Editing House of Valois

{{Short description|Cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Royal house|
| surname = House of Valois
| coat of arms = [[Image:Arms of Philippe de Valois.svg|200 px]]<br />Arms of County of Valois
| country = *'''[[Kingdom of France]] (1328–1589)'''
* [[Duchy of Burgundy]] (1363–1482)
* [[Kingdom of Naples]] (1389–1399, 1435–1442, 1501–1504)
* [[Duchy of Milan]] (1499–1512, 1515–1521)
* [[Duchy of Brittany]] (1514–1547)
* [[Canton of Neuchâtel|Principality of Neuchâtel]] (1543–1707 through [[Duke of Longueville|illegitimate branch]])
* [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]] (1573–1575)
| parent house = [[Capetian dynasty]]
| founder = [[Charles, Count of Valois]]
| final ruler = [[Henry III of France]] in [[Kingdom of France|France]] <br> [[Marie de Nemours]] in [[Neuchâtel]]
| founding year = 1284
| cadet branches = * Valois-Orléans
** Valois-Angoulême
*** Valois-Saint-Remy (illegitimate)
** [[Duke of Longueville|Valois-Dunois]] (illegitimate)
* [[House of Valois-Anjou|Valois-Anjou]]
* [[House of Valois-Burgundy|Valois-Burgundy]]
* Valois-Alençon
}}
{{History of France}}
The '''Capetian House of Valois'''{{efn|''Valois'' meaning, literally, "of the valley" or "from the valley".}} ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|v|æ|l|w|ɑː}} {{respell|VAL|wah}}, <small>also</small> {{IPAc-en|US|v|æ|l|ˈ|w|ɑː|,_|v|ɑː|l|ˈ|w|ɑː}} {{respell|va(h)l|WAH}},<ref>{{cite LPD|3}}; {{cite EPD|18}}</ref> {{IPA|fr|valwa|lang}}) was a [[cadet branch]] of the [[Capetian dynasty]]. They succeeded the [[House of Capet]] (or "Direct Capetians") to the [[List of French monarchs|French throne]], and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589. Junior members of the family founded cadet branches in [[House of Valois#Dukes of Orléans|Orléans]], [[House of Valois-Anjou|Anjou]], [[House of Valois-Burgundy|Burgundy]], and [[Counts and dukes of Alençon|Alençon]].

The Valois descended from [[Charles, Count of Valois]] (1270–1325), the second surviving son of King [[Philip III of France]] (reigned 1270–1285). Their title to the throne was based on a precedent in 1316 (later retroactively attributed to the [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingian]] [[Salic law]]) which excluded females ([[Joan II of Navarre]]), as well as male descendants through the [[wikt:distaff side#English|distaff side]] ([[Edward III of England]]), from the succession to the French throne.

After holding the throne for several centuries the Valois male line became extinct and the [[House of Bourbon]] succeeded the Valois to the throne as the senior surviving branch of the Capetian dynasty.

==Unexpected inheritance==
The [[Capetian dynasty]] seemed secure in the rule of the [[Kingdom of France]] both during and after the reign of King [[Philip IV of France|Philip IV]] (Philip the Fair, {{reign | 1285 | 1313}}). Philip left three surviving sons ([[Louis X of France|Louis]], [[Philip V of France|Philip]] and [[Charles IV of France|Charles]]) and a daughter ([[Isabella of France|Isabella]]). Each son became [[List of French monarchs|king]] in turn, but each died young without surviving male heirs, leaving only daughters who could not inherit the throne. When Charles IV died in 1328 the French succession became more problematic.

In 1328 three candidates had a plausible claim to the French throne:

# [[Philip VI of France|Philip, Count of Valois]], son of [[Charles of Valois]], who was the closest heir in male line and a grandson of [[Philip III of France|Philip III]] ({{reign | 1270 | 1285}}). Because his father was the brother of the late Philip IV, the Count of Valois was therefore a nephew of Philip IV and the cousin of Louis X, Philip V and Charles IV. Further, Charles IV had chosen him as the regent before his death.
# [[Joan II of Navarre|Joan of Navarre]], daughter of Louis X. Although Philip V had used his position relative to his niece to take the throne in 1316, Joan nevertheless had a strong claim as the heir-general of Philip IV, and her maternal family had initially supported her claim after the death of Louis X. She ultimately received the [[Kingdom of Navarre]], which could be passed to female heirs.
# [[Edward III of England]], son of [[Isabella of France]], the daughter and only surviving child of Philip IV. Edward claimed the French throne as a grandson of Philip IV.

In England, [[Isabella of France]] claimed the throne on behalf of her 15-year-old son. In contrast to France it was unclear whether a woman could inherit the English crown<ref>[[Empress Matilda]] had claimed the English throne in the early 12th century. However, [[Stephen of Blois]] contested her claim, occasioning [[The Anarchy|a lengthy civil war]].</ref> but English precedent allowed succession through the female line (as exemplified by [[Henry II of England]], son of [[Empress Matilda|Matilda]]). The French rejected Isabella's claim, arguing that since she herself, as a woman, could not succeed, then she could not transmit any such right to her son. Thus the French magnates chose as their new monarch Philip of Valois (Philip VI).

Because diplomacy and negotiation had failed, Edward III would have to back his claims with force to obtain the French throne. For a few years, England and France maintained an uneasy peace. Eventually, an escalation of conflict between the two kings led to King Philip VI confiscating the [[Duchy of Aquitaine]] (1337). Instead of paying homage for Aquitaine to the French king, as his ancestors had done, Edward claimed that he himself was the rightful King of France. These events helped launch the [[Hundred Years' War]] (1337–1453) between England and France. Though England ultimately failed to win that prolonged conflict, English and British monarchs until 1801 continued to maintain, at least formally, a [[English claims to the French throne|claim to the French throne]].<ref>
{{cite book
 | last1 = Weir
 | first1 = Alison
 | author-link1 = Alison Weir
 | year = 1989
 | chapter = The House of Hanover
 | title = Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7nZ90l1_IzAC
 | publisher = Random House
 | publication-date = 2011
 | page = 286
 | isbn = 9781446449110
 | quote = On 1 January 1801, [King George III] relinquished for ever the title 'King of France', held by English kings since Edward III laid claim to the French crown in 1340.
}}
</ref>

==Hundred Years' War==
The [[Hundred Years' War]] could be considered a lengthy [[war of succession]] between the houses of Valois and Plantagenet. The early reign of [[Philip VI of France|Philip VI]] was a promising one for France. The new king fought the Flemings on behalf of his vassal, the count of Flanders, and restored that count to power. Edward III's aggression against Scotland, a French ally, prompted Philip VI to confiscate Guyenne. In the past the English kings would have to submit to the King of France. But Edward, having descended from the French kings, claimed the throne for himself. France was then at the height of its power. No one believed that the English king could make good his claim to France.

Edward's initial strategy was to ally with Flanders and the princes of the Empire. The alliances were costly and not very productive. While on a truce the French and English kings intervened in the [[War of the Breton Succession]]. In 1346, Edward invaded France and pillaged the countryside rather than attempt to hold territory. French forces led by Philip VI confronted Edward III at the [[Battle of Crécy]], which resulted in a devastating and humiliating defeat for the French. Despite this, the most that Edward could make out of his victory was the capture of Calais.

[[John II of France|John II]] succeeded his father Philip VI in 1350. He was menaced by [[Charles II of Navarre]], of the Évreux branch of the Capetian family, who aspired to the French throne by the right of his mother, the senior descendant of [[Philip IV of France]]. Charles' character eventually alienated both the French and English monarchs, because he readily switched sides whenever it suited his interest. In 1356, [[Edward, the Black Prince]], eldest son and heir of Edward III, led an army to a [[chevauchée]] in France. John pursued the Black Prince, who tried to avoid battling the French king's superior force. Negotiations broke down. In the [[Battle of Poitiers]], the French suffered another humiliating defeat, and their king was captured. Edward hoped to capitalize on the victory by invading France and having himself crowned at Reims. But the new leader, the Dauphin [[Charles V of France|Charles]], avoided another pitched battle, and the city of Reims withstood siege. In the [[Treaty of Brétigny]], the English king gained an enlarged Aquitaine in full sovereignty, gave up the duchy of Touraine, the counties of Anjou and Maine, the suzerainty of Brittany and of Flanders, and his claim to the French throne.

[[Charles V of France|Charles V]] became king in 1364. He supported [[Henry of Trastámara]] in the [[Castilian Civil War]], while the Black Prince supported the reigning king, [[Peter of Castile]]. The Black Prince won, but Peter refused to pay for his expenses. The Black Prince tried to recover his losses by raising taxes in Aquitaine, which prompted them to appeal to the King of France. War was renewed. The French recovered their territories place after place. When Charles died in 1380, only Calais, Bordeaux and Bayonne were left to the English.

The ancient, great families of the feudal nobility had largely been replaced by an equally powerful class – the princes of the royal blood. With the confiscation of Guyenne, the only remaining non-Capetian peer was the Count of Flanders. The Montfort dukes of Brittany, the houses of Évreux and Bourbon, and the princes of the House of Valois, constituted the great nobility of the kingdom.

Succeeding to the throne at the age of 11, the reign of [[Charles VI of France]] was the first [[Minority reign|minority]] since that of Saint Louis' in 1226. Power devolved into the hands of his uncles, the dukes of Anjou, Berry and Burgundy. The dukes squandered the resources of the monarchy to pursue their own ends. Anjou pursued his claim in the [[Kingdom of Naples]]; Berry governed his large estates in Languedoc; and Burgundy, having married the heiress of Flanders, found it more convenient to rule his vast dominions from Paris. Charles terminated his uncles' regency at the age of 21, even though he would have been entitled to it as early as the age of 14. His early reign was promising, but the onset of madness, which he may have inherited from the Bourbon dukes through his mother, would prove to be disastrous for France. Burgundy, the most powerful of the princes and peers, naturally took power in his hands. But his nephew, [[Louis I, Duke of Orléans]], the king's brother, contested his authority. Rivalry between the two princes and their descendants led to the [[Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War]].

In 1415 [[Henry V of England]], great-grandson of Edward III, invaded France. In the [[Battle of Agincourt]], the Armagnac faction fought the English and were decimated. The dukes of Orléans and Bourbon were captured, and the Burgundian party gained ascendancy in Paris. Henry proceeded to conquer Normandy. The Armagnacs assassinated [[John the Fearless]], duke of Burgundy, a belated revenge for the assassination of Louis I, Duke of Orléans. The new duke, [[Philip the Good]], allied himself with the English. In the [[Treaty of Troyes]], Henry V of England became regent of France and heir to that throne; he also married [[Catherine of Valois]], the French king's daughter. The Dauphin [[Charles VII of France|Charles]] was effectively disinherited. To assume a greater appearance of legality, it was ratified by the [[Estates General (France)|Estates General]] later that year.

To accept the Treaty of Troyes would be a denial of the legitimacy of the Valois. While England was accustomed to change her kings, the French largely adhered to theirs. The treaty was recognized only in English-controlled territories in northern France, and by the allied dukes of Burgundy and Brittany. Henry V died before his sickly father-in-law, Charles VI, leaving the future of the Lancastrian Kingdom of France in the hands of his infant son [[Henry VI of England]], and his brother, [[John, Duke of Bedford]].

The able leadership of Bedford prevented Charles VII from retaking control of northern France. In 1429, [[Joan of Arc]] successfully raised the siege of Orléans and had the king crowned at Reims, an important French propaganda victory. Power struggles between Bedford, his brother [[Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester]], and their uncle [[Cardinal Beaufort]] hampered the English war effort. The Duke of Burgundy, alienated by the blunders of Gloucester, reconciled with the King of France in the [[Congress of Arras|Treaty of Arras]], 1435. Bedford had died that same year.

The warring parties arranged long truces, during which the French king prepared for the renewal of war, while the English relaxed and took a break from fresh taxes. By 1450, the French had reconquered Normandy, and Guyenne the next year. A final English attempt to recover their losses ended in decisive defeat at the [[Battle of Castillon]], 1453. With this victory, the English had been expelled in all of France except Calais. The Valois succession was upheld and confirmed.
{{Hundred Years' War family tree}}

==Centralization of power==
With the expulsion of the English, Charles VII had reestablished his kingdom as the foremost power of Western Europe. He created France's first standing army since Roman times, and limited papal power in the Gallican Church by the [[Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges]]. But his later years were marred by quarrels with his eldest son and heir, the Dauphin [[Louis XI of France|Louis]], who refused to obey him. The dauphin was banished from court for his intrigues, and did not return to France until his father's death.

[[Louis XI of France|Louis XI]] succeeded his father in 1461. At the beginning of his reign Louis reversed his father's policies, abolishing the Pragmatic Sanction to please the pope and the standing armies, which he distrusted, in favor of Swiss mercenaries. As a prince he had leagued with the nobility against his father, but as a king he found that his power could only be maintained by subduing them. He was the lifelong enemy of [[Charles the Bold]], Count of Charolais, and later Duke of Burgundy. In 1465, the [[League of the Public Weal]], an alliance of the feudal princes, which consisted of [[Charles de Valois, Duc de Berry|Charles, Duke of Berry]], the king's brother, the Count of Charolais, the Dukes of Brittany, Bourbon, Lorraine (then a member of the House of Anjou), and several others, attempted to restore their feudal prerogatives. Louis feared a further escalation of the conflict against this formidable coalition. To obtain peace he conceded all their demands, including the Duchy of Normandy to his brother, which carried with it one-third of the offices of state.

Louis seldom relied on the fortunes of war, but rather on intrigue and diplomacy. He maintained his power by paying pensions to well-placed people in the courts of his vassals and in neighboring states. He retook Normandy from his brother at the first opportunity. He bought off [[Edward IV of England]] to desist from attacking France. He fomented rebellions in the Burgundian dominions. At the death of [[Charles the Bold]] in 1477, he seized the duchy of Burgundy, which he claimed as a reverted fief, even though the original grant did not specify the exclusion of female heirs. But the marriage of [[Mary of Burgundy]], heiress of Charles the Bold, to [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian of Austria]] would prove problematic for later generations. In 1481, the last male of the House of Anjou died, willing all the Angevin possessions to the king. At the end of his reign royal power had become absolute in France.

==Italian Wars==
[[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] succeeded his father in 1483, at the age of 13. During his minority the nobles again attempted to seize power, but they were defeated by Charles' sister [[Anne of France]]. Charles' marriage to [[Anne of Brittany]] prevented a future total Habsburg encirclement of France.

As the heir of the House of Anjou, Charles VIII decided to press his claim to the Kingdom of Naples. It was the beginning of the [[Italian Wars]]. In September 1494 Charles invaded Italy with 25,000 men, and attained his object by 22 February 1495, virtually unopposed. But the speed and power of the French advance frightened the powers of Italy. The [[League of Venice]], which consisted of the Republics of Venice and Florence, the Duchies of Milan and Mantua, the Kings of Spain and Naples, the Emperor and the Pope, united against the French. Charles, who did not wish to be trapped in Naples, had to fight against them in the [[Battle of Fornovo]]. Charles succeeded in returning to France, but all his conquests and booty were lost. The debts he incurred for the campaign prevented him from resuming the war, and he died in an accident in 1498. With his death the senior line of the House of Valois became extinct. He was succeeded by his cousin, the Duke of Orleans, who became [[Louis XII of France]].

Louis XII married his predecessor's widow, Anne of Brittany, in order to retain that province for France. The new king also continued his predecessor's policy in Italy. The Dukes of Orleans were descended from [[Valentina Visconti, Duchess of Orléans|Valentina Visconti]], and through her claimed the Duchy of Milan. From 1499 to 1512, excepting a brief period in 1500, Louis XII was Duke of Milan. French military activity continued in Italy, with various leagues formed to counter the dominant power. Louis died without a son, and was succeeded by his cousin and son-in-law, Francis of Angoulême, who became [[Francis I of France]] in 1515.

Francis I belonged to a cadet branch of the House of Orleans. In the [[Battle of Marignano]], Francis defeated the Swiss, who had ousted his predecessor from Milan, and took control of the duchy. In the [[Imperial election of 1519|Imperial Election of 1519]], the Kings of Spain, France, and England fought for the imperial title. The King of Spain was a grandson of the deceased emperor, but the electors thought him to be a foreigner as much as the French king. The kings resorted to bribes, and the Spanish king became [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]].

The election of the Spanish king to the imperial throne made him the first monarch in Europe, both in title and in reality. Annoyed, the French king demanded that the emperor pay homage for Flanders and Artois; the emperor responded by reasserting his claim to the duchy of Burgundy. The rivalry of the French royal house with the Habsburgs dominated the rest of the sixteenth century. The emperor took Milan from the French in 1521. The King of England and the pope supported the emperor. France was surrounded by enemies on all sides. Domestic troubles led to the defection of [[Charles III, Duke of Bourbon]] and Constable of France, to the emperor. In 1525, at the [[Battle of Pavia]], the French were defeated and the king himself was captured. Francis obtained his release through the Treaty of Madrid, in which he renounced claims in Naples and Milan, surrendered Burgundy to Spain, abandoned sovereignty over Flanders and Artois, and gave up two of his sons as hostages. Francis repudiated the treaty. Having often found himself alone in his struggle against the emperor, Francis formed the [[Franco-Ottoman alliance]] with the sultan, to the scandal of Christian Europe. Francis supported the conversion of the German princes to Protestantism, as it increased his potential allies against the emperor. In his own dominions, the Protestants were suppressed.

[[Henry II of France|Henry II]] succeeded to the throne in 1547. He continued his father's policies, as did his successors. He persecuted Protestants in his kingdom, while Protestants abroad were his allies. Henry captured the [[Three Bishoprics|three bishoprics]] of [[Metz]], [[Toul]], and [[Verdun]]. French offensives failed in Italy. In 1556, Charles V abdicated, splitting the Habsburg dominions between his son, [[Philip II of Spain]], who gained Spain and the Low Countries, and his brother [[Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor|Ferdinand I]], who became emperor. The French retook Calais after England allied with Spain. The [[Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis]] (1559) ended the Italian Wars. The French lost all their Italian territories except Saluzzo, and were confirmed in the possession of Calais and the three bishoprics. It was a diplomatic victory for Philip II, who gave up nothing which belonged to himself. The Spanish king retained [[Franche-Comté]] and was confirmed in his possession of Milan, Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, and the State of Presidi, making him the most powerful ruler in Italy.

==French Wars of Religion==
The last phase of Valois rule in France was marked by the [[French Wars of Religion]]. Henry II died in a jousting accident in 1559. His eldest son and heir, [[Francis II of France|Francis II]], succeeded him. The new king was already King of Scotland by right of his wife, [[Mary, Queen of Scots]]. The queen's maternal relatives, the [[House of Guise]], gained an ascendancy over the young king.

The House of Guise was a cadet branch of the ducal House of Lorraine. They claimed descent from [[Charlemagne]] and had designs on the French throne. They considered the [[House of Bourbon]], princes of the blood, as their natural enemies. The leading Bourbons, the brothers [[Antoine of Navarre|Antoine, King of Navarre]], and [[Louis, Prince of Condé (1530–1569)|Louis, Prince of Condé]], were Protestants. The House of Guise identified themselves as champions of the Catholic cause. They were on the point of executing Condé when the young king died.

With the succession of her minor son [[Charles IX of France|Charles IX]] in 1560, [[Catherine de' Medici]] maneuvered for a balance of power. She released Condé, hoping to use the Bourbons as a counterweight against the Guises. Antoine of Navarre converted to Catholicism and became Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom. The [[Massacre of Vassy]] sparked the "first" religious war between the Catholics and the Huguenots. Navarre and Guise died in this war. [[Anne de Montmorency]], Constable of France, was the notable casualty of the second war. Condé died in the third war. The Huguenots were unable to win a substantive victory, but were able to keep an army in the field.

[[Henry IV of France|Henry, King of Navarre]], married [[Margaret of France (1553–1615)|Margaret of France]], sister of Charles IX, in 1572. The marriage, which had been expected to reconcile the Protestants and Catholics, proved to be a disappointment. The [[St. Bartholomew's Day massacre]] ensued; the Huguenots who flocked in Paris for the wedding were massacred ''en masse''. Navarre and Condé were spared, forced to convert, and detained. The guilt of having permitted the massacre would haunt Charles for the rest of his life. In 1573, the king's brother, [[Henry III of France|Henry, Duke of Anjou]], was elected King of Poland.

In 1574, only three months after Henry's coronation as King of Poland, he succeeded to the French throne as [[Henry III of France|Henry III]]. The next year the king's only remaining brother, [[Francis, Duke of Anjou|the Duke of Alençon]], fled the court and joined with Condé and Navarre. This combined threat forced the new king to grant the demands of the rebels. Alençon was made Duke of Anjou. The concessions to the Huguenots disquieted the Catholics, who formed the [[Catholic League (French)|Catholic League]]. The League was led by the princes of the House of Lorraine – the dukes of Guise, Mayenne, Aumale, Elboeuf, Mercœur and Lorraine, supported by Spain. The Huguenots held the southwest and were allied to England and the princes of Germany. The death of the king's brother, in 1584, meant that the Huguenot King of Navarre had become heir presumptive to the throne of France. Pressured by the Catholic League, the king issued the [[Treaty of Nemours]], which outlawed Protestantism and made Protestants incapable of holding royal office.

In the resulting [[War of the Three Henrys]], the royalists led by the king, the Huguenots led by Henry of Navarre, and the Catholic League led by [[Henry I, Duke of Guise|Henry of Guise]], fought a three-way contest for the control of France. After the humiliation of the [[Day of the Barricades]], Henry III fled from Paris. Guise had entered Paris against his express prohibition; he resolved to assassinate the audacious duke. The assassination of Guise drew the odium of the Catholic League. Henry III sought the alliance of Navarre. The two kings were on the point of taking Paris with their great army, when the French king fell by the hands of an assassin. With his death the male line of the House of Valois had been completely extinguished, after reigning for 261 years in France.

==Succession==
The royal Bourbons originated in 1272, when the youngest son of King [[Louis IX of France|Louis IX]] married the heiress of the [[Sire de Bourbon|lordship of Bourbon]].<ref name="anselme">[[Anselm de Guibours|Anselme, Père]]. ''Histoire de la Maison Royale de France'', tome 4. Editions du Palais-Royal, 1967, Paris. pp. 144–146, 151–153, 175, 178, 180, 185, 187–189, 191, 295–298, 318–319, 322–329. (French).</ref> The house continued for three centuries as a [[cadet branch]], serving as nobles under the [[House of Capet|Direct Capetian]] and Valois kings.

In 1589, at the death of [[Henry III of France]], the House of Valois became extinct in the male line. Under the [[Salic law]], the Head of the House of Bourbon, as the senior representative of the senior-surviving branch of the Capetian dynasty, became King of France as [[Henry IV of France|Henry IV]].<ref name="anselme"/>

==List of Valois kings of France==
{{stack|
{{House of Valois}}
{{House of Valois-Orléans}}
{{House of Valois-Angoulême}}
}}

===Valois (direct)===
* [[Philip VI of France|Philip VI]], the Fortunate 1328–1350, son of Charles of Valois
* [[John II of France|John II]], the Good 1350–1364
* [[Charles V of France|Charles V]], the Wise 1364–1380
* [[Charles VI of France|Charles VI]], the Well-Beloved, later known as the Mad 1380–1422
* [[Charles VII of France|Charles VII]], the Victorious or the Well-Served 1422–1461
* [[Louis XI of France|Louis XI]], the Prudent 1461–1483
* [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]], the Affable 1483–1498

===Valois-Orléans===
* [[Louis XII of France|Louis XII]], the Father of the People 1498–1515, great-grandson of Charles V of France

===Valois-Angoulême===
* [[Francis I of France|Francis I]] – 1515–1547, great-great-grandson of Charles V of France
* [[Henry II of France|Henry II]] – 1547–1559
* [[Francis II of France|Francis II]] – 1559–1560
* [[Charles IX of France|Charles IX]] – 1560–1574
* [[Henry III of France|Henry III]] – 1574–1589

The application of the [[Salic Law]] meant that with the extinction of the Valois in the male line, the [[House of Bourbon|Bourbons]] succeeded to the throne as descendants of [[Louis IX of France|Louis IX]].

==Valois king of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth==
* [[Henry III of France]] – 1573–1574

==Other significant titles held by the House of Valois==

===Count of Valois===
'''House of Valois'''
* [[Charles of Valois|Charles]], count (1284–1325)

===Latin Emperor of Constantinople===
'''House of Valois'''
* [[Charles of Valois|Charles]], titular emperor ''[[jure uxoris|suo uxoris]]'' (1301–1307) (see Charles of Valois above)

'''House of Valois–Courtenay'''
* [[Catherine II, Latin Empress]], titular empress (1307–1346), daughter of Charles of Valois

===Counts and Dukes of Alençon===
'''House of Valois'''
* [[Charles of Valois|Charles I]], count (1291–1325) (see Charles of Valois, above)

'''House of Valois-Alençon'''
* [[Charles II of Alençon|Charles II]], count (1325–1346), second son of Charles of Valois
* [[Charles III of Alençon|Charles III]], count (1346–1361)
* [[Peter II of Alençon|Peter II]], count (1361–1391)
* [[John I of Alençon|John I]], count (1391–1414)
* [[John I of Alençon|John I]], duke (1414–1415)
* [[John II of Alençon|John II]], duke (1415–1424 and 1449–1474)
* [[René of Alençon|René I]], duke (1478–1492)
* [[Charles IV of Alençon|Charles IV]], duke (1492–1525)
'''House of França (Portugal)'''
===Counts and Dukes of Anjou===
'''House of Valois-Anjou'''
* [[Louis I of Anjou|Louis I]], duke (1360–1383) (also king of Jerusalem and Naples as '''Louis I'''), second son of John II of France
* [[Louis II of Anjou|Louis II]] (1377–1417), son of (also king of Naples as '''Louis II''')
* [[Louis III of Anjou|Louis III]] (1403–1434), son of (also king of Naples as '''Louis III''')
* [[Rene I of Naples|René I]] (1409–1480), brother of (also king of Jerusalem and Naples as '''René I''')
* [[Charles IV of Anjou|Charles IV]] (1436–1481), nephew of (also king of Jerusalem and Naples as '''Charles IV''')

===Dukes of Burgundy===
'''House of Valois-Burgundy'''
* [[Philip the Bold|Philip II the Bold]] (1363–1404), fourth son of John II of France
* [[John the Fearless|John I the Fearless]] (1404–1419)
* [[Philip the Good|Philip III the Good]] (1419–1467)
* [[Charles the Bold|Charles I the Bold]] (1467–1477)
* [[Mary of Burgundy|Mary I the Rich]] (1477–1482)

====Dukes of Brabant====
'''House of Valois-Burgundy-Brabant'''
* [[Anthony, Duke of Brabant|Anthony I]] (1406–1415), second son of Philip the Bold of Burgundy
* [[John IV, Duke of Brabant|John IV]] (1415–1427)
* [[Philip I, Duke of Brabant|Philip I]] (1427–1430)

====Counts of Nevers====
'''House of Valois-Burgundy-Nevers'''
* [[Philip II, Count of Nevers|Philip II]] (1404–1415), third son of Philip the Bold of Burgundy
* [[Charles I, Count of Nevers|Charles I]] (1415–1464)
* [[John II, Count of Nevers|John II]] (1464–1491)

===Dukes of Orléans===
'''House of Valois'''
* [[Philip, Duke of Orléans]] (1344–1375)

'''House of Valois-Orléans'''
* [[Louis I, Duke of Orléans]] (1392–1407), younger son of Charles V of France
* [[Charles, Duke of Orléans]] (1407–1465)
* [[Louis XII of France|Louis II, Duke of Orléans]] (1465–1515), later also King of France as '''Louis XII'''

===Duke of Brittany===
'''House of Valois–Orléans'''
* [[Claude of France|Claude]], duchess (1514–1524), daughter of Louis XII of France and [[Anne of Brittany]]

'''House of Valois-Orléans-Angoulême'''
* [[Francis III, Duke of Brittany]], duke (1524–1536), son of Claude of Brittany
* [[Henry II of France|Henry]], duke (1536–1547), brother of Francis III, later also King of France as '''Henry II'''

====Counts of Angoulême====
'''House of Valois-Orléans-Angoulême'''
* [[John, Count of Angoulême]] (1399–1467), a younger son of Louis I, Duke of Orléans
* [[Charles, Count of Angoulême]] (1459–1496)
* [[Francis I of France|Francis, Count of Angoulême]] (1494–1547), later also King of France as '''Francis I'''

==Illegitimate branches==
* [[House of Valois-Dunois]], counts of Longueville (see [[Jean de Dunois]]), descended from a son of [[Louis I, Duke of Orléans]]
* [[House of Valois-Saint-Remy]], counts of Saint-Rémy (see [[Jeanne of Valois-Saint-Rémy]]), descended from a son of [[Henry II of France]]

==Forms of address==
Forms of address for Valois kings and princes included "[[Most Christian Majesty]]", "[[Dauphin of France|Dauphin]]", "[[your Grace]]", "[[Your Majesty]]", "[[Most regal Majesty]]".{{cn|date=February 2025}}

==See also==
{{Commons category|House of Valois}}
* [[Ancien Régime]]
* [[France in the Middle Ages]]
* [[Early modern France]]
* [[French monarchs family tree]]
* [[Valois Tapestries]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-hou|House of Valois|||||[[Capetian dynasty]]|name=*[[Royal House]]*}}
{{s-bef|before=[[House of Capet]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Dynasty|Ruling House]] of France|years=1328–1589}}
{{s-aft|after=[[House of Bourbon]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[House of Burgundy|Capetian House of Burgundy]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Dynasty|Ruling House]] of the [[Duchy of Burgundy]]|years=1363–1482}}
{{s-aft|after=[[House of Habsburg]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Monarchs of France}}
{{Royal houses of Poland}}
{{France topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valois}}
[[Category:House of Valois| ]]
[[Category:French royal families]]
[[Category:Ancien Régime|House of Valois]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic families]]
[[Category:Capetian dynasty|House of Valois]]
[[Category:Constables of France|House of Valois]]
[[Category:1328 establishments in Europe]]
[[Category:1320s establishments in France|House of Valois]]
[[Category:1589 disestablishments in France|House of Valois]]