned2 August 1830
husband's abdication
19 October 1851Louis XIX

House of Orléans

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became queen Coronation Ceased to be queen Death Spouse Arms
Maria Amalia of Naples and SicilyFerdinand I of the Two Sicilies26 April 178225 November 18099 August 1830
husband's ascension
Not crowned24 February 1848
husband's abdication
24 March 1866Louis-Philippe

Bonaparte dynasty

Picture Name Father Birth Marriage Became empress Coronation Ceased to be empress Death Spouse Arms
Eugénie de MontijoCipriano de Palafox y Portocarrero, Count of Montijo5 May 182630 January 1853Not crowned4 September 1870
husband's deposition
11 July 1920Napoleon III

See also

References

  1. Mary Ann Hookham: "The life and times of Margaret of Anjou, queen of England and France ", 1872
  • Joy Law, Fleur de lys: The kings and queens of France. ISBN 978-0-07-036695-4
  • Rene de La Croix, duc de Castries, The Lives of the Kings & Queens of France. ISBN 0-394-50734-7
  • Elsie Thornton-Cook, Royal Line of France: The Story of the Kings and Queens of France. ISBN 978-0-8369-0939-5
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