Duke of Burgundy

Cross of Burgundy Flag

Duke of Burgundy (French: duc de Bourgogne) was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks. Under the Ancien Régime, the Duke of Burgundy was the premier lay peer of the kingdom of France.

Beginning with Robert II of France, the title was held by the Capetians, the French royal family. It was granted to Robert's younger son, Robert, who founded the House of Burgundy. When the senior line of the House of Burgundy became extinct, it was inherited by John II of France through proximity of blood. John granted the duchy as an appanage for his younger son, Philip the Bold. The Valois Dukes of Burgundy became dangerous rivals to the senior line of the House of Valois. When the male line of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy became extinct, it was confiscated by Louis XI of France.

Today, the title is used by the House of Bourbon as a revived courtesy title.

List of Dukes of Burgundy

Bosonid dynasty (880–956)

Coat of arms of the Duke of Burgundy (1430–1482)

The first margrave (marchio), later duke (dux), of Burgundy was Richard of the House of Ardennes, whose duchy was created from the merging of several regional counties of the kingdom of Provence which had belonged to his brother Boso.

His descendants and their relatives by marriage ruled the duchy until its annexation over a century later by the French crown, their suzerain.

• Richard the Justiciar (880–921)
• Rudolph (921–923), then King of France
• Hugh the Black (923–952)
• Gilbert (952–956)

Robertian dynasty (956–1004)

• Otto (956–965)
• Eudes Henry the Great (965–1002)
• Otto William (1002–1004)

House of Capet (1004–1032)

In 1004, Burgundy was annexed by the king, of the House of Capet. Otto William continued to rule what would come to be called the Free County of Burgundy. His descendants formed another House of Ivrea.

• Robert (1004–16) (also king of France as Robert II)
• Henry (1016–32) (also king of France as Henry I)

House of Burgundy (1032–1361)

Robert, son of Robert II of France, received the Duchy as a peace settlement, having disputed the succession to the throne of France with his brother Henry.

Picture	Name	Birth	Became Duke	Ruled until	Death	Notes
	Robert I the Old (Robert I^er le Vieux)	1011	1032	21 March 1076		Younger son of Robert II of France.
	Hugh I (Hugues I^er)	1057	21 March 1076	1079	29 August 1093	Eldest son of Henry of Burgundy, grandson of Robert I. Abdicated in favour of his younger brother, Odo.
	Odo I Borel the Red (Eudes I^er Borel le Roux)	1058	1079	23 March 1103		Younger brother of Hugh I.
	Hugh II (Hugues II)	1084	23 March 1103	1143		Son of Odo I
	Odo II (Eudes II)	1118	1143	27 June/27 September 1162		Eldest son of Hugh II
	Hugh III (Hugues III)	1142	27 June/27 September 1162	25 August 1192		Eldest son of Odo II
	Odo III (Eudes III)	1166	25 August 1192	6 July 1218		Eldest son of Hugh III
	Hugh IV (Hugues IV)	9 March 1213	6 July 1218	27 October 1271		Eldest son of Odo III
	Robert II (Robert II)	1248	27 October 1271	21 March 1306		Eldest surviving son of Hugh IV.
	Hugh V (Hugues V)	1282	21 March 1306	9 May 1315		Eldest son of Robert II.
	Odo IV (Eudes IV)	1295	9 May 1315	3 April 1350		Younger brother of Hugh V.
	Philip I of Rouvres (Philippe I^er de Rouvres)	1346	3 April 1350	21 November 1361		Grandson of Odo IV.

House of Valois-Burgundy (1361–1482)

John II of France, the second Valois king, successfully claimed the Duchy after the death of Philip, the last Capet duke. John then passed the duchy to his youngest son Philip as an apanage.

Picture	Name	Birth	Became Duke	Ruled until	Death	Notes	Arms
	Philip II the Bold (Philippe II le Hardi)	15 January 1342	6 September 1363	27 April 1404		Youngest son of John the Good
	John I the Fearless (Jean I sans Peur)	28 May 1371	27 April 1404	10 September 1419		Eldest son of Philip the Bold
	Philip III the Good (Philippe III le Bon)	31 July 1396	10 September 1419	15 June 1467		Eldest son of John the Fearless
	Charles I the Bold (Charles I^er le Téméraire)	21 November 1433	15 June 1467	5 January 1477		Eldest son of Philip the Good
	Mary the Rich	13 February 1457	5 January 1477	27 March 1482		Only daughter of Charles the Bold

House of Habsburg (1482–1700)

In 1477, the territory of the Duchy of Burgundy was annexed by France. In the same year, Mary married Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, giving the Habsburgs control of the remainder of the Burgundian Inheritance.

Although the territory of the Duchy of Burgundy itself remained in the hands of France, the Habsburgs remained in control of the title of Duke of Burgundy and the other parts of the Burgundian inheritance, notably the Low Countries and the Free County of Burgundy in the Holy Roman Empire. They often used the term Burgundy to refer to it (e.g. in the name of the Imperial Circle it was grouped into), until the late 18th century, when the Austrian Netherlands were lost to French Republic. The Habsburgs also continued to claim Burgundy proper until the Treaty of Cambrai in 1529, when they surrendered their claim in exchange for French recognition of Imperial sovereignty over Flanders and Artois.

• Maximilian I (1477–1482 with his wife; regent 1482–1494)
• Philip IV the Handsome (German: Philipp der Schöne; French: Philippe le Bel), titular Duke of Burgundy as Philip IV (1482–1506)
• Charles II (Emperor Charles V and King Charles I of Spain) 1506–1555

Picture	Name	Birth	Became Duke	Ruled until	Death	Notes	Arms
	Philip IV the Handsome (Philippe IV le Bel)	22 July 1478	22 February 1482	25 September 1506		Eldest son of Duchess Mary by Maximilian of Habsburg
	Charles II	24 February 1500	25 September 1506	16 January 1556	21 September 1558	Eldest son of Philip the Handsome. Also Charles I of Aragon and Castile, and Holy Roman Emperor Charles V

• Philip V (King Philip II of Spain) 1556–1598
• Philip VI (King Philip III of Spain) 1598–1621
• Philip VII (King Philip IV of Spain) 1621–1665
• Charles III (King Charles II of Spain) 1665–1700

House of Bourbon, claimants of the title (1700–13)

The title was briefly claimed by king Philip V of Spain (Philip VIII) of the House of Bourbon between 1700–1713 when the succession of the Spanish throne was disputed between the Houses of Habsburg and Bourbon.

At the same time, various members of the French royal family, most notably Louis, Dauphin of France, the father of Louis XV of France, also used the title.

House of Habsburg (1713–95)

• Charles IV (Emperor Charles VI) 1713–1740
• Maria Theresa 1740–1780
  • Francis I (Emperor Francis I) (1740–1765 with his wife.)
• Joseph (Emperor Joseph II) 1780–1790
• Leopold (Emperor Leopold II) 1790–1792
• Francis II (Emperor Francis II) 1792–1795

House of Bourbon, revived title (1975–present)

• King Juan Carlos I of Spain (1975–2014)
• King Felipe VI of Spain (2014–present) – the title is one of the titles of the Spanish Crown
• Prince Louis of Bourbon (2010–present) – the title is used by eldest son of the legitimist claimant to the French throne Louis Alphonse, Duke of Anjou.

See also

• Duchess of Burgundy
• Kingdom of Burgundy
• King of Burgundy
• Duchy of Burgundy
• County of Burgundy
• Count of Burgundy
• Dukes of Burgundy family tree

Further reading

• Calmette, Joseph. Doreen Weightman, trans. The Golden Age of Burgundy; the Magnificent Dukes and Their Courts. New York: W.W. Norton, 1962.
• Chaumé, Maurice. Les Origines du Duché de Bourgogne. 2v. in 4 parts. Dijon: Jobard, 1925 (Darmstadt: npub, 1977).
• Michael, Nicholas. Armies of Medieval Burgundy 1364–1477. London: Osprey, 1983. ISBN 0-85045-518-9.
• Vaughan, Richard. Valois Burgundy. London: Allen Lane, 1975. ISBN 0-7139-0924-2.