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List of counts and dukes of Chartres
List of counts and dukes of Chartres
List of counts and dukes of Chartres
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The arms of the town of Chartres in France, the town associated with the titles Count and Duke of Chartres

Originally, the Duchy of Chartres (duché de Chartres) was the county (comté) of Chartres. The title of count of Chartres thus became duke of Chartres. This duchy–peerage was given by Louis XIV of France to his nephew, Philippe II d'Orléans, at his birth in 1674. Philippe II was the younger son and heir of the king's brother, Philippe, duke of Orléans.

Carolingian count

[edit]
  • 882-886 Hastein, Viking chieftain, beat Carloman II of France in 879, agreed to settle and received the County of Chartres. He sold it in 886 to finance an expedition during which he disappeared.[1]

Hereditary counts

[edit]

House of Blois

[edit]
Main article: Counts of Blois

The northern portion of the County of Blois, bordering on Normandy, was sometimes alienated as the County of Chartres, but the Counts of Blois who possessed it did not use a separate title for it. In 1391, the death of the only son of Guy II, Count of Blois prompted him to sell the inheritance of the County of Blois to Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans, merging the title into the royal dukedom.

Married to Luitgarde of Vermandois
Theobold I was also known as Theobald the Cheat, or Theobald the Old. He was given the nickname “the Cheat” fighting with his neighbours, among them the kings of France, the dukes of Normandy, and the church of Reims.[2]
Married to Bertha of Burgundy
Married first in 1003 to Mathilde de Normandie († 1006)
Married second to Ermengearde of Auvergne
Married first to Gersende of Maine
Married second to Adele of Valois
Married to Adela of Normandy
Married in 1123 to Matilda of Carinthia († 1161)
Married first to Sibylle of Châteaurenard
Married second in 1164 to Alix of France
Married in 1184 to Catherine of Clermont
Married first to Mahaut of Alençon
Married second to Clemence des Roches
Married first to Sulpice III d'Amboise
Married second to Jean II de Montmirail († 1244).

House of Amboise

[edit]
Married to Richard II, Count of Beaumont, then to Jean II de Nesle

House of Blois-Châtillon

[edit]
Theobald V, Count of Blois married his second wife in 1164 to Alix of France and father of:
Margaret, Countess of Blois, married to Walter II of Avesnes, mother of:
Mary, Countess of Blois († 1241), married to Hugues de Châtillon (v.1196 † 1248), Count of Saint-Pol, mother of:
Married 1254 to Alice of Brittany (1243-1288)
Married 1272 to Peter of France († 1284), Count of Alençon and Valois. In 1286, she sold the county of Chartres to Philip IV of France

Counts apanage

[edit]
See also: Crown lands of France

House of Valois

[edit]
Married first to Margaret, Countess of Anjou and Maine (1273 † 1299)
Married second to Catherine I, Latin Empress (1274 † 1308)
Married third to Mahaut of Châtillon (1293 † 1358), cousin of Jeanne de Blois-Châtillon
  • 1328-1346 Charles II of Alençon (1297 † 1346), Count of Alençon, Chartres, son of Charles of Valois and Margaret of Anjou

Dukes of Chartres

[edit]
The arms of the city of Chartres.

After its revival and elevation, the title duc de Chartres was used by the House of Orléans, founded by Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, and cadet branch of the House of Bourbon.

Branch of Capetian de Valois

[edit]

Fils de France

[edit]

Branch of Capetian d'Orleans

[edit]

From 1674 until today, the title of Duke of Chartres is the eldest son of the Duke of Orleans

After 1848

[edit]
  • Evangeline Viviane Eugénie, duchesse de Montpensier, duchesse de Nevers et de Chartres (1974), fille aînée de Louis-Ferdinand, duc d'Angoulême (1942), et d'Henriette de Savoie-Carignan (1944).

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

List of counts and dukes of Chartres

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
The encompassed a medieval territory in north-central centered on the city of , with its counts emerging amid the fragmentation of Carolingian authority in the and subsequently dominated by the from the onward. This powerful dynasty, which also controlled , Champagne, and briefly through Stephen of Blois, administered Chartres often through delegated vicomtes while wielding influence in regional and national affairs, including participation in the . The county's distinct comital line effectively merged into broader Blois holdings, but it reverted to the French crown in the late when King Philip IV purchased it from the heiress Jeanne de Blois. Following its royal acquisition, served as an for Capetian princes, with the title elevated to to denote prestige within the Bourbon hierarchy. From the , the dukedom became associated with the House of Orléans, a of the Bourbons, where it was typically borne by the heir to the Duke of Orléans, including Philippe II d'Orléans, who held it before becoming regent during Louis XV's minority. Later holders, such as Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans (known as Philippe Égalité for his revolutionary sympathies) and his son (Duke of Chartres before ascending as King of the French in 1830), exemplified the title's role in the turbulent politics of the Ancien Régime, , and Restoration eras. The list thus traces a lineage from feudal warlords to enlightened princes, reflecting shifts in French monarchical power structures and the system's function in distributing authority among royal kin.

Carolingian Period

Carolingian Counts

The County of , located on the western frontier of the West Frankish kingdom, functioned as a against Breton threats during the Carolingian era, with counts appointed by the monarch to enforce royal authority, collect taxes, and defend against incursions rather than as hereditary rulers. Surviving records from this period are fragmentary, primarily drawn from charters and , reflecting the instability of Viking raids and internal Carolingian divisions that disrupted administrative documentation. No comprehensive list of counts exists, and attributions rely on indirect references in contemporary sources like royal diplomas and later chronicles. The earliest attested holder of the comital office was (also Hasting), a Norse chieftain active in the region. Following his victory over King near in 879, Hastein negotiated a settlement and received the county as a in 882, marking an unusual appointment of a Viking leader to a royal office amid the pressures of ongoing Scandinavian invasions. He administered until approximately 886, when he relinquished control, possibly selling the rights to the city and county to a Frankish noble, as noted in the Chronicle of Alberic de Trois-Fontaines, though the transaction's details remain debated due to the source's 13th-century composition. This episode underscores the pragmatic, non-hereditary nature of Carolingian appointments, where military utility often trumped ethnic or dynastic loyalty. Prior figures, such as a potential Fulcrand active around 856–858 under , lack firm attestation in primary Carolingian documents like royal charters or acta, with references possibly conflated from regional nobility or unverified necrologies; sparse evidence from this mid- reflects the focus on major centers like amid widespread disruptions. By the late , as Carolingian central authority waned, the county transitioned toward more autonomous control, foreshadowing hereditary claims by figures like of Tours around 900, though these fall outside strictly appointed Carolingian tenure.

Hereditary Counts

House of Blois

The , originating from viscounts of and Tours, secured hereditary rule over in the mid-10th century through conquest and strategic alliances, shifting control from transient Carolingian officials to a stable comital dynasty. I, called "the Cheat" for his reputed cunning in dealings with neighbors, seized around 960, integrating it with , Châteaudun, and Tours amid the fragmentation of royal authority under the later Carolingians. This acquisition, likely facilitated by his marriage to Liutgarde of —a descendant of Carolingian claimants—enabled the family to leverage kin networks for legitimacy and defense against rivals like the Counts of Anjou. Subsequent generations expanded holdings into Champagne and strengthened ties to the rising Capetian kings through matrimony, such as Odo I's union with , who later wed King Robert II, fostering diplomatic leverage for ' security. Military campaigns, including conflicts with Anjou over border territories, underscored the counts' role in feudal consolidation, though primary evidence for Chartres-specific defenses remains tied to broader regional power plays.
NameReign over ChartresKey details
Theobald I "the Cheat"c. 960–975Founder of Blois comital line in Chartres; seized county c. 960, expanded to Châteaudun; married Liutgarde of (d. after 943), linking to Vermandois nobility with Carolingian ties; died 975 or 977.
I975–996Son of Theobald I; inherited and held Chartres amid expansions into and ; married (d. after 1010), enhancing Capetian alliances; died 12 March 996.
Theobald II996–1004Son of Odo I; maintained Chartres as core holding; brief reign marked by familial continuity; died 1004 without major recorded campaigns tied to Chartres.
II1004–1037Son of Theobald II; consolidated Chartres with acquisitions in Champagne via inheritance; married Matilda of Normandy (d. after 1037), allying with Norman ducal house; supported Capetian Robert II in regional conflicts; died 15 November 1037.

House of Amboise

The county of passed to the House of in the early through the marriage of Sulpice III d' (d. c. 1218), seigneur d', to Isabelle de (d. 1249), daughter of Thibaut V, Count of and , who inherited the comital title following the extinction of her brother's direct line around 1205. Isabelle ruled as Countess of from 1218, exercising full authority after potential disputes or her attainment of majority, while Sulpice held influence as her consort until his death. This union integrated into Amboise patrimony temporarily, highlighting the role of female inheritance in feudal title transfers amid the broader fragmentation of holdings. Isabelle, widowed by 1218, continued as sole countess, engaging in significant ecclesiastical patronage by founding three Cistercian nunneries, including institutions that supported female religious communities in the region. Her daughter, Matilda (Mahaut) d' (c. 1200–1256), succeeded upon Isabelle's death on 25 November 1249, holding alongside her maternal inheritance of Amboise lordship from 1248. Matilda, twice widowed—first by II, of Beaumont-le-Roger (d. before 1248), and second by Jean II de Montmirail (d. 1244)—confirmed charters granting rights and properties to local nunneries, such as Lieu-Notre-Dame, perpetuating her mother's devotional legacy without notable military or fortification projects tied specifically to Chartres governance. Matilda's death on 12 May 1256 without surviving heirs claiming ended Amboise tenure, with the county reverting to collateral -Châtillon claimants under Hugues de Châtillon, reflecting the precarity of successions dependent on female lines in 13th-century feudal . This brief interlude, spanning approximately 1218–1256, underscored inheritance fluidity rather than conquest or royal grant, contrasting with the more enduring continuity.
HolderReignNotes
Sulpice III d'Amboise (consort)c. 1218Married Isabelle de Blois; seigneur d'Amboise; died c. 1218.
Isabelle de Blois, Countess of 1218–1249Inherited via Blois line; founded Cistercian houses; widow of Sulpice.
Matilda d'Amboise1249–1256Daughter of Isabelle and Sulpice; patronized nunneries; died without heirs to Chartres.

House of Blois-Châtillon

The House of -Châtillon acceded to the county of as a continuation of the House of Blois's feudal holdings via female-line inheritance, following the union of Blois heiress Marie d'Avesnes (1200–1241) with Hugh de Châtillon, Count of Saint-Pol (d. 1248). Marie, daughter of of Blois and Walter II of Avesnes, held Blois from 1230 until her death, transferring the titles—including nominal overlordship of Chartres—to her Châtillon descendants amid a brief administrative interval under the House of Amboise. This branch preserved Blois influence through strategic royal alliances during Capetian consolidation, though without major forfeitures specific to Chartres; the county's governance often relied on local vicomtes while counts focused on broader domains like Dunois, Avesnes, and . The tenure emphasized resilience against regional pressures from English Angevin remnants in and , with the family supporting French royal campaigns to secure borders. John I's era saw participation in Louis IX's initiatives, bolstering prestige without direct crusader losses impacting directly, unlike earlier kin. Succession via Joan underscored female-line vulnerabilities, culminating in partial alienation to the crown as feudal appanages proliferated.
NameReignNotes
John I de Châtillon1256–1279Son of Marie d'Avesnes and Hugh de Châtillon; ruled , , Châteaudun, and Dunois; died 28 June 1279.
Joan de Châtillon1279–1286Daughter of John I; retained after ceding to Philip IV in 1279 for financial relief amid inheritance costs; died 1292 without male heirs, leading to royal absorption of as apanage.

Apanage Counts

House of Valois

The county of Chartres was acquired by the French crown in 1286 through purchase from Jeanne de Châtillon, ending the hereditary tenure of the House of Blois and exemplifying the Capetian monarchs' strategy of consolidating peripheral territories via financial transactions rather than conquest. King Philip IV then incorporated it into the apanage system, granting the title to his brother Charles of Valois circa 1290 alongside Alençon and Perche, thereby providing revenue and prestige to a royal cadet without alienating core domains. This arrangement underscored the evolving role of apanages under the Valois as temporary provisions for younger princes, subject to reversion upon death or royal need, which facilitated centralization by preventing independent dynastic power bases. Charles (1270–1325) administered actively, including managing its mint until selling those rights to his nephew Philip V in 1319, reflecting fiscal integration with royal policies. He briefly associated the with his son Jean (1302–1308) from his marriage to Catherine de Courtenay, a nominal grant that lapsed upon the child's death without issue. Following Charles's own death, the title devolved to another son, Louis (c. 1318–1328) from his third wife Mahaut de Châtillon, who held it only three years before dying childless in November 1328, coinciding with uncle Philip VI's accession and prompting reabsorption into the direct royal domain. Subsequently, Chartres passed to Charles's surviving son Charles II (1297–1346), who combined it with his primary apanage of Alençon and until at least the early 1340s, though without notable independent governance as royal oversight intensified amid the . This progression illustrates how Valois apanages like served less as autonomous fiefs and more as instruments of monarchical control, with successions tied to familial proximity to the throne rather than feudal inheritance. No specific royal ordinances explicitly restructured Chartres during this era, but marital alliances—such as Charles of Valois's unions strengthening ties to Anjou and Constantinople claimants—indirectly bolstered Valois influence over the territory's economic output, including grain and cloth production vital to .
HolderLifespanTenure as Count of ChartresRelation and Notes
Charles of Valois1270–1325c. 1290–1325 (interrupted 1302–1308)Brother of Philip IV; core apanage holder integrating county into royal fiscal system.
Jean of Valois1302–13081302–1308Son of Charles and Catherine de Courtenay; posthumous title without progeny or administration.
Louis of Valoisc. 1318–13281325–1328Son of Charles and Mahaut de Châtillon; brief tenure ending in reversion to crown.
Charles II of Alençon1297–13461328–c. 1346Son of Charles of Valois; held alongside Alençon, emphasizing bundled apanages for cadet security.

Ducal Period

Capetian de Valois Branch

The of was elevated from a to a duchy-peerage by King Francis I in 1528, marking its initial allocation as a prestigious within the Capetian Valois lineage. This elevation occurred amid efforts to consolidate royal favor through strategic grants to kin, emphasizing the duchy's role in maintaining Capetian bloodline continuity and feudal obligations. Renée de France (1510–1574), second daughter of King and , received the duchy as compensation for relinquishing claims to , forming part of her upon marriage to Ercole II, Duke of , on 28 June 1528. As Duchess of from 1528 until her death, she embodied the Valois branch's direct ties to the French throne, with her holdings underscoring the duchy's integration into royal patronage networks rather than independent military commands. Upon her decease in 1574, the title reverted to , preceding later allocations to royal sons.
DuchessReignParentage and Notes
Renée de France1528–1574Daughter of ; granted by uncle Francis I as ; married , linking French Valois interests to Italian Este house.

Fils de France

Gaston Jean-Baptiste de , (1608–1660), the third son of King Henry IV and Marie de Médicis, held the title Duke of as part of a major granted by royal edict on 8 July 1626, coinciding with his to Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier, the wealthiest heiress in . This bundled the duchies of and with the county of , conferring status and substantial revenues estimated at over 200,000 livres annually from lands, feudal rights, and judicial emoluments, which supported Gaston's courtly establishment and military ambitions despite his repeated intrigues against . As a and brother to , Gaston's tenure elevated Chartres to a premier royal reserved for immediate male kin of the sovereign, distinct from lesser provincial grants by virtue of its peer-duchy elevation and reversion to the crown upon the holder's death without male heirs; he predeceased his brother on 2 February 1660 at , leaving only daughters, prompting the 's reallocation.
DukeLifespanTenure as Duke of ChartresNotes
Gaston d'Orléans1608–16601626–1660Brother of ; appanage peerage with Orléans and ; no surviving legitimate sons, appanage reverted to crown.
Philippe I d'Orléans1640–17011661–1701Brother of (""); received Gaston's post-1660, yielding appanage revenues funding a lavish household and military commands, including victory at Cassel (1677); peer of with influence over court factions but subordinated to royal absolutism.
Philippe de France, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701), the sole surviving brother of and thus a , inherited the consolidated —including —in 1661 after administrative reconfiguration by the crown to secure loyalty amid centralizing reforms. This grant reinforced Chartres' role in the hierarchy of royal appanages, where peers enjoyed hereditary-like tenure during their lives but with revenues and titles strictly revocable, generating income streams from lands around Chartres (yielding approximately 100,000 livres from direct domains alone) that bolstered Philippe's position as a to aristocratic cabals while limiting autonomous power through oversight by intendants. His tenure, marked by ceremonial precedence at Versailles and occasional military roles under royal command, exemplified the appanage's function in binding royal siblings to the throne without fostering independent principalities, ending with his death on 9 June 1701 at ; the titles passed to his son as a lesser grant, reflecting the system's evolution toward stricter crown control.

Capetian d'Orléans Branch

The Capetian d'Orléans branch, descending from , brother of , acquired the dukedom of as a to secure royal cadet influence and territorial holdings in the . erected the duchy- in 1674 specifically for his nephew Philippe II, establishing it as a for the presumptive heir to , which carried administrative rights over and associated lands under the ancien régime's system. Holders often commanded regiments and participated in intrigues, reinforcing the branch's proximity to the without direct succession challenges. The title endured revolutionary abolition in 1790–1791, when noble privileges were dismantled, but persisted in family claims through restorations and the until 1848.
DukeLifespanTenure as Duke of ChartresNotes
Philippe II d'Orléans1674–17231674–1701Younger son of Philippe I d'Orléans; title granted at birth by ; succeeded to Orléans upon father's death; later served as for (1715–1723), leveraging cadet prestige for governance.
Louis d'Orléans1703–17521703–1723Eldest son of Philippe II; held title as ; succeeded as Duke of Orléans in 1723, shifting Chartres to his son; focused on estate management amid Regency aftermath.
Louis Philippe d'Orléans (le Gros)1725–17851725–1752Son of Louis; inherited Chartres as presumptive heir; succeeded to Orléans in 1752 upon father's death; known for corpulence and limited military engagement.
Louis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans (Philippe Égalité)1747–17931752–1785Son of Louis Philippe (1725); assumed Chartres upon grandfather's death in 1752; commanded forces in support; succeeded to Orléans in 1785; supported early Revolution, voting for Louis XVI's execution; guillotined in 1793 amid Terror.
1773–18501785–1830Son of Louis Philippe Joseph; received Chartres upon father's Orléans inheritance in 1785; served as in armies (1791–1793), including Valmy and Jemappes; exiled post-Terror; returned under Restoration; ascended as King of the French in 1830 after , merging titles until 1848 abdication.

Post-1848 Holders

After the abdication of King on 24 February 1848 amid the , the Orléans family entered exile as the Second Republic abolished hereditary titles and peerages within . Robert Philippe Louis Eugène Ferdinand d'Orléans (9 November 1840 – 5 December 1910), grandson of the deposed king and second son of (who died in 1842), continued to hold the of Duke of abroad. In exile, Robert resided in various countries, including a period . From 1861 to 1862, he served as a captain and to Union General during the , participating in early campaigns before returning to due to family pressures. On 11 March 1863, he married his first cousin Princess Françoise of Orléans (1844–1919), daughter of François, Prince of Joinville; they had five children, including daughters Marie (1865–1909), who married , and Marguerite (c. 1870–?), and sons (1866–1885) and (1867–1901), both of whom died without male issue. Robert died at Saint-Firmin in 1910, after which the Duke of Chartres title was not actively assumed by subsequent Orléans descendants, as the direct male line expired and family leadership shifted to other branches under heads like Jean, (1874–1940). The title's titular persistence underscored Orléanist claims to royal continuity in legitimist exile circles, though wholly rejected by successive French republics.

References

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