Kingdom of France

Quick Facts: Who was Kingdom of France?

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Kingdom of France

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A historical term for various political entities of France from the Middle Ages to 1848.

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Origins & Early Life

The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from the High Middle Ages to 1848 during its dissolution. It was also an early colonial power, with colonies in Asia and Africa, and the largest being New France in North America geographically centred on the Great Lakes. In the 16th to the 18th centuries, the French colonial empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over 10 million square kilometres (3.9 million square miles), the second-largest empire in the world at the time behind the Spanish Empire. The Kingdom of France was descended directly from the western Frankish realm of the Carolingian Empire, which was ceded to Charles the Bald with the Treaty of Verdun (843).

Career & Major Achievements

A branch of the Carolingian dynasty continued to rule until 987, when Hugh Capet was elected king and founded the Capetian dynasty. The territory remained known as Francia and its ruler as rex Francorum ('king of the Franks') well into the High Middle Ages. The first king calling himself rex Francie ('King of France') was Philip II, in 1190, and officially from 1204. From then, France was continuously ruled by the Capetians and their cadet lines under the Valois and Bourbon until the monarchy was abolished in 1792 during the French Revolution. The Kingdom of France was also ruled in personal union with the Kingdom of Navarre over two time periods, 1284–1328 and 1572–1620, after which the institutions of Navarre were abolished and it was fully annexed by France (though the King of France continued to use the title "King of Navarre" through the end of the monarchy).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

France in the Middle Ages was a decentralised, feudal monarchy. In Brittany, Normandy, Lorraine, Provence, East Burgundy and Catalonia (the latter now a part of Spain), as well as Aquitaine, the authority of the French king was barely felt. West Frankish kings were initially elected by the secular and ecclesiastical magnates, but the regular coronation of the eldest son of the reigning king during his father's lifetime established the principle of male primogeniture. During the Late Middle Ages, rivalry between the Capetian dynasty, rulers of the Kingdom of France and their vassals the House of Plantagenet, who also ruled the Kingdom of England as part of their so-called competing Angevin Empire, resulted in many armed struggles. The most notorious of them all are the series of conflicts known as the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) in which the kings of England laid claim to the French throne.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1190: 1190 Milestone — The first king calling himself rex Francie ('King of France') was Philip II, in 1190, and officially from 1204.
2. 1284: 1284 Milestone — The Kingdom of France was also ruled in personal union with the Kingdom of Navarre over two time periods, 1284–1328 and 1572–1620, after which the institutions of Navarre were abolished and it was fully annexed by France (though the King of France continued to use the title "King of Navarre" through the end of the monarchy).
3. 1337: 1337 Milestone — The most notorious of them all are the series of conflicts known as the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) in which the kings of England laid claim to the French throne.
4. 1680: 1680 Milestone — In the 16th to the 18th centuries, the French colonial empire stretched from a total area at its peak in 1680 to over 10 million square kilometres (3.
5. 1792: 1792 Milestone — From then, France was continuously ruled by the Capetians and their cadet lines under the Valois and Bourbon until the monarchy was abolished in 1792 during the French Revolution.
6. 1848: 1848 Milestone — It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from the High Middle Ages to 1848 during its dissolution.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Kingdom of France

True or False: “The Kingdom of France was continuously ruled by a single dynasty without interruption until the French Revolution of 1792.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the Capetians established long rule, the monarchy saw shifts through cadet lines (Valois and Bourbon) and periods of personal union with other kingdoms.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Albert I of Monaco — Historical peer (Born in 1848) (1848): Prince of Monaco, devoted to science, exploration, and modernizing the state.
• Augustus Saint-Gaudens — Historical peer (Born in 1848) (1848): Pioneering American sculptor embodying the ideals of the American Renaissance.
• Athanasius Kircher — Historical peer (Died in 1680) (1680): German Jesuit polymath renowned for works in religion, geology, and comparative studies.
• Blackbeard — Historical peer (Born in 1680) (1680): Infamous English pirate, Edward Teach, known for his menacing beard and naval raids.
• Frederick Barbarossa — Historical peer (Died in 1190) (1190): Holy Roman Emperor who dominated Italian politics and expanded imperial authority.
• Ivan Asen II — Historical peer (Born in 1190) (1190): Emperor of Bulgaria, who restored the Second Bulgarian Empire's power and influence.
• Eleanor of Aquitaine — Historical peer (Died in 1204) (1204): Powerful Duchess of Aquitaine and influential Queen of France and England.
• Fujiwara no Shunzei — Historical peer (Died in 1204) (1204): Master poet and court noble of the late Heian period, known for waka innovation.
• Alexander Ypsilantis — Historical peer (Born in 1792) (1792): Greek nationalist, prince, and leader of the Filiki Etaireia during the struggle for independence.
• Andrés de Santa Cruz — Historical peer (Born in 1792) (1792): Peruvian-Bolivian general and politician, Supreme Protector of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kingdom of France