Origins & Early Life

Hugh Capet (; French: Hugues Capet [yɡ kapɛ]; c. 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and Hedwige of Saxony, he was elected as the successor of the last Carolingian king, Louis V.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Hugh was descended from Charlemagne's son Pepin of Italy through his paternal grandmother Béatrice of Vermandois, and was also the nephew of Otto the Great. The dynasty he founded ruled France for nearly nine centuries: from 987 to 1328 in the senior line, and until 1848 via cadet branches (with an interruption from 1792 to 1814 and briefly in 1815). Hugh was the son of Hugh the Great, Duke of the Franks, and Hedwige of Saxony, daughter of the German king Henry the Fowler. His birth date is not given by any source, but modern scholars often date his birth to circa 941. The son of Hugues Le Grand, duke of Francia, Hugh Capet is traditionally considered the founder of the third dynasty of French Kings, the Capetians.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was born into a well-connected and powerful family with many ties to the royal houses of France and Germany. Through his mother,...

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