The count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by King Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of count.
Ingelger's male line ended with Geoffrey II. Subsequent counts of Anjou were descended from Geoffrey's sister Ermengarde and Count Geoffrey II of Gâtinais. Their agnatic descendants, who included the Angevin kings of England, continued to hold the title and territory until King Philip II Augustus seized the region and annexed it to the French crown lands.
In 1360, the county was raised to a dukedom becoming known as Duke of Anjou, subsequently leading the Duchy of Anjou. The title was held by Philip V of Spain before his accession to the throne in 1700. Since then, some Spanish Legitimist claimants to the French throne also claim the title even to the present day, as does a first cousin of the Orléanist pretender.
Counts of Anjou Robertian dynasty The Robertians, or Robertian dynasty, comprised: Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Robert the Strong861–866 820?son of Robert III of Worms and Waldrade ?two sons 866aged 45 Odo866–898 852La Fèreson of Robert the Strong and Adelaide of Tours Théodrate of Troyestwo sons 898aged 46
House of Ingelger Agnatic descent Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Ingelger(Viscount of Angers) 845Rennesson of Tertullus (Tertulle) and Petronilla Adelais of Amboiseone son 888aged 42 Fulk I the Red929–942 870son of Ingelger and "Aelinde" D'Amboise Rosalie de Lochesone son 942aged 72 Fulk II the Good942–958 905son of Fulk the Red Gerbergetwo children 11 November 960aged 55 Tours Geoffrey I Greymantle960–987 940son of Fulk II (1) Adele of Meauxfour children(2) Adelaise de ChalonMarch 979one son 21 July 987aged 47 Fulk III the Black987–1040 972son of Geoffrey I Greymantle and Adelaide of Vermandois (1) Elisabeth of Vendômeone daughter(2) Hildegard of Sundgau1001two children 21 June 1040Metzaged 68 Geoffrey II Martel1040–1060 son of Fulk the Black and Hildegard of Sundgau (1) Agnes of Burgundy1032no issue(2) Grécie of Langeaisno issue(3) Adèleno issue(4) Grécie of Langeaisno issue(5) Adelaideno issue
Cognatic descent Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Geoffrey III the Bearded1060–1067 1040eldest son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais and Ermengarde of Anjou (1) Julienne de Langeaisno issue 1096aged 56 Fulk IV the Ill-Tempered1067–1109 1043younger son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais and Ermengarde of Anjou (1) Hildegarde of Beaugencyone daughter(2) Ermengarde de Bourbon1070one son(3) Orengarde de Châtelaillon1076no issue(4) Mantie of Brienne1080no issue(5) Bertrade de Montfort1089one son 14 April 1109aged 66 Geoffrey IV Martel the Younger1103–1106 1070son of Fulk IV and Ermengarde de Bourbon never marriedno issue 19 May 1106Candéaged 36 Fulk V the Young1106–1129 1089Angersson of Count Fulk IV, Count of Anjou and Bertrade de Montfort (1) Ermengarde of Maine1110four children(2) Melisende2 June 1129Jerusalemtwo children 13 November 1143Acre, Israelaged 54
House of Plantagenet Geoffrey V Plantagenet 1129–1151 24 August 1113 elder son of Fulk V of Anjou and Eremburga de La Flèche Empress Matilda 17 June 1128 three sons 7 September 1151 Château-du-Loir aged 38 Henry Curtmantle 1151–1189 5 March 1133 Le Mans son of Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou and Empress Matilda Eleanor of Aquitaine 18 May 1152 Poitiers eight children 6 July 1189 Chinon aged 56 Henry II named his son, Henry the Young King (1155–1183), as co-ruler with him but this was a Norman custom of designating an heir, and the younger Henry did not outlive his father and rule in his own right, so he is not counted as a count on lists of counts. Richard Lionheart 1189–1199 8 September 1157 Beaumont Palace son of King Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine Berengaria of Navarre 12 May 1191 Limassol No legitimate issue 6 April 1199 Châlus aged 42 Arthur 1199–1203 29 March 1187 son of Geoffrey II, Duke of Brittany and Constance of Penthièvre never married no issue April 1203 Rouen aged 16
In 1204, Anjou was lost to king Philip II of France. It was re-granted as an appanage for Louis VIII's son John, who died in 1232 at the age of thirteen, and then to Louis's youngest son, Charles, later the first Angevin king of Sicily.
Capetian dynasty House of Anjou Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death 1219–1232 Charles I1246–1285 21 March 1226youngest son of Louis VIII of France and Blanche of Castile (1) Beatrice of Provence31 January 1246Aix-en-Provenceseven children(2) Margaret of Burgundy1268one daughter 7 January 1285Foggiaaged 58 Charles II1285–1290 1254son of Charles I of Anjou and Beatrice of Provence Maria of Hungary127014 children 5 May 1309Naplesaged 55 Margaret1290–1299 1272daughter of Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary Charles of Valois16 August 1290Corbeilsix children 31 December 1299aged 26
In 1290, Margaret married Charles of Valois, the younger brother of king Philip IV of France. He became Count of Anjou in her right.
House of Valois Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Charles III1290–1325 12 March 1270fourth son of Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon (1) Margaret of Naples1290six children(2) Catherine of Courtenay1302four children(3) Mahaut of Châtillon1308four children 16 December 1325Nogent-le-Roiaged 55 Philip1293–1328 1293son of Charles of Valois and Margaret of Naples (1) Joan the LameJuly 1313seven children(2) Blanche of Navarre11 January 1350one daughter 22 August 1350Nogent-le-Roiaged 57 In 1328, Philip of Valois ascended the French throne and became King Philip VI. At this time, the counties of Anjou, Maine, and Valois returned to the royal domain. On 26 April 1332, Philip granted the county to his eldest son, John:
Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death John1332–1350 16 April 1319son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame (1) Bonne of Bohemia28 July 1332Church of Notre-Dame, Melunnine children(2) Joanna I of Auvergne19 February 1350Nanterretwo children 8 April 1364Savoyaged 44 Following John's ascension to the throne as John II in 1350, the title again returned to the royal domain.
Dukes of Anjou The dukes contributed greatly to social reform in the 1300s and 1400s.
First creation: 1360–1481 – House of Valois-Anjou Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Louis I1356–1360 as Count of Anjou1360–1384 as Duke of Anjou 23 July 1339Château de Vincennessecond son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg Marie of Blois1360three children 20 September 1384Bisceglieaged 45 Louis II1384–1417 1377Toulouseson of Louis I of Anjou Yolande of AragonArles1400five children 29 April 1417Angersaged 40 Louis III1417–1434 25 September 1403eldest son of Louis II of Anjou and Yolande of Aragon Margaret of Savoy, Duchess of AnjouCosenza1432no issue 12 November 1434Cosenzaaged 31 René1434–1480 16 January 1409Château d'Angerssecond son of Louis II of Anjou and Yolande of Aragon (1) Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine142010 children(2) Jeanne de Laval10 September 1454Abbey of St. Nicholas, Angersno issue 10 July 1480Aix-en-Provenceaged 71 Charles IV1480–1481 1446son of Charles of Maine, grandson of Louis II of Anjou Joan of Lorraine1474no issue 1481aged 35
On the death of Charles IV, Anjou returned to the royal domain.
Second creation: 1515–1531 – House of Savoy Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Louise1515–1531 11 September 1476Pont-d'Aineldest daughter of Philip II, Duke of Savoy and Margaret of Bourbon Charles of Orléans16 February 1488Parisone daughter, one son 22 September 1531Gretz-sur-Loingaged 55
Third creation: 1566–1576 – House of Valois-Angoulême Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Henry III1566–1576 19 September 1551Palace of Fontainebleaufourth son of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici Louise of Lorraine13 February 1575Notre-Dame de Reimsno issue 2 August 1589Saint-Cloudaged 37
Fourth creation: 1576–1584 – House of Valois-Angoulême Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Francis III1576–1584 18 March 1555Palace of Fontainebleaufifth son of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici never married, but briefly engaged to Elizabeth I 19 June 1584Château-Thierryaged 29
Fifth creation: 1608–1626 – House of Bourbon Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Gaston I1608–1626 25 April 1608Palace of Fontainebleauthird son of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici (1) Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier6 August 1626Nantesone daughter(2) Marguerite of Lorraine31 January 1632Nancyfive children 2 February 1660Château de Bloisaged 51
Sixth creation: 1640–1660 – House of Orléans Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Philip I1640–1660 21 September 1640Château de Saint-Germain-en-Layesecond son of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria (1) Princess Henrietta of England31 March 1661Palais-Royalthree children(2) Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate16 November 1671Châlons-sur-Marnethree children 9 June 1701Château de Saint-Cloudaged 60
Seventh creation: 1668–1671 – House of Bourbon Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Philippe Charles1668–1671 5 August 1668Château de Saint-Germain-en-Layesecond son of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Spain never married 10 July 1671Château de Saint-Germain-en-Layeaged 2
8th creation: 1672 – House of Bourbon Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Louis François 1672 14 June 1672Château de Saint-Germain-en-Layethird son of Louis XIV and Maria Theresa of Spain never married 4 November 1672Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
9th creation: 1683–1700 – House of Bourbon Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Philip II1683–1700 19 December 1683Palace of Versaillessecond son of Louis, le Grand Dauphin and Duchess Maria Anna Victoria of Bavaria (1) Maria Luisa of Savoy2 November 1701Figueresfour children(2) Elisabeth of Parma24 December 1714Guadalajaraseven children 9 July 1746Madridaged 62
10th creation: 1710–1715 – House of Bourbon Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Louis the Beloved1710–1715 15 February 1710Palace of Versaillesthird son of Louis, le Petit Dauphin and Marie Adélaïde of Savoy Marie Leszczyńska4 September 1725Palace of Fontainebleaueleven children 10 May 1774Palace of Versaillesaged 64
11th creation: 1730–1733 – House of Bourbon Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Philip1730–1733 30 August 1730Palace of Versaillesfourth son of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska never married 17 April 1733Palace of Versaillesaged 2
12th creation: 1755–1795 – House of Bourbon Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Louis the Desired1755–1795 17 November 1755Palace of Versaillesfourth son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony Marie Joséphine of Savoy14 May 1771Palace of Versaillesno issue 16 September 1824Parisaged 68
Dukes of Anjou without legal creation 1883–1936 – House of Bourbon After the death of Henri, Count of Chambord, only the descendants of Philip V of Spain remained of the male line of Louis XIV. The most senior of these, the Carlist claimant to the Spanish throne, became the eldest of the Capetians. Some of them used the courtesy title of Duke of Anjou, as shown below:
Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Jaime1909–1931 27 June 1870Veveythird son of Carlos, Duke of Madrid and Princess Margherita of Bourbon-Parma never married 2 October 1931Parisaged 60 Alfonso Carlos1931–1936 12 September 1849Londonsecond son of Juan, Count of Montizón and Archduchess Maria Beatrix of Austria-Este Infanta Maria das Neves of Portugal26 April 1871Kleinheubachno issue 29 September 1936Viennaaged 87
At the death of Alfonso Carlos in 1936, the Capetian seniority passed to the exiled King of Spain, Alfonso XIII. In 1941, Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia, succeeded his father Alfonso XIII (Alphonse I of France according to the Legitimists) as the heir male of Louis XIV and therefore as the Legitimist claimant to the French throne. He then adopted the title of Duke of Anjou.
1941–present – House of Bourbon