Counts of Flanders

in 1790.

Although the early rulers, from Arnulf I onwards, were sometime referred to as margraves or marquesses, this alternate title largely fell out of use by the 12th century. Since then the rulers of Flanders have only been referred to as counts.

The counts of Flanders enlarged their estate through a series of diplomatic manoeuvres. The counties of Hainaut, Namur, Béthune, Nevers, Auxerre, Rethel, Burgundy, and Artois were acquired via marriage with the respective heiresses. Ironically, the county of Flanders itself suffered the same fate. By the marriage of Margaret III, Countess of Flanders with Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, the county and the subsidiary counties were absorbed into the Duchy of Burgundy in 1405.

List of Counts of Flanders

= House of Flanders =

*Baldwin I Iron Arm (r. 860s-879), married Judith and was granted lands and honours, which would evolve into the County of Flanders.
*Baldwin II the Bald (r. 879-918), son of Baldwin I and Judith
*Arnulf I the Great (r. 918-964), son of Baldwin II, joinly with:
**Baldwin III (r. 958-962), son of Arnulf I
*Arnulf II (r. 964-988), son of Baldwin III
*Baldwin IV the Bearded (r. 988-1037), son of Arnulf II
*Baldwin V of Lille (r. 1037-1067), son of Baldwin IV
*Baldwin VI (r. 1067-1070), son of Baldwin V, Counts of Hainaut
*Arnulf III (r. 1070-1071), son of Baldwin VI, Counts of Hainaut
*Robert I the Frisian (r. 1071-1093), son of Baldwin V
*Robert II (r. 1093-1111), son of Robert I
*Baldwin VII Hapkin (r. 1111-1119), son of Robert II

House of Knýtling

*Charles I the Good (r. 1119-1127), cousin of Baldwin VII, designated by him

House of Normandy

*William I Clito (r. 1127-1128), great-grandson of Baldwin V, designated by Louis VI of France

House of Alsace or House of Metz

*Derrick I (r. 1128-1168), grandson of Robert I, recognised by Louis VI of France
*Philip I (r. 1168-1191), son of Derrick I
*Margaret I (r. 1191-1194), daughter of Philip I,
**jointly with her husband Baldwin of Hainaut

= House of Flanders =

*Baldwin VIII (r. 1191-1195), husband of Margaret, also Count of Hainaut
*Baldwin IX (r. 1195-1205), son of Baldwin VIII, also Latin Emperor of Constantinople
*Jeanne I (r. 1205-1244), daughter of Baldwin IX, married 1212 to Ferdinand of Portugal (d. 1233) and then (1237) to Thomas II of Savoy
*Margaret II (r. 1244-1278), sister of Jeanne, married first to Bouchard IV of Avesnes and then William of Dampierre:"In 1244, the Counties of Flanders and Hainaut were claimed by Margaret's sons, the half-brothers John I of Avesnes and William III of Dampierre in the War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault. In 1246, King Louis IX of France awards Flanders to William.

House of Dampierre

*William I (r. 1247-1251), son of Margaret II and William II of Dampierre
*Guy I (r. 1252-1305), son of Margaret II and William II of Dampierre, imprisoned 1253-1256 by John I of Avesnes
*Robert III of Bethune ("the Lion of Flanders") (r. 1305-1322), son of Guy
*Louis I of Nevers (r. 1322-1346), son of Robert III
*Louis II of Male (r. 1346-1384), son of Louis I
*Margaret III of Male (r. 1384-1405), daughter of Louis II,
**jointly with her husband Philip II, Duke of Burgundy

House of Burgundy

*John the Fearless (r. 1405-1419), son of Margaret III and Philip II of Burgundy
*Philip II the Good (r. 1419-1467), son of John
*Charles II the Bold (r. 1467-1477), son of Philip the Good
*Mary the Rich (r. 1477-1482), daughter of Charles the Bold, jointly with her husband Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor

House of Habsburg

*Philip the Handsome (r. 1482-1506), son of Mary and Maximilian
*Charles III (r. 1519-1556), son of Philip, also Holy Roman Emperor (as Charles V)

Charles V proclaimed the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 eternally uniting Flanders with the other lordships of the Low Countries in a personal union. When the Habsburg empire was divided among the heirs of Charles V, the Low Countries, including Flanders, went to Philip II of Spain, of the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg.

*Philip III (r. 1556-1598), son of Charles III, also King of Spain
*Isabella Clara Eugenia (r. 1598-1621), daughter of Philip II,
**jointly with her husband Albert, Archduke of Austria)
*Philip IV (r. 1621-1665), grandson of Philip III, also King of Spain
*Charles IV (r. 1665-1700), son of Philip IV, also King of Spain

Between 1706 and 1714 Flanders was invaded by the English and the Dutch during the War of the Spanish Succession. The fief was claimed by the House of Habsburg and the House of Bourbon. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht settled the succession and the County of Flanders went to the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg.

*Charles V (r. 1714-1740), great grandson of Philip III, also Holy Roman Emperor (elect)
*Mary Theresa (r. 1740-1780), daughter of Charles IV, married Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
*Joseph I (r. 1780-1790), son of Maria Theresa and Francis I, also Holy Roman Emperor
*Leopold (r. 1790-1792), son of Maria Theresa and Francis I, also Holy Roman Emperor
*Francis II (r. 1792-1835), son of Leopold II, also Holy Roman Emperor

The title was factually abolished in the aftermath of the French revolution and the annexation of Flanders by France in 1795. Although, the title remained officially claimed by the descendants of Leopold II until the reign of Karl I, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Modern Usage

House of Orange-Nassau

*no claimants after 1839

In 1815, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was established by the Congress of Vienna and William I of the Netherlands was made King of the Netherlands ( _la. rex belgium). The Belgian Revolution of 1830 caused a split in the kingdom between the North and the South. Neither he nor his descendants made any claims to the title of count of Flanders after 1839, when a peace treaty between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Belgium was signed.

= House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha =

*Prince Philippe of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Leopold I of Belgium
*Prince Charles of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, son of Albert I of Belgium

In modern times, from 1831 onwards the title of Count of Flanders has been given to younger sons of the Kings of the Belgians ( _la. rex belgarum).

House of Bourbon

* Juan Carlos I, King of Spain

The title Count of Flanders is one of the titles of the Spanish Crown.

ee also

* County of Flanders
* Counts of Flanders family tree
* States of Flanders
* Romance Flanders
* Walloon Flanders
* Maritime Flanders

External links

* [http://genealogy.euweb.cz/flanders/flanders1.html#GR1 Genealogy of the counts of Flanders]