List of rulers of Lorraine

The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions. The first rulers of the region were kings of the Franks whose kingdom was called Lotharingia. The Latin construction "Lotharingia" evolved over time into "Lorraine" in French, "Lotharingen" in Dutch and "Lothringen" in German. After the Carolingian kingdom was absorbed into its neighbouring realms in the late ninth century, dukes were appointed over the territory. In the mid-tenth century, the duchy was divided into Lower Lorraine and Upper Lorraine, the first evolving into the historical Low Countries, the second became known as the Duchy of Lorraine and existed well into the modern era.

Kings of Lotharingia

• Lothair II (855–869)

Charles the Bald claimed Lotharingia on Lothair's death and was crowned king in Metz, but his brother Louis the German opposed his claim and in 870 the Treaty of Mersen divided Lotharingia between the two brothers and subsequently their sons. In 880, the Treaty of Ribemont gave the whole of Lotharingia to Louis the Younger, son of Louis the German.

• Charles the Bald (869–870)
• Louis the Younger (880–882)
• Charles the Fat (882–887)
• Arnulf of Carinthia (887–895)
• Zwentibold (895–900)
• Louis the Child (900–911)
• Charles the Simple (911–923)

In 925, Lotharingia was subsumed into East Francia.

Dukes of Lorraine

• Gebhard (903–910)
• Reginar (910–915)
• Gilbert (915–939)
• Henry (939–940)
• Otto (942–944)
• Conrad (944–953)
• Bruno (953–965)

In 959, Lorraine was divided into two districts: Upper and Lower, each being given to a margrave or vice-duke under Bruno. Upon Bruno's death in 965, that of Lower Lorraine, whose margrave had died, was left vacant until 977. In that year Charles was appointed duke of Lower Lorraine and Frederick I was elevated duke in Upper Lorraine. The two duchies remained separate, following separate pathways, except for the brief period between 1033 and 1044.

Dukes of Lower Lorraine

Note that the numbering of the dukes varies between sources.

Matfriding dynasty

• Godfrey I (959–964)
• Richar (968–972)

Carolingian dynasty

• Charles (976–991)
• Otto (991–1012)

House of Ardennes–Verdun

• Godfrey II (1012–1023) (also known as Godfrey I)
• Gothelo I (1023–1044) (also duke of Upper Lorraine)
• Gothelo II (1044–1046)

House of Luxembourg

• Frederick (1046–1065)

House of Ardennes–Verdun

• Godfrey III the Bearded (1065–1069) (also known as Godfrey II, also duke of Upper Lorraine)
• Godfrey IV (1069–1076) (also known as Godfrey III)

Salian dynasty

• Conrad (1076–1087)

House of Boulogne (Ardennes–Bouillon)

• Godfrey V (1087–1100) (also known as Godfrey IV)- one of the leaders of the First Crusade, and the first de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem

House of Limburg

• Henry I (1101–1106)

House of Leuven

• Godfrey I of Leuven (1106–1129) (also known as Godfrey V)

House of Limburg

• Waleran (1129–1139)

House of Leuven

• Godfrey II of Leuven (1139–1142) (also known as Godfrey VI)
• Godfrey III of Leuven (1142–1190) (also known as Godfrey VII)

Passes to the Duke of Brabant, who until 1795 kept the title "Duke of Lothier".

Dukes of Upper Lorraine

House of Ardennes-Bar

• Frederick I (959–978)
• Thierry I (978–1026/1027)
• Frederick II (1026/1027)
• Frederick III (1026/1027–1033)

House of Ardennes-Verdun

• Gothelo (r. 1033–1044) (also duke of Lower Lorraine).
• Godfrey, the Bearded (r. 1044–1046) (also duke of Lower Lorraine)

House of Metz (Ardennes-Metz)

Portrait	Name	Start term	End term	Note
	Adalbert	1047	1048
	Gerhard	1048	6 March 1070
	Thierry II	6 March 1070	23 January 1115
	Simon I	23 January 1115	13 April 1138
	Matthias I	13 April 1138	13 May 1176
	Simon II	13 May 1176	1205
	Frederick I	1205	7 April 1206
	Frederick II	7 April 1206	10 October 1213
	Theobald I	10 October 1213	17 February 1220
	Matthias II	17 February 1220	24 June 1251
	Frederick III	24 June 1251	31 December 1302
	Theobald II	31 December 1302	13 May 1312
	Frederick IV	13 May 1312	23 August 1328
	Raoul	23 August 1328	26 August 1346	killed at the Battle of Crécy
	John I	26 August 1346	27 September 1390
	Charles II	27 September 1390	25 January 1431
	Isabella	25 January 1431	28 February 1453	with her husband, René I

House of Anjou

Name	Portrait	Birth	Marriages	Death
René 25 January 1431 – 28 February 1453		16 January 1409 Château d'Angers son of Louis II of Anjou and Yolande of Aragon	(1) Isabella 1420 ten children (2) Jeanne de Laval 10 September 1454 no issue	10 July 1480 Aix-en-Provence aged 71
John II 28 February 1453– 16 December 1470		2 August 1424 Nancy son of René and Isabella	Marie de Bourbon 1444 five children	16 December 1470 Barcelona aged 46
Nicholas I 16 December 1470– 24 July 1473		1448 Nancy son of John II and Marie de Bourbon	never married	24 July 1473 Nancy aged 24-25

House of Lorraine

Junior branch of the previous rulers of Ardennes–Metz, known as the House of Lorraine

Portrait	Name	Start term	End term	Note
	René II	24 July 1473	10 December 1508	grandson of René I and Isabella; also Duke of Bar
	Antoine	10 December 1508	14 June 1544
	Francis I	14 June 1544	12 June 1545
	Charles III	12 June 1545	14 May 1608
	Henry II	14 May 1608	31 July 1624
	Nicole	31 July 1624	25 November 1625	she was the daughter of Henry I; the estates of Lorraine eventually decided that she was not eligible to reign, and gave the crown to her uncle, Francis II; her husband and first cousin, Charles IV, would reign thereafter
	Francis II	25 November 1625	1 December 1625	he immediately abdicated in favor of his son, Charles IV; died 1632
	Charles IV	1 December 1625	19 January 1634	abdicated in favor of his brother
	Nicholas II	19 January 1634	1 April 1634	fled into exile and abdicated in favour of his older brother; the duchy remained under effective French control for the next 27 years
	Charles IV	1 April 1634	18 September 1675	nominally restored as a result of his brother's abdication; Lorraine was occupied by France, and the Duke in exile, from 1634 to 1661 and again from 1670 until his death
	Charles V Leopold	18 September 1675	18 April 1690	He was in exile and Lorraine was occupied by France throughout his nominal reign
	Leopold	18 April 1690	27 March 1729	He was in exile and Lorraine was occupied by France until 30 October 1697, when it was returned to Léopold Joseph; it was again occupied by France from 1702 to 1714, although the duke remained in place
	Francis III Stephen	27 March 1729	9 July 1737	traded Lorraine in exchange for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany; elected Holy Roman Emperor in 1745; died 1765, husband of Empress Maria Theresa

House of Leszczyński

Portrait	Name	Start term	End term	Note
	Stanisław I	9 July 1737	23 February 1766	Former king of Poland. After him, the Duchy is inherited by his son-in-law, king Louis XV of France and incorporated in his dominions

See also

• Lorraine (duchy)
• Lorraine (province)
• Lorraine (region)

External links

• Titles of the dukes of Lorraine from contemporary documents with bibliography

Further reading

Putnam, Ruth. Alsace and Lorraine: From Cæsar to Kaiser, 58 B.C.-1871 A.D. New York: 1915.