Count of Flanders (original) (raw)

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Ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders

Coat of arms of the counts of Flanders.

The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century.[1] Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the county of Flanders was annexed to France and ceased to exist. In the 19th century, the title was appropriated by Belgium and granted twice to younger sons of Belgian kings. The most recent holder died in 1983.[2]

In 862 Baldwin I was appointed as the first Margrave of Flanders by King Charles II. It was a military appointment, responsible for repelling the Viking raids from the coast of Francia. The title of margrave (or marquis) evolved into that of count. Arnulf I was the first to name himself as count, by the Grace of God. The title of margrave 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 marriages. The counties of Hainaut, Namur, Béthune, Nevers, Auxerre, Rethel, Burgundy, and Artois were all acquired in this manner. However, the County of Flanders suffered the same fate in turn. As a result of the marriage of Countess Margaret III with Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, the county and the subsidiary counties entered a personal union with the Duchy of Burgundy in 1405.[3]

The counts of Flanders were also associated with the Duchy of Brittany prior to its union with France. In c. 1323, Joan, the daughter of Arthur II, Duke of Brittany, married the second son of Count Robert III. Joanna of Flanders, the granddaughter of Count Robert III and daughter of his son, Count Louis I, married John Montfort.[4] During Montfort's imprisonment, she fought on his behalf, alongside English allies, during the Breton War of Succession for the ducal crown, which was won definitively by her son John V, Duke of Brittany. It was through this alliance that the Duchy of Brittany was eventually joined to the throne of France.[5]

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	Succession
	Baldwin VIII	1150 – 17 December 1195	1 August 1191 - 17 December 1194	Margaret Ic. 11698 children	Husband of Margaret I
	Baldwin IX	July 1172 – c. 1205	1194 - 1205	Marie of Champagne6 January 1186Valenciennes2 daughters	Son of Margaret I and Baldwin VIII, also Latin Emperor of Constantinople
	Joan	c. 1199 – 5 December 1244	1205 – 5 December 1244	(1) Ferdinand of Portugal1212Parisno issue(2) Thomas of Savoy-Piedmont2 April 1237no issue	Daughter of Baldwin IX
	Ferdinand	24 March 1188 – 27 July 1233	1212 – 27 July 1233	Joan, Countess of Flanders1212Parisno issue	Husband of Joan
	Thomas	c. 1199 – 7 February 1259	2 April 1237 – 5 December 1244	Joan, Countess of Flanders2 April 1237no issue	Husband of Joan
	Margaret II	1202 – 10 February 1280	5 December 1244 – 29 December 1278	(1) Bouchard IV of Avesnesc. 23 July 12123 sons(2) William II of Dampierre18 August/15 November 12235 children	Sister of Joan

In 1244, the Counties of Flanders and Hainaut were claimed by Margaret II'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 awarded Flanders to William.

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	Succession
	William II	1224 – 6 June 1251	1247 - 6 June 1251	Beatrice of BrabantNovember 1247no issue	Son of Margaret II and William II of Dampierre
	Guy	c. 1226 – 7 March 1305	6 June 1251 - 7 March 1305	(1) Matilda of BéthuneJune 12468 children(2) Isabelle of LuxembourgMarch 12658 children	Brother of William II
	Robert III	1249 – 17 September 1322	7 March 1305 – 17 September 1322	(1) Blanche of Sicily12651 son (died young)(2) Yolande II, Countess of Neversc. 12715 children	Son of Guy: also Count of Nevers
	Louis I	c. 1304 – 26 August 1346	17 September 1322 – 26 August 1346	Margaret I, Countess of Burgundy13201 son	Grandson of Robert III
	Louis II	25 October 1330 – 30 January 1384	26 August 1346 – 30 January 1384	Margaret of Brabant13471 daughter	Son of Louis I; also Count of Burgundy
	Margaret III	13 April 1350 – 16 March 1405	30 January 1384 – 16 March 1405	(1) Philip I, Duke of Burgundy1355no issue(2) Philip II, Duke of Burgundy19 June 13699 children	Daughter of Louis II

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	Succession
	Philip II	17 January 1342 – 27 April 1404	1363 – 27 April 1404	Margaret III19 June 13699 children	Husband of Margaret III; also Duke of Burgundy
	John	28 May 1371 – 10 September 1419	27 April 1404 – 10 September 1419	Margaret of Bavaria12 April 1385Cambrai8 children	Son of Philip II and Margaret III
	Philip III	31 July 1396 – 15 June 1467	10 September 1419 – 15 June 1467	(1) Michelle of ValoisJune 14091 daughter (died young)(2) Bonne of Artois30 November 1424Moulins-les-Engelbertno issue(3) Isabella of Portugal7 January 14303 sons18 illegitimate children	Son of John
	Charles II	10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477	15 June 1467 – 5 January 1477	(1) Catherine of France19 May 1440Bloisno issue(2) Isabella of Bourbon30 October 1454Lille1 daughter(3) Margaret of York3 July 1468Dammeno issue	Son of Philip III
	Mary	13 February 1457 – 27 March 1482	5 January 1477 – 27 March 1482	Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor19 August 1477Ghent3 children	Daughter of Charles II

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	Succession
	Maximilian I	22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519	19 August 1477 – 27 March 1482	(1) Mary of Burgundy19 August 1477Ghent3 children(2) Anne, Duchess of Brittany19 December 1490Rennes Cathedralno issue(3) Bianca Maria Sforza16 March 1494Hall in Tirolno issue	Husband of Mary
	Philip IV	22 July 1478 – 25 September 1506	27 March 1482 – 25 September 1506	Joanna of Castile20 October 1496Lier6 children	Son of Mary and Maximilian I
	Charles III	24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558	25 September 1506 – 25 October 1555	Isabella of Portugal10 March 1526Alcázar Palace7 children	Son of Philip IV

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.

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	Succession
	Philip V	21 May 1527 – 13 September 1598	16 January 1556 – 6 May 1598	(1) Maria Manuela of Portugal12 November 1543Salamanca1 son(2) Mary I of England25 July 1554Winchester Cathedralno issue(3) Elisabeth of Valois1559Guadalajara2 daughters(4) Anna of AustriaMay 15705 children	Son of Charles III
	Isabella Clara Eugenia	12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633	6 May 1598 – 13 July 1621	Albert VII, Archduke of Austria18 April 1599Valenciano issue	Daughter of Philip V; ruled jointly with her husband Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
	Albert	13 November 1559 – 13 July 1621	6 May 1598 – 13 July 1621	Isabella Clara Eugenia18 April 1599Valenciano issue	Husband of Isabella Clara Eugenia
	Philip VI	8 April 1605 – 17 September 1665	13 July 1621 – 17 September 1665	(1) Elisabeth of France18 October 1615Bordeaux8 children(2) Mariana of Austria7 October 1649Navalcarnero5 children	Grandson of Philip V
	Charles IV	6 November 1661 – 1 November 1700	17 September 1665 – 1 November 1700	(1) Marie Louise d'Orléans19 November 1679Quintanapallano issue(2) Maria Anna of Neuburg14 May 1690Valladolidno issue	Son of Philip VI

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	Succession
	Philip VII	19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746	1 November 1700 – 14 March 1713	(1) Maria Luisa of Savoy2 November 17014 sons(2) Elisabeth Farnese16 September 1714Parma6 children	Great-grandson of Philip VI

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.

Portrait	Name	Lifespan	Reign	Consorts	Succession
	Charles V	1 October 1685 – 20 October 1740	7 September 1714 – 20 October 1740	Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel1 August 1708Santa Maria del Mar4 children	Great-grandson of Philip III, also Holy Roman Emperor
	Maria Theresa	13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780	20 October 1740 – 29 November 1780	Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor12 February 1736Augustinian Church, Vienna16 children	Daughter of Charles V, jointly with Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
	Francis I	8 December 1708 – 18 August 1765	21 November 1740 – 18 August 1765	Maria Theresa12 February 1736Augustinian Church, Vienna16 children	Husband of Maria Theresa
	Joseph	13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790	18 August 1765 – 20 February 1790	(1) Isabella of ParmaOctober 1760Vienna5 children (died young)(2) Maria Josepha of Bavaria25 January 1765Schönbrunn Palaceno issue	Son of Maria Theresa and Francis I
	Leopold	5 May 1747 – 1 March 1792	20 February 1790 – 1 March 1792	Maria Luisa of Spain16 February 1764Madrid16 children	Brother of Joseph
	Francis II	12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835	1 March 1792 – 17 October 1797	(1) Elisabeth of Württemberg6 January 1788Vienna1 daughter (died young)(2) Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily15 September 179012 children(3) Maria Ludovika of Austria-Este6 January 1808no issue(4) Caroline Augusta of Bavaria29 October 1816no issue	Son of Leopold

The title was abolished de facto after revolutionary France annexed Flanders in 1795. Emperor Francis II relinquished his claim to the Low Countries in the Treaty of Campo Formio of 1797, and the area remained part of France until the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

In modern times, the title was granted to two younger sons of the kings of the Belgians.

• Prince Philippe, son of King Leopold I of Belgium (1840–1905)
• Prince Charles, son of King Albert I of Belgium (1910–1983)

The title, Count of Flanders, is one of the titles of the Spanish Crown. It is a historical title which is only nominally and ceremonially used.

1. ^ Gilliat-Smith, Ernest (1909). The story of Bruges (4th ed.). London: J. M. Den & Co. p. 5. ISBN 978-1-4446-6629-8. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
2. ^ "Prince Regent Charles". www.monarchie.be. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
3. ^ Wim Blockmans; Walter Prevenier (3 August 2010). The Promised Lands: The Low Countries Under Burgundian Rule, 1369-1530. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-0070-6.
4. ^ Powell, Frederick York; Tout, Thomas Frederick (1885). History of England, by F.Y. Powell and (T.F. Tout). pp. 228–.
5. ^ John A. Wagner (2006). Encyclopedia of the Hundred Years War. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 182–. ISBN 978-0-313-32736-0.

• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of the counts of Flanders". Genealogy EU. Archived from the original on 2007-10-28. Retrieved 2006-06-04.
• Counts of Flanders family tree