The following is a list of the heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of France, that is, those who were legally next in line to assume the throne upon the death of the King.
From 987 to 1792, all heirs to the French throne were male-line descendants of Hugh Capet.
Capetian associate kings The crown of France under the earliest Capetian monarchs was elective, not hereditary. There was no mechanism for automatic succession unless an heir was crowned as associate king, ready to step up as primary king when the previous king died. This procedure was very similar to the method by which the Germans elected a King of the Romans during the lifetime of the German monarch. The early Capetians generally made sure their sons were crowned as associate kings with them, with such success that the inheritance of the eldest son and heir to the kingship came to be accepted as a matter of right. Louis VI of France was the first king to take the throne without having been crowned in his father's time; however, his right to take the throne was initially contested.
House of Capet (987–1328) Monarch Co-king Relationship to monarch Crowned Co-kingship ceased ReasonNo co-king Jun–Dec 987 Robert (II) Son 24 October 996 Robert IINo co-king 996–1017 Hughes Son 19 June 1017 DiedNo co-king 1025–1027 Henri (I) Son 14 May 1027 20 July 1031 Became sole kingHenri INo co-king 1031–1059 Philippe (I) Son 23 May 1059 4 August 1060 Became sole king Philippe INo co-king 1060–1108Louis VINo co-king 1108–1129 Philippe Son 14 April 1129 13 October 1131 DiedNo co-king 13–25 Oct 1131 Louis (VII) Son 25 October 1131 1 August 1137 Became sole kingLouis VIINo co-king 1037–1079 Son 1 November 1179 18 September 1180 Became sole king
Capetian heirs by Salic succession I After the accession of Philip II of France, the throne became de jure as well as de facto hereditary, so that on the death of the king, the legal heir became king immediately, and could exercise authority without coronation. The throne passed to the closest male heir.
Heirs who actually succeeded are shown in bold type. From 1350 on, the heir apparent to the French throne was styled Dauphin. The title was abandoned in 1791 in favor of the style Prince Royal, less than a year before the abolition of the monarchy.
House of Capet (987–1328) Monarch Heir Status Relationship to monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason Next in line of successionPhilippe IISuccession uncertain 1180–1187LouisHeir apparentSon5 September 1187Born14 July 1223Father died, became king None, 1187–1190 Robert, 1190, brother Philippe, 1190, brother None, 1190–1209 Philippe, 1209–1218, son Louis, 1218–1223, son Louis VIII Louis Heir apparent Son 14 July 1223Father became king 8 November 1226Father died, became king Robert, brotherLouis IXRobert I, Count of ArtoisBrother8 November 122624 February 1244Son born to king Jean Tristan, 1226–1232, brother Alphonse, Count of Poitiers, 1232–1244, brotherLouisHeir apparentSon24 February 1244Born11 January 1260Died Robert I, Count of Artois, 1244–1245, uncle Philippe, 1245–1260, brotherPhilippeHeir apparentSon11 January 1260Brother died25 August 1270Father died, became king Louis, 1264–1270, sonPhilippe III Louis Heir apparent Son 25 August 1270Father became king May 1276Died Philippe, brother Philippe Heir apparent Son May 1276Brother died 5 October 1285Father died, became king Charles, Count of Valois, brother Charles, Count of Valois Heir presumptive Brother 5 October 1285Brother became king 4 October 1289Son born to king Louis, Count of Évreux, half-brotherLouisHeir apparentSon4 October 1289Born29 November 1314Father died, became king Charles, Count of Valois, 1289–1293, uncle Louis X Heir presumptive Brother 29 November 1314Brother became king 5 June 1316 Charles, Count of La Marche, brother Jean I Philippe, Count of Poitiers Heir presumptive Uncle 15 November 1316Posthumous son born to the late king 19 November 1316Nephew died, became king Philippe, sonPhilippe V Philippe Heir apparent Son 19 November 1316Father became king 24 February 1317Died Charles, Count of La Marche, uncle Heir presumptive Brother 24 February 1317Nephew died 3 January 1322Brother died, became king Philippe, sonCharles IV Philippe Heir apparent Son 3 January 1322Father became king 24 March 1322Died Charles, Count of Valois, granduncle Charles, Count of Valois Heir presumptive Uncle 24 March 1322Grandnephew died 20 March 1324Son born to king Philippe, Count of Maine, son Louis Heir apparent Son 20 March 1324Born 21 March 1324Died Charles, Count of Valois, granduncle Charles, Count of Valois Heir presumptive Uncle 21 March 1324Grandnephew died 16 December 1325Died Philippe, Count of Maine, son Philippe, Count of Valois Heir presumptive 1st cousin 16 December 1325Father died 1 February 13281st cousin died, his wife pregnant Jean of Valois, son House of Valois (1328–1589) Monarch Heir Status Relationship to monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason Next in line of successionPhilippe VIJean, Duke of NormandyHeir apparentSon1 April 1328Father became king22 August 1350Father died, became king Charles II, Count of Alençon, 1328–1330, uncle Louis, 1330, brother Charles II, Count of Alençon, 1330–1333, uncle Jean, 1330, brother Charles II, Count of Alençon, 1333–1336, uncle Philippe, Duke of Orléans, 1336–1338, brother Charles, 1338–1350, son Jean II Charles, Dauphin of France Heir apparent Son 22 August 1350Father became king 8 April 1364Father died, became king Louis I, Duke of Anjou, brotherCharles V Louis I, Duke of Anjou Heir presumptive Brother 8 April 1364Brother became king 7 June 1366Son born to king Jean, Duke of Berry, brother Jean Heir apparent Son 7 June 1366Born 21 December 1366Died Louis I, Duke of Anjou, uncle Louis I, Duke of Anjou Heir presumptive Brother 21 December 1366Nephew died 3 December 1368Son born to king Jean, Duke of Berry, brotherCharles, Dauphin of FranceHeir apparentSon3 December 1368Born16 September 1380Father died, became king Louis I, Duke of Anjou, 1368–1372, uncle Louis, 1372–1380, brotherCharles VILouisHeir presumptiveBrother16 September 1380Brother became king25 September 1386Son born to king Louis I, Duke of Anjou, 1380–1384, uncle Louis II, Duke of Anjou, 1384–1386, 1st cousin Charles, Dauphin of France Heir apparent Son 25 September 1386Born 28 December 1386Died Louis, Duke of Touraine, uncle Louis, Duke of Touraine Heir presumptive Brother 28 December 1386Nephew died 6 February 1392Son born to king Louis II, Duke of Anjou, 1st cousinCharles, Dauphin of FranceHeir apparentSon6 February 1392Born13 January 1401Died Louis I, Duke of Orléans, 1392–1397, uncle Louis, 1397–1401, brother Louis, Dauphin of France Heir apparent Son 13 January 1401Brother died 18 December 1415Died Jean, Duke of Touraine, brother Jean, Dauphin of France Heir apparent Son 18 December 1415Brother died 5 April 1417Died Charles, Count of Ponthieu, brother Charles, Dauphin of France Heir apparent Son 5 April 1417Brother died 21 October 1422Father died, became king Charles I, Duke of Orléans, 1st cousin
Lancastrian succession On May 21, 1420, the government of Charles VI was obliged to sign the Treaty of Troyes, which provided a legal framework for the transfer of power to Henry V, King of England, who had invaded and occupied northern France, including Paris. Under the treaty, Henry, who was to marry Charles' daughter Catherine, was named as "Heir of France" and the Dauphin Charles was disinherited. The treaty was not recognized by those factions which were still at war with England, and only had legal force in English-occupied territory and, more briefly, in the Burgundian lands (1420–1435) and in Brittany.
Monarch Heir Status Relationship to monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason Next in line of successionKing Henry V of EnglandSon-in-law21 May 1420Treaty of Troyes31 August 1422Died Thomas, Duke of Clarence, brother, 1420—1421 John, Duke of Bedford, brother, 1421 King Henry VI of England Heir apparent Grandson 31 August 1422Father died 21 October 1422 John, Duke of Bedford, uncle House of Lancaster (1422—1453) Monarch Heir Status Relationship to monarch Became heirReason Ceased to be heirReason Next in line of successionHenri II John, Duke of Bedford Heir presumptive Uncle 21 October 1422Nephew became king 14 September 1435Died Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, brother Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester Heir presumptive Uncle 14 September 1435Brother died 23 February 1447Died Richard, Duke of York, 2nd cousin Richard, Duke of York Heir presumptive 2nd cousin -1 23 February 14472nd cousin died 13 October 1453Son born to king Edward, Earl of March, Son Heir apparent Son Born 19 October 1453Father deposed Richard, Duke of York, 2nd cousin -2
Capetian heirs by Salic succession II In southern France, the treaty of Troyes was never regarded as valid, and Charles VII was considered to have become king upon his father's death. Given his repudiation by his father, however, his status remained uncertain until his coronation at Reims on 17 July 1429. In the following two decades Charles VII regained control of most of France; the English were finally expelled from Guienne on 19 October 1453, retaining only the port of Calais.