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List of Queens and Empresses of France
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- See also List of French monarchs
This is a list of the women who have been Queens consort or Empresses consort of the realm of France. As all monarchs of France have been required by law to be male, there has never been a Queen or Empress regnant of France (although many women have ruled France as Queen regents).
Since 987 there have been 53 French consorts: 49 Queens, 3 Empresses and one untitled consort (Madame de Maintenon). Ingeborg of Denmark and Anne of Brittany were each queen more than once. Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy was queen de jure during the Republican and Imperial periods, but never wife of the de facto head of the French state.
From 1285 - 1328, the crowns of Navarre and France were united by virtue of the marriage of Joan I of Navarre, Queen regnant of Navarre and Queen-consort of France, to King Philip IV of France, and by the succession of their three sons, Louis X, Philip V, and Charles IV. Thus, the wives of these three Kings were Queen-consort not only of France but of Navarre. With the death of Charles IV, however, Navarre passed out of the hands of the French Kings until 1589, and the succession to the French throne of Henry IV of France.
Upon Henry's succession, his wife, Marguerite de Valois, who was already Queen consort of Navarre, also became Queen consort of France. Thereafter, until 1791, Queens of France were also Queens of Navarre; the crown of Navarre merged with the French crown in 1620 but the French kings continued to use the title of King of Navarre until 1791. The title 'King of Navarre' was reassumed with the Restoration of 1814-15, and dropped with the Revolution of 1830; the Bonaparte and Orleans consorts did not use it.
Regents
Many French consorts acted as regents for their husbands or children, during their minorities. These were:
- Anne of Kiev, 1060-66, during the minority of her son, Philip I
- Adèle of Champagne, 1190-92, whilst her son was participating in the Third Crusade
- Blanche of Castile:
- 1226-1234: During the minority of her son Louis IX
- 1248-1252: During the absence of her son Louis IX on crusade.
- Joan the Lame, who often governed for her husband Philip VI whilst he was fighting.
- Isabeau of Bavaria (inconsistently between 1393-1420), during the insanity of her husband Charles VI, during which she vied for power with her husband's uncles
- Catherine de' Medici:
- 1552: While her husband Henry II left the kingdom for the campaign of Metz.
- 1560-1563: During the minority of her second son, Charles IX
- 1574: During the absence of her third son, Henry III, in Poland
- Marie de' Medici, 1610-1614, during the minority of her son, Louis XIII
- Anne of Austria, 1643-1651, during the minority of her son Louis XIV
- Empress Eugenie, three times for her husband, Napoleon III, during his absence.
Madame de Maintenon
Madame de Maintenon, mistress of Louis XIV, married the king in the winter of 1685-1686 privately by François de Harlay de Champvallon, archbishop of Paris, in the presence, it is believed, of Père la Chaise, the king's confessor, the Marquis de Montchevreuil, the chevalier de Forbin, and Alexandre Bontemps. Owing to the inequality of social status, she and the King did not marry openly (which would have allowed her to become Queen). No written proof of the marriage is extant, but that it took place is nevertheless certain.
It is important to remember that Madame de Maintenon was never Queen of France, simply a royal consort.
Capetian Dynasty, House of Valois (Direct Line)
Capetian Dynasty, House of Valois (Orléans Branch)
Capetian Dynasty, House of Valois (Angoulême Branch)
| Picture |
Name |
House |
Birth |
Marriage |
Became Consort |
Coronation |
Ceased to be Consort |
Death |
Spouse |
 |
Marie Josephe Tascher de la Pagerie, called Empress Joséphine |
de la Pagerie |
23 June 1763 |
9 March 1796 |
18 May 1804
husband's ascension |
2 December 1804 |
10 January 1810
divorce |
29 May 1814 |
Napoleon I of France |
 |
Marie Louise of Austria, Empress |
Habsburg-Lorraine |
12 December 1791 |
11 March 1810 (by proxy)
1 April 1810 |
Not crowned? |
6 April 1814
husband's abdication |
17 December 1841 |
| Picture |
Name |
House |
Birth |
Marriage |
Became Consort |
Coronation |
Ceased to be Consort |
Death |
Spouse |
Capetian Dynasty, House of Bourbon (Orléans Branch)
| Picture |
Name |
House |
Birth |
Marriage |
Became Consort |
Coronation |
Ceased to be Consort |
Death |
Spouse |
 |
Maria Amalia of the Two Sicilies |
Bourbon-Sicily |
26 April 1782 |
25 November 1809 |
9 August 1830
husband's ascension |
Not crowned |
24 February 1848
husband's abdication |
24 March 1866 |
Louis-Philippe of France |
| Picture |
Name |
House |
Birth |
Marriage |
Became Consort |
Coronation |
Ceased to be Consort |
Death |
Spouse |
Bonaparte Dynasty
| Picture |
Name |
House |
Birth |
Marriage |
Became Consort |
Coronation |
Ceased to be Consort |
Death |
Spouse |
 |
Eugénie de Montijo, Empress |
Montijo |
5 May 1826 |
30 January 1853 |
Not crowned |
4 September 1870
husband's deposition |
11 July 1920 |
Napoleon III of France |
| Picture |
Name |
House |
Birth |
Marriage |
Became Consort |
Coronation |
Ceased to be Consort |
Death |
Spouse |
References
- Joy Law, Fleur de lys: The kings and queens of France. ISBN-13: 978-0070366954
- Rene de La Croix, duc de Castries, The Lives of the Kings & Queens of France. ISBN-10: 0394507347
- Elsie Thornton-Cook, Royal Line of France: The Story of the Kings and Queens of France. ISBN-13: 978-0836909395
See also
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