- The Kings of the Merovingian Dynasty ruled France between c. 457-751 CE.
- They differed from the Frankish Kings by wearing their hair long and were known as the ‘Reges Criniti’, meaning the ‘Long haired Kings’.
The Merovingian Kings (428-751 CE)
- Childeric I (c.457-481 CE) He was the son of Merovech, Leader of the Salian Franks.
- He fought the Visigoths, the Saxons and the Alemanni.
- Clovis I (481-511 CE) was Childeric’s son.
- He defeated the last Roman Ruler of Gaul, Syagrius, who ruled the Kingdom of Soissons. This was an area of Gaul between the Loire and the Somme from 464 to 486 CE. Syagrius inherited this Territory from his Father who had been Magister Militum for the Gallias.
- In 486 CE the Battle of Soissons, where Syagrius was defeated and Clovis I united Gaul north of the Loire.
- In 496 CE the Battle of Tolbiac, where Clovis I defeated the Alemanni.
- In 507 CE the Battle of Vouille, where Clovis I defeated the Visigoths and occupied the Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse.
- Clovis I commissioned Salic Law.
- Clovis I established Paris as the Capital of his Kingdom.
- After Clovis I died, the Kingdom was ruled by his four sons:
- Theuderic (511-c.534 CE)
- Chlodomer (495-524 CE)
- Childebert (511-558 CE)
- Clotaire (558-561 CE)
- This tradition of dividing the Kingdom between members of the family continued for another hundred years. However, in the event of a crisis, the family stood together as one Nation.
- Sigebert I (561-575 CE)
- Childebert (575-596 CE)
- Theuderic II (587-613 CE)
- Sigibert II (613-613 CE)
- Clothar II (613-629 CE)
- Charibert II (629-632 CE)
- Dagobert I (629-639 CE)
- Theoderic III (679-691 CE)
- Clovis IV (691-694 CE)
- Childebert III the Just (694-711 CE)
- Dagobert III (711-715 CE)
- Chilperic II (718-721 CE)
- Theuderic IV (721-737 CE)
- Charles Martel (718-741 )
- Not a Merovingian, but the Mayor of the Palace.
- He became the political and military leader of Francia.
- 732 CE he defeated the Ummayyad armies at the Battle of Tours, also known as the Battle of Poitiers.
- Childeric III (743-751 CE)
- Last King of the Franks.
- He was followed by Pepin le Short, father of Charlemagne, starting the Carolingian Dynasty.
The Carolingian Dynasty (751-987 CE)
- Pepin II (751-768 CE)
- Charlemagne (788-814 CE)
- Louis the Pious (813-840 CE)
- Lothair I (840-855 CE)
- Louis II (844-875 CE)
- Charles the Bald (840-877 CE)
- Charles II the Stammerer (877-879 CE)
- Louis III (879-882 CE)
- Carloman I (879-884 CE)
- Charles III the Fat (881-888 CE)
- Odo of France (888-898 CE)
- Charles III the Simple (898-922 CE)
- Robert I (922-923 CE)
- Rudolph I (923-926 CE)
- Louis IV of France (936-954 CE)
- Lothair II (954-986 CE)
The Capetian Dynasty (987-1328 CE)
- Hugh Capet (987-996 CE)
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- Charles IV the Fair (1322-1328 CE)
The Valois Dynasty (1328-1589 CE)
- Philip VI (1328-1350 CE)
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- Francis I (1515-1547 CE)
- Henry II (1547-1559 CE)
- Francis II (1559-1560 CE)
- Charles IX (1560-1574 CE)
- Henry III (1574-1589 CE)
The Bourbon Dynasty (1589-1792 CE)
- Henry IV (1589-1610 CE)
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- Louis XVI (1774-1793 CE)
French Revolution (1789-1799 CE)
First French Republic (1792-1804 CE)
First French Empire (1809-1815 CE)
- Napoleon Bonaparte (1804-1815 CE)