House of Capet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids House of Capet House of France
Arms of the Kingdom of France
Country	Kingdom of France Kingdom of Navarre Kingdom of England (claimant)
estates	France, Navarre
Parent house	Capetian dynasty
Titles	King of France King of Navarre
Founded	987; 1038 years ago (987)
Founder	Hugh Capet
Final ruler	Joan II of Navarre
Dissolution	1328 (senior branch)

The House of Capet (which in French is Maison capétienne) was a very important royal family. They ruled the Kingdom of France for a long time, from 987 to 1328. This family was the main part of the larger Capetian dynasty. The Capetian dynasty itself came from an older family called the Robertians.

The direct line of the House of Capet ended in 1328. This happened because the three sons of King Philip IV (who ruled from 1285 to 1314) did not have any sons who lived to inherit the throne. When Charles IV died in 1328, the throne went to the House of Valois. This family was related to Philip IV through his younger brother.

Later, in 1589, another Capetian family branch took over. This was the House of Bourbon. They were descendants of the youngest son of Louis IX (who ruled from 1226 to 1270). From 1830, the throne went to a smaller Bourbon branch, the House of Orléans. The French throne almost always stayed with male descendants of Hugh Capet. The only exception was the 10-year rule of Emperor Napoleon.

What's in a Name?

The House of Capet was also known by other names. People called them the Direct Capetians or the House of France. Sometimes, they were simply called the Capets. In the 1800s, historians started using "Capetian" for both the ruling family of France and all the male descendants of Hugh Capet. Hugh Capet lived around 939 to 996.

People living at the time did not use the name "Capetian." The Capets were sometimes called "the Third Race of Kings." This was because they followed the Merovingians and the Carolingians. The name "Capet" comes from a nickname given to Hugh Capet. The meaning of this nickname is not fully known.

History of the Capetian Kings

The First Capetian Rulers

The first Capetian king was Hugh Capet. He was a nobleman from the Île-de-France region of France. After Louis V, the last Carolingian king, died in 987, Hugh was chosen to be king. Hugh was related to Charlemagne through his son Pepin of Italy. Through them, he also claimed to be a descendant of Constantine the Great.

Hugh made sure that the throne would stay in his family. He arranged for his son, Robert II, to be elected and crowned as co-king. When Hugh died, Robert became king easily. Many early Capetian kings followed this same tradition.

At first, the Capetian kings were not very powerful. They only directly controlled small areas around Paris. These areas often had problems and disorder. The rest of France was controlled by powerful lords. These included the duke of Normandy and the duke of Aquitaine.

However, the House of Capet had the support of the Church. Most of their kings avoided having very young rulers. This helped them keep their power stable.

Capetians and the Plantagenets

Under Louis VII (who ruled from 1137 to 1180), the Capetian family started to become more powerful. Louis married Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine. This marriage made him the duke of a large region. His father, Louis VI, had wanted this marriage to happen.

But the marriage did not work out well. Louis and Eleanor only had two daughters. They also had many disagreements. To make sure his family would continue, Louis divorced Eleanor. She then married Henry II of England. Louis married two more times before he finally had a son, Philip II. Philip II began to weaken the power of the Plantagenets in France. The Plantagenets were Eleanor and Henry II's family.

Louis VIII was Philip II's son. He married Blanche of Castile. Blanche was a granddaughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England. Because of this, Louis VIII claimed the throne of England. He invaded England when English nobles invited him. For a short time, he was recognized as king, but he was never officially crowned.

The Capetians could not keep control of England. Louis had to sign a treaty saying he was never king of England. He then returned to France. More importantly for his family, Louis VIII conquered new lands during his short rule (1223–1226). These lands were added to the French crown. This made the Capetian family even stronger.

Louis IX (who ruled from 1226 to 1270) became king as a child. He was later known as Saint Louis. His mother, Queen Blanche, ruled for him for many years. She was a very strong and capable regent. Louis IX was admired for his fairness and devotion to France.

Louis IX also started two important Capetian family branches. He gave the County of Anjou to his brother, Charles I. This created the Capetian House of Anjou. This family later ruled Sicily, Naples, and Hungary. Louis also gave land to his son Robert. Robert then married the heiress of Bourbon. This started the House of Bourbon. This family would eventually become kings of France and Navarre.

The Peak of Royal Power

When Louis IX died, France was the strongest country in Western Europe. His son, Philip III, and his grandson, Philip IV, continued this strength. Both kings had good advisors who helped the Capetian family and France. They also made important marriages.

Philip III married Isabel. She was the daughter of King James I of Aragon. After she died, Philip III tried to claim the throne of Aragon for his second son, Charles. This was because Charles was related to the kings of Aragon through his mother. However, this plan failed. Philip III himself died shortly after.

Philip IV married Joan I. She was the queen of Navarre and countess of Champagne. This marriage added these lands to the French crown. Philip IV also had conflicts with the Papacy (the Pope). He even had Pope Boniface VIII kidnapped. He then made sure a Frenchman became the new Pope.

Philip IV also increased the power and wealth of the crown. He ended the Order of the Temple and took their money in 1307. In 1302, he called the first Estates General. This was a meeting of different groups in France. In 1295, he also made an alliance with Scotland, called the "Auld Alliance." Scotland was fighting against English control at the time.

Philip IV died in 1314. It was said that the last leader of the Templars, Jacques de Molay, cursed Philip and his family as he was burned at the stake.

The Succession Problem

Philip IV's rule marked the beginning of the end for his direct family line. His three sons ruled one after another very quickly: Louis X, Philip V, and Charles IV.

Philip IV had heard that his daughters-in-law were involved with other men. He had all three women put in royal prisons. Margaret, the wife of his oldest son Louis X, had only a daughter at this time. The father of this girl, Joan, was now questioned.

Louis X wanted to remarry. He arranged to marry his cousin, Clementia of Hungary. Queen Margaret died in 1315, and Louis quickly remarried Clementia. Louis died a year later, and Clementia was pregnant. It was unclear who should be the next king. The two main choices were Louis's daughter Joan and Louis's younger brother Philip.

The French decided to have Philip rule as regent. They hoped Clementia's child would be a boy. It was a boy, King John I, but he died after only five days. This caused a big problem for who would rule next. It was decided that Joan could not inherit the throne. The throne then passed to Philip, who became Philip V.

Philip V did not have any sons who lived. So, when he died in 1322, the crown went to his brother, Charles. Charles became Charles IV. The County of Burgundy, which had come to the Capetians through Philip V's marriage, stayed with his wife and was no longer part of the royal lands.

Charles IV quickly divorced his wife, Blanche of Burgundy, who had no living children. He then married Marie of Luxembourg. Marie died in 1324 while giving birth to a baby who did not survive. Charles then married his cousin, Joan of Évreux. She only had daughters.

When Charles IV died in 1328, his only living child was a daughter named Marie. His wife was also pregnant. Philip of Valois, Charles's cousin, became regent. When the queen gave birth to another daughter, Philip became King Philip VI. He was from the House of Valois, a different branch of the Capetian family.

The Last Direct Heirs

The last direct Capetians were the daughters of Philip IV's sons, and Philip IV's own daughter, Isabella. Isabella was married to Edward II of England. She overthrew her husband and ruled England as regent with her friend and lover.

When her brother Charles IV died in 1328, Isabella claimed the French throne for her son, Edward III. Her son was a male heir to Philip IV and an adult. However, her claim was rejected. This disagreement later helped cause the Hundred Years' War.

Joan, the daughter of Louis X, became Queen of Navarre when Charles IV died. She was the last direct Capetian ruler of Navarre. Her son, Charles II of Navarre, succeeded her. Joan and her son sometimes claimed the throne of France.

Of the daughters of Philip V, two had children who lived. Joan III, Countess of Burgundy, married Odo IV, Duke of Burgundy. This joined the Duchy and County of Burgundy. Her family line ended when her only grandchild died. Her sister, Margaret, married Louis I. She inherited the County of Burgundy later. Her granddaughter married Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, who was the son of John II of France. This joined the two Burgundies again.

Of Charles IV's children, only Blanche lived past childhood. She was the youngest, born after her father's death. She married Philip of Valois, Duke of Orléans, but they had no children. When Blanche died in 1382, the direct line of the House of Capet finally ended.

Kings of France from the Direct Capetian Line

A family tree showing the direct Capetian kings of France.

• 987–996, Hugh Capet (Hugues Capet), Count of Paris, crowned King of the Franks
• 996–1031, Robert II, called the Pious
• 1031–1060, Henry I
• 1060–1108, Philip I
• 1108–1137, Louis VI, called the Fat
• 1137–1180, Louis VII, called the Young
• 1180–1223, Philip II Augustus, called the God-Given
• 1223–1226, Louis VIII, called the Lion
• 1226–1270, Louis IX, the Saint
• 1270–1285, Philip III, called the Bold
• 1285–1314, Philip IV, called the Fair
• 1314–1316, Louis X, called the Quarrelsome
• 1316–1316, John I, called the Posthumous (he was born after his father died)
• 1316–1322, Philip V, called the Tall
• 1322–1328, Charles IV, called the Fair

Kings and Queens of Navarre from the Direct Capetian Line

• 1285–1314, Philip I, the Fair (also Philip IV of France), husband of Queen Joan I of Navarre
• 1314–1316, Louis I, the Quarrelsome (also Louis X of France)
• 1316–1316, John I, the Posthumous (also John I of France)
• 1316–1322, Philip II, the Tall (also Philip V of France)
• 1322–1328, Charles I, the Fair (also Charles IV of France)
• 1328–1349, Joan II

See also

In Spanish: Casa de los Capetos para niños

• France in the Middle Ages
• List of French monarchs
• List of Navarrese monarchs from the Capetian dynasty