List of Queens and Empresses of France

See also List of French monarchs

Eugénie de Montijo, the last Empress of France

Marie Antoinette, Queen of Louis XVI was beheaded during the French Revolution

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.

Carolingian Dynasty

Capetian dynasty, Direct Capetians

Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Adelaide of Aquitaine	Poitiers	c. 945	970	3 July 987		24 October 996	1004	Hugh Capet of France
	Susanna of Italy	Ivrea	c. 937	988/989	996		996	7 February 1003	Robert II of France
	Bertha of Burgundy	Welf (Elder)	c. 952	996			1000	1035?
	Constance of Arles	Arles	973	1003			20 July 1031	25 July 1034
	Matilda of Frisia	Frisia	c. 1024	1034			1044		Henry I of France
	Anne of Kiev	Rurik of Kiev	c. 1024	19 May 1051			4 August 1060	1075
	Bertha of Holland	Gerulfingian	c. 1055	1072			1092	1094	Philip I of France
	Bertrade de Montfort	Montfort	c. 1070	15 May 1092			29 July 1108	1117
	Adélaide de Maurienne	Savoy	1092	3 August 1115			1 August 1137	18 November 1154	Louis VI of France
align=center	align=center| Eleanor of Aquitaine	Poitiers	1122	22 July 1137	1137	?	21 March 1152 annulment	1 April 1204	Louis VII of France
	Constance of Castile	Anscarid Burgundy (Castilian Branch)	1141	1154		1154	1160
	Adèle of Champagne	Blois	c. 1140	1164		?	18 September 1180	4 June 1206
	Isabelle of Hainaut	Flanders	5 April 1170	1180		29 May 1180	1190		Philip II of France
	Ingeborg of Denmark	Estridson	1175	15 August 1193		25 August 1193	5 November 1193 separated	29 July 1236
	Agnes of Merania	Andechs-Merania	about 1175	June 1196		?	1200 repudiated	20 July 1201
	Ingeborg of Denmark	Estridson	1175	15 August 1193	1200 restored		14 July 1223 husband's death	29 July 1236
	Blanche of Castile	Anscarid Burgundy (Castilian Branch)	4 March 1188	22 May 1200	14 July 1223	6 August 1223	8 November 1226	26 November 1252	Louis VIII of France
	Marguerite of Provence	Barcelona (Provençal Branch)	c. 1221	27 May 1234		?	25 August 1270	21 December 1295	Louis IX of France
	Isabella of Aragon	Barcelona (Aragonese Branch)	1247	28 May 1262	25 August 1270	Not crowned	28 January 1271		Philip III of France
	Maria of Brabant	Leuven	1254	21 August 1274		24 June 1275	5 October 1285	10 January 1321
	Joan I of Navarre	Blois	c.14 January 1271	16 August 1284	5 October 1285	?	4 April 1305		Philip IV of France
	Margaret of Burgundy	Capetian Burgundy (Direct Line)	1290	23 September 1305	29 November 1314	Never Crowned	15 August 1315		Louis X of France
	Clémence d'Anjou	Second House of Anjou	1293	19 August 1315		24 August 1315	5 June 1316	12 October 1328
	Jeanne II, Countess of Burgundy	Chalons-Burgundy	1291	1307	20 November 1316	9 January	3 January 1322	21 January 1330	Philip V of France
	Blanche of Burgundy		c.1296	1308	3 January 1322	Never Crowned	19 May 1322	April 1326	Charles IV of France
	Marie de Luxembourg	Luxembourg	1304	21 September 1322		15 May 1323	26 March 1324
	Jeanne d'Évreux	Évreux	1310	5 July 1325		11 May 1326	1 February 1328 husband's death	4 March 1371
Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse

Capetian Dynasty, House of Valois (Direct Line)

Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Joan the Lame	Capetian Burgundy (Direct Line)	24 June 1293	July 1313	1 February/1 April 1328	27 May 1328	12 September 1348		Philip VI of France
	Blanche d'Évreux	Évreux (Navarre)	1330-1333	January of either 1349 or 1350		Not crowned	22 August 1350 husband's death	5 October 1398
	Joanna I of Auvergne	Auvergne	8 May 1326	13 February 1349	22 August 1350	26 September 1350	29 September 1360		John II of France
	Joanna of Bourbon	Bourbon	3 February 1338	1350	8 April 1364	19 May 1364	4 February 1378		Charles V of France
	Isabeau of Bavaria	Wittelsbach	c.1370	17 July 1385		1389	21 October 1422 husband's death	24 September 1435	Charles VI of France
	Marie of Anjou	Valois-Anjou	14 October 1404	18 December 1422		?	22 July 1461 husband's death	1463	Charles VII of France
	Charlotte of Savoy	Savoy	1443	14 February 1451	22 July 1461	?	30 August 1483 husband's death	1 December 1483	Louis XI of France
	Anne of Brittany	Montfort of Brittany	25 January 1477	6 December 1491		8 February 1492	7 April 1498 husband's death	9 January 1514	Charles VIII of France
Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse

Capetian Dynasty, House of Valois (Orléans Branch)

Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Joan of Valois	Valois	23 April 1464	8 September 1476	7 April 1498 husband's ascension	Not crowned	December 1498 annulment	4 February 1505	Louis XII of France
	Anne of Brittany	Montfort of Brittany	25 January 1477	8 January 1499		18 November 1502	9 January 1514
	Mary Tudor	Tudor	18 March 1496	9 October 1514		5 november 1514	1 January 1515 husband's death	25 June 1533
Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse

Capetian Dynasty, House of Valois (Angoulême Branch)

Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Claude of France	Valois-Orléans	14 October 1499	18 May 1514	1 January 1515 husband's ascension	10 May 1517	20 July 1524		Francis I of France
	Eleanor of Habsburg	Habsburg	15 November 1498	4 July 1530		5 March 1532	31 March 1547 husband's death	25 February 1558
	Catherine de' Medici	Medici	13 April 1519	28 October 1533	31 March 1547 husband's ascension	10 June 1549	10 July 1559 husband's death	5 January 1589	Henry II of France
	Mary I of Scotland	Stewart	8 December 1542	24 April 1558	10 July 1559 husband's ascension	Not crowned because already crowned Queen of Scotland	5 December 1560 husband's death	8 February 1587	Francis II of France
	Elisabeth of Austria	Habsburg (Austrian Branch)	5 June 1554	26 November 1570		25 March 1571	30 May 1574 husband's death	22 January 1592	Charles IX of France
	Louise de Lorraine-Vaudémont	Lorraine	30 April 1553	13 February 1575		Not crowned	2 August 1589 husband's death	29 January 1601	Henry III of France
Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse

Capetian Dynasty, House of Bourbon (Vendôme Branch)

Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Marguerite de Valois	Valois-Angoulême	14 May 1553	18 August 1572	2 August 1589 husband's accession	Not crowned	1599 divorce	27 May 1615	Henry IV of France
	Marie de' Medici	Medici	26 April 1573	5 October? 1600		13 May 1610	14 May 1610 husband's death	3 July 1642
	Anne of Austria	Habsburg (Spanish Branch)	22 September 1601	24 November 1615		Not crowned	14 May 1643 husband's death	20 January 1666	Louis XIII of France
	Maria Theresa of Spain	Habsburg (Spanish Branch)	10 September 1638	9 June 1660		Not crowned	30 July 1683		Louis XIV of France
	Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon (Royal consort)	d'Aubigné	27 November 1635	1685		Not crowned	1 September 1715 husband's death	15 April 1719
	Maria Leszczyńska	Leszczyński	23 June 1703	4 September 1725		Not crowned	24 June 1768		Louis XV of France
	Marie Antoinette of Austria	Habsburg-Lorraine	2 November 1755	19 April 1770 (by proxy) 16 May 1770	10 May 1774 husband's ascension	Not crowned	21 September 1792 husband's deposition	16 October 1793 executed	Louis XVI of France
	Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy (de jure)	Savoy	2 September 1753	16 April 1771	16 June, 1795 husband's proclamation	Not crowned	13 November 1810		Louis XVIII 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
	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 (Vendôme Branch)

Picture	Name	House	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France	Bourbon-Vendôme	19 December 1778	June 1799	2 August 1830 for 20 minutes	Not crowned	2 August 1830 husband's abdication	19 October 1851	Louis XIX
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

• Members of the French Royal Families
• Kings of France family tree
• List of French Monarchs