Reginarids (original) (raw)

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Noble family of medieval Belgium

House of BrabantMaison de BrabantHouse of Hainaut, House of Louvain
Ducal noble family
Country Holy Roman Empire Kingdom of France Kingdom of England Duchy of Brabant
Earlier spellings Reginarids
Etymology Descendant of Reginar
Founded 880; 1144 years ago (880)
Founder Reginar I, Count of Hainaut
Current head Donatus, Landgrave of Hesse
Final ruler Joanna, Duchess of Brabant
Titles Landgrave/Duke of BrabantDuke of LimburgDuke of LothierDuke of LorraineMargrave of AntwerpCount of LouvainCount of Hainaut
Estate(s) Coudenberg
Dissolution 1406 (1406) (senior branch)
Cadet branches House of HesseHouse of Percy

The Reginarids (or Regnarids, Regniers, Reiniers, etc.)[1] were a family of magnates in Lower Lotharingia during the Carolingian and Ottonian period. Their modern name is derived from the personal name which many members of the family bore, and which is seen as a Leitname of the family. At least two Dukes of Lotharingia in the 10th century belonged to this family. After a period of exile and rebellion, the two brothers who returned to power founded the first dynasties of the County of Hainault and County of Louvain. The latter were ancestors of the House of Brabant, Landgraves and later Dukes of Brabant, Lothier and Limburg. The Reginarid Brabant dynasty ended in 1355, leaving its duchies to the House of Luxembourg which in turn left them to the House of Valois-Burgundy in 1383. Junior branches of the male line include the medieval male line of the English House of Percy, Earls of Northumberland, and the German House of Hesse which ruled Hesse from 1264 until 1918, included King Frederick of Sweden and still exists today.

The first probable ancestor known with any confidence is Gilbert, Count of the Maasgau (mentioned in 841) who served King Lothair I, but defected to Lothair's half-brother Charles the Bald during the civil war of 840–843. In 846 Gilbert abducted an unnamed daughter of Lothair and married her in an attempt to force Lothair to reinstate him. Reginar, Duke of Lorraine (c. 850–916) is believed to be Gilbert's son. Following the death of Charles the Fat, the Reginarids began a long fight with the Conradines for supremacy in Lotharingia.[2] When they triumphed, in 910, it was in electing Charles the Simple as king. It was the combined forces of Bruno I of Lorraine and the Carolingians of West Francia that finally broke the Reginarids' hold on power.[3] In 958, Reginar III had his lands confiscated and redistributed to Gerard, Count of Metz, of the Matfridings, enemies of his family since the reign of Zwentibold.[4]

The Reginarids supported Lothair of France against Otto II, but they made a deal with the latter in 978.[5]

The Reginarids were no longer a unified family by the end of the tenth century.[6] Their descendants in Mons and Louvain continued their spirit of opposition to the king.[7] The house also produced a queen-consort of England in the form of Adeliza of Leuven, who married Henry I of England.

Dukes of Lorraine

Coat of Arms of Hainaut

Counts of Hainaut

Counts of Leuven, Counts of Brussels

Dukes of Lower Lorraine

Passes to Henry I, Duke of Brabant (1190–1235), see below: Duke of Brabant

Counts of Leuven, Counts of Brussels and Landgraves of Brabant:

Counts of Leuven, Counts of Brussels, Landgraves of Brabant, Margrave of Antwerp and Dukes of Lower-Lorraine:

Dukes of Brabant and Dukes of Lothier:

Coat of arms of the Dukes of Brabant and Limburg

Dukes of Brabant, Dukes of Lothier and Dukes of Limburg:

House of Reginar in Lorraine, Brabant, Thuringia and Hesse

  1. ^ Spelling variants: Reginarid, [1], [2], [3], [4]; Regnarids, [5].
  2. ^ Reuter, 135.
  3. ^ Reuter, 168.
  4. ^ Reuter, 159.
  5. ^ Reuter, 176.
  6. ^ Reuter, 192.
  7. ^ Reuter, 201.