- Style of the French sovereign
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The precise style of French Sovereigns varied over the years. Currently, there is no French sovereign; three distinct traditions (the Legitimist, the Orleanist, and the Bonapartist) exist, each claiming different forms of title.
The three styles laid claim to by pretenders to the French throne are:
- Legitimist: "Most high, most potent and most excellent Prince, X, by the Grace of God, King of France and of Navarre, Most Christian Majesty." (Très haut, très puissant et très excellent Prince, X, par la grâce de Dieu, Roi de France et de Navarre, Roi Très-chrétien)
- Orleanist: "X, by the Grace of God and by the constitutional law of the State, King of the French." (X, par la grâce de Dieu et par la loi constitutionnelle de l'État, Roi des Français)
- Bonapartist: "X, By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French." (X, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français.)
Contents
Francorum Rex
The Latin term Francorum Rex was the official Latin title of the "King of the Franks" after the accession of the Carolingian Dynasty (sometimes taking the form of Rex Francorum); this title was used in official documents until French replaced Latin as the formal language of legal documents, and remained used on coins until the 18th century. However, from as early as the 12th century, the form Franciae Rex ("King of France") was also used.
Most-Christian King
This title Rex Christianissimus, or Roi Très-chrétien owed its origins to the long, and distinctive, relationship between the Catholic Church and the Franks. France was the first modern state recognised by the Church, and was known as the 'Eldest Daughter of the Church'; Clovis, the King of the Franks, had been recognised by the Papacy as a protector of Rome's interests. Accordingly, this title was frequently accorded to the French Kings (although on a number of occasions Kings of other realms would be addressed as such by the Church), and came into frequent use during the reign of Charles VI; under his son, Charles VII, it became recognised as a hereditary and exclusive title of the Kings of France. Pope Julius II, allied between 1510 and 1513 with Henry VIII of England against Louis XII of France, considered transferring the title from the French monarch to the English monarch, drafting a Papal brief to this effect; however, it was never issued. The French Kings thus continued to use the title, in particular on diplomatic documents, less frequently in France itself or in everyday parlance.
King of the French
With the French Revolution came the writing of a Constitution for France. As part of the reforms, the monarch ceased to be an absolute ruler of hereditary lands deriving power from God; instead, he became a constitutional ruler ruling by the will of the French People and for the good of the French People. By a decree on 12 October 1789, the king's title was thus changed from 'By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre' to 'By the Grace of God and by the constitutional law of the State, King of the French' (French: Par la grâce de Dieu et par la loi constitutionnelle de l'État, Roi des Français), becoming official with the institution of the new constitution on 1 October 1791. The monarchy was abolished a year later, and the Bourbon supporters supported Louis XVI, and then Louis XVII and Louis XVIII, as King of France and Navarre rather than King of the French, under which title the Bourbons were restored in 1815. However, the constitutional monarchy was revived in 1830, with the Bourbon deposition. Although the Orleanist constitutional monarchy, the so-called 'July Monarchy', was abolished in 1848, the heirs of Louis-Philippe continued to claim the title and legacy.
Emperor of the French
The Bonapartist legacy, the title was instituted in 1804 by Napoleon Bonaparte, who had himself crowned Emperor. It is the title to which the Bonapartists and their supporters continue to lay claim.
Distinct titles
In addition to the titles above, the Kings of France at one point or another held other titles attached to the Crown.
Brittany
Brittany, during the Middle Ages, was feudally a part of the Kingdom of France (i.e. it was within the traditional borders of the realm, and the King of France was deemed to be overlord of the Duchy); effectively, however, it was a largely independent state. This came to an end with the death of Francis II of Brittany; the Duchy was inherited by his daughter, Anne, but King Charles VIII of France, determined to bring the territory under royal control, forced her to marry him; as a result, the France and Brittany were placed in personal union, and the King of France also held the title of Duke of Brittany.
Legally, however, the Duchy remained separate from France proper; the two titles were linked only by the marriage of the King and Queen, and when the King died childless, the title 'Duke of Brittany' remained with Anne, rather than passing to the heir of France, Louis XII. Louis, however, married Anne himself, and so the King of France was once more Duke of Brittany. Legally, Brittany still remained distinct, dependent on the Ducal bloodline; when Anne died, Brittany passed to her daughter and heiress, Claude, rather than remaining with the King of France. However, the King became Duke once more upon the death of Louis XII, at which point the crown was inherited by Francis I – who was already Duke of Brittany by virtue of his marriage to Claude.
Claude's death in 1524 separated the Duchy from the crown once more, and (it would transpire) for the final time. Because Claude, like her mother, was sovereign Duchess, the title of 'Duke' did not remain with her husband, but instead passed to her son, Francis IV of Brittany, who was also Dauphin of France. Legally, the Crown and Duchy were again separate, but the Duke was a child, and the Duchy had been governed as an integral part of France for years; the King had little trouble in maintaining royal control over the Duchy. Breton independence was effectively ended when in 1532 the Estates of Brittany proclaimed the perpetual union of Brittany with the French crown. Francis IV remained Duke of Brittany, and upon his death in 1536 was succeeded by his brother, Henry; legally, however the Duchy was part of France. Any trace of Breton independence ended with the ascension of Henry, as Henry II, to the French throne; the Crown and Duchy were now united by inheritance, and the completion of the merging of Brittany into France was thus carried out. Notably, when Henry III (last direct male from Claude) died, Brittany passed as part of the Crown to the next heir of France, Henry of Navarre, rather than to Claude's most senior heirs (either Henry II, Duke of Lorraine or Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain). Brittany ceased to be used as a title of the King of France after the death of Duchess Claude.
Navarre was twice united with France: from 1314–1328 (effectively from 1284, upon the marriage of Philip IV of France to Joan I of Navarre, and from 1589 to the present.
In the first case, the union was merely that of the two crowns: although the relevant Kings held both titles, the two Kingdoms were legally distinct, bound only by the descent of the Kings from the marriage between Joan and Philip. Accordingly, when their direct male descent died out, the two domains separated, France passing to Philip's nephew, Philip of Valois, and Navarre being inherited by the granddaughter (and senior heiress) of Joan and Philip, Joan II of Navarre. However, Joan's possessions within France, inherited from her forebears the Counts of Champagne, did not pass with Navarre to Joan's heirs; instead, by treaty, Joan exchanged them for other lands within France, Philip then merging the Champenois inheritance into the French crown.
By chance, France and Navarre were united again in 1589, in the person of Henry IV of France: his mother, Joan III of Navarre, had been the Queen of Navarre (and senior heiress of Joan II), his father, Antoine de Bourbon, had been the senior-most heir after the House of Valois. He thus became 'King of France and Navarre'. He was also, by inheritance, a holder of other significant lands within France: Béarn, Donnezan and Andorra, which were, although a part of the feudal boundaries of France, were independent sovereignties; and, under crown jurisdiction, the duchies of Albret, Beaumont, Vendôme, and the counties of Foix, Armagnac, Comminges, Bigorre and Marle.
By established tradition, lands within the legal borders of France (thus, Henry's duchies and counties) would merge into the crown when the holder became King; independent lordships, whether they were or were not part of France's feudal borders, would remain distinct possessions. Henry, however, refused to follow this tradition: having no legitimate sons to pass his possessions onto, and forced to fight to secure his rule over France, he wanted to ensure that if he died without legitimate children, in the ensuing division of his inheritance, his sister Catherine would receive all of their parental inheritance (if he allowed his French lands to merge with the crown before dying without legitimate children, the merged lands would go as part of the crown to the next heir to the throne, his cousin Henri, Prince of Condé). Accordingly, by letters patent of 13 April 1590, he declared that his personal estates would remain separate from the crown, and unsubjected to Salic law; in Letters of 21 December 1596, he further stated that "our ancient domain, in our kingdom of Navarre and sovereign land of Béarn and Donazan, low countries of Flanders, as well as our duchies, counties, viscounties, lands, lordships in this our kingdom, be and remained disunited, disjoint and separate of our house of France not to be in any way included or merged unless it is by us otherwise ordered, or unless God bestows on us the grace of having children we desire to provide thereto." The Paris Parlement refused to register these Letters, stating that French public law did not allow the division of a monarch's public and private possessions; instead, Henry had them registered at the Parlements of Bordeaux and Toulouse. Thus, from 1589–1607, the King of France and Navarre was also the Lord of Béarn, Duke of Albret and Vendôme, Count of Foix, etc.
These acts were reversed in 1606-1607: Henry had a legitimate son, and the death of his sister without issue had nullified any need to share the Navarrese inheritance. By an Edict of 1607, the original ruling of the Paris Parlement that lands within France were automatically merged in the Crown was upheld, and the King ceased to be Duke of Albret and Vendôme, Count of Foix, etc. Because Navarre, Béarn, Andorre and Donazan were independent of France, however, the King remained separately the King of Navarre, and Lord of the other domains.
In October 1620, the merging of the Navarrese inheritance into France was furthered, when Louis XIII on 20 October had an Edict passed in Pau by the Sovereign Council of Navarre, to prevent "the misfortunes and inconveniences which would occur if, failing a male heir to our Royal House, said countries passed by inheritance to Foreign princes, thereby opening a door to enter into our Kingdom.". By this "perpetual and irrevocable Edict", Navarre, Béarn, Andorra and Donezan were united and incorporated into the crown of France: although, as in the case of Scotland and England in 1707, whilst the Navarrese domains were politically and monarchically united with France, they retained their separate institutions - thus, they were bound irrevocably to France, but not merged into it. Unlike the British Act of Union, however, Navarre lost its independent judiciary, a fact the Navarrese resented for a long time afterwards. Nonetheless, in recognition of the separate nature of the Kingdom of Navarre (and the lordships of Béarn, Andorra and Donezan, which were considered attached to the Crown of Navarre), the Bourbon Kings of France customarily used the title 'King of France and Navarre'.
In the troubles of 1789, Navarre - being a distinct Kingdom - by order of the Navarrese estates refused to elect representatives to the Estates General of France, instead sending four representatives of the Estates to Versailles at the 'invitation' of the King; these representatives, arriving in July 1789, refused to sit with the National Assembly, and instead the Navarrese estates attempted to revoke the 1620 Union. This was denied, and by vote of the assembly the King's title was changed from 'King of France and Navarre' to 'King of the French' (thus denying the separation between the two Kingdoms, and emphasising the - presumed - unity of the French people). By the constitution of 1791, this change was effected, and the merging of Navarre was completed - it lost all of its separate institutions, and was denied any recognition as a state separate from the French nation. Although the last Bourbons entitled themselves 'King of France and Navarre' once more, it was a title only, 'Navarre' having ceased to exist as anything more than a name.
Other examples
The King of France was also at times ruler of lands outside France itself. If he would not or could not merge these lands into the French crown, and thus the French state, he would legally be sovereign of those lands separately to his role as French King. In such cases, the King's styles would be treated differently in the relevant territory. However, the title would be used only within the territory, or in documents relating to the territory; it would not be formally used as part of the King's title outside the relevant lands.
- The Dauphiné: the area had been ceded to the King of France by the last Dauphin de Viennois in 1349, on the condition that the land and title always be used by the King's eldest son; because the territory was legally part of the Holy Roman Empire, rather than of France, the Emperors legally forbade the region to be united with France. Nonetheless, when there was no Dauphin of France, the King would be personally sovereign over the Dauphiné. His title there, when there was no Dauphin of France, was par la grâce de Dieu roi de France, dauphin de Viennois, comte de Valentinois et de Diois ("By the Grace of God King of France, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois").
- Provence: The territory was ceded to Louis XI by Margaret of Anjou, the heiress, on 19 October 1480, and united to the crown in the following year; however, the Union was legally reversed by the 1486 Edict of Union, which stipulated that Provence and its accompanying territories would "in no way be subordinated to the crown or realm of France". Accordingly, the King of France was titled in relation to Provence, par la grâce de Dieu roi de France, comte de Provence, Forcalquier et terres adjacentes ("By the Grace of God King of France, Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent.")
- Charles VIII used the title "King of Naples and Jerusalem" in relation to the Kingdom of Naples; his successor, Louis XII, titled himself Ludovicus Dei Gratia Francorum Neapolis et Hierusalem Rex Dux Mediolani ("Louis, By the Grace of God King of the Franks, of Naples and of Jerusalem, Duke of Milan"). He abandoned it by the treaty of Blois of 22 Oct 1505.
- Francis I used the title roi de France, duc de Milan, comte d'Asti, seigneur de Gênes ("King of France, Duke of Milan, Count of Asti, Lord of Genoa") in relation to the Duchy of Milan.
- In January 1641, the King of France was chosen by the Catalonians as 'Count of Barcelona, Roussillon, and Cerdagne'; accordingly, official documents relating to the area between 1641 and 1652 described the King as Dei gratia Galliarum et Navarrae Rex, comes Barcinonae, Rossilionis et Ceritaniae ("By the Grace of God King of the Gauls and Navarra, Count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdagne"). Roussillon and Cerdagne were later ceded to France by Spain, but were merged directly into the crown.
In addition, Alsace requested that the King take the title "Landgrave of Upper and Lower Alsace" in relation to the territory, but this did not happen.
List of changes to the royal style
Period Style Used by 496–1031 By the Grace of God, King of the Franks Hugh Capet, Robert II 1031–1032 By the Grace of God, King of the Franks, Duke of Burgundy Henry I 1032–1137 By the Grace of God, King of the Franks Henry I, Philip I, Louis VI 1137–1152 By the Grace of God, King of the Franks and Duke of the Aquitanians, Count of the Poitevins Louis VII 1152–1180 By the Grace of God, King of the Franks Louis VII 1180–1190 By the Grace of God, King of the Franks, Count of Artois Philip II 1190–1223 By the Grace of God, King of France Philip II 1223–1237 By the Grace of God, King of France, Count of Artois Louis VIII, Louis IX 1237–1285 By the Grace of God, King of France Louis IX, Philip III 1285–1305 By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne Philip IV 1305–1314 By the Grace of God, King of France Philip IV 1314–1316 By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne Louis X, John I 1316–1322 By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne and Burgundy Philip V 1322–1328 By the Grace of God, King of France and Navarre, Count of Champagne Charles IV 1328–1350 By the Grace of God, King of France Philip VI 1350–1360 By the Grace of God, King of France, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne John II 1360–1361 By the Grace of God, King of France John II 1361–1363 By the Grace of God, King of France, Duke of Burgundy John II 1363–1364 By the Grace of God, King of France John II 1364–1422 By the Grace of God, King of France; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois* Charles V, Charles VI 1422-1486 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Charles VII, Louis XI, Charles VIII 1486–1491 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Charles VIII 1491–1495 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Charles VIII February-July 1495 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Naples and Jerusalem, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent** Charles VIII 1495–1498 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Charles VIII April 1498-1499 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XII 1499–1505 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; King of Naples and Jerusalem, Duke of Milan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XII 1505–1512 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Duke of Milan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XII 1512–1514 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XII 1514–1515 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XII 1515–1521 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Duke of Milan, Count of Asti, Lord of Genoa; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Francis I 1521–1524 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France, Duke of Brittany; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent** Francis I 1524–1559 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent** Francis I, Henry II 1559–1560 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Scotland; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Francis II 1560–1589 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Charles IX, Henry III 1589–1607 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre, co-Prince of Andorra, Duke of Albret, Beaumont and Vendôme, Count of Foix, Armagnac, Comminges, Bigorre and Marle, Lord of Béarn, and Donezan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Henry IV 1607–1620 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre, co-Prince of Andorra, Lord of Béarn, and Donezan; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Henry IV, Louis XIII 1620–1641 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XIII 1641–1652 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre; Count of Barcelona, Roussillon and Cerdagne; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XIII, Louis XIV 1652–1791 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre; Count of Provence, Forcalquier and the lands adjacent; Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI 1791-1814 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre Louis XVI, (Louis XVII), Louis XVIII 1791–1792 By the Grace of God and by the Constitutional Law of the State, King of the French Louis XVI 1804–1805 By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français) Napoleon I 1805–1806 By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French, King of Italy (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français, Roi d'Italie) Napoleon I 1806–1809 By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of Rhine (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français, Roi d'Italie, Protecteur de la Confédération du Rhin) Napoleon I 1809–1814 By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of Rhine, Mediator of the Helvetic Confederation (Napoléon, par la grâce de Dieu et les Constitutions de la République, Empereur des Français, Roi d'Italie, Protecteur de la Confédération du Rhin, Médiateur de la Confédération Helvétique) Napoleon I 1814–1815 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre Louis XVIII March-June 1815 By the Grace of God and the Constitutions of the Republic, Emperor of the French Napoleon I, (Napoleon II) 1815–1830 By the Grace of God, Most Christian King of France and Navarre Louis XVIII, Charles X, (Louis XIX), (Henry V) 1830–1848 By the Grace of God and by the Constitutional Law of the State, King of the French Louis-Philippe 1852–1870 By the Grace of God and the will of the Nation, Emperor of the French[1] Napoleon III of France (reign disputed)
References
Sources
Categories:- French monarchy
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