This is a completelist of dukes and kings ofCroatia (Croatian:knez, kralj) under domestic ethnic and electeddynasties during theDuchy of Croatia (until 925), theKingdom of Croatia (925–1102), theKingdom of Croatia and Dalmatia (1102–1526 in union withKingdom of Hungary, 1527–1868 underHabsburg dynasty ending with 1868–1918Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia).
This article follows the monarch's title number according to Hungarian succession for convenience. For example, the Hungarian monarch Béla IV is according to Croatian succession correctly titled Béla III. This is because Hungarians had a king named Béla prior to the incorporation of Croatia under the Hungarian Crown but the Croats did not.
The details of the arrival of theCroats in theBalkans are sparsely documented by more or less reliable historical sources. Around late 6th and early 7th century, they migrated fromWhite Croatia (around present-dayGalicia). According to a legend recorded in the 10th-centuryDe Administrando Imperio, the Croats came to their present region under the leadership of five brothers (called Kloukas, Lobelos, Kosentzis, Mouchlo, and Chrobatos) and of two sisters (called Touga and Bouga), and successfully fought and expelled thePannonian Avars influence in the Roman province ofDalmatia. The Croats started graduallyconverting to Christianity under the rule ofPorga in the 7th century.
| Name | Reign | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Father of Porga | first part of the 7th century | Archon when the Croats fought and expelled thePannonian Avars and received approval byHeraclius (610–641) to settle in Dalmatia. |
| Porga | first part of the 7th century | Archon when the Croats started to be baptized intoChristianity during the time of Heraclius (610–641), orConstans II (641–668). |
The areas of modern-day Croatia located in the Pannonian plain had also been settled by Slavic tribes in the early Middle Ages, and history recorded some of their rulers.
| Portrait | Name | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vojnomir | c. 790 | c. 810 | |||
| Ljudevit | c. 810 | c. 823 | ||
| Ratimir | c. 829 | c. 838 | |||
| Braslav | c. 882 | c. 896 | Had for spouse Ventescela.[1] |
The common chronology of the dukes and kings of Croatia was conceptualized byFranjo Rački andFerdo Šišić, but although generally accepted, has several controversial claims about the 9th and 10th century line ofTrpimirović dynasty.[2][3] In their interpretation of theDe Administrando Imperio (which is mentioning in chronological order prince Terpimer father of Krasimer, prince Krasimer father of Miroslav who was killed by ban Pribina[4]) the rulers, including Trpimir known from other sources as ruling cca. 845–864, have actually ruled in the first part of the 10th century and invented Trpimir II whose not mentioned in historical sources.[2][3][5]
Višeslav of Croatia, who left behind abaptismal font day, which mentioned him being a duke, used to be considered by Croatian historiography as a duke of the Croats, but the evidence for most of the claims regarding him is too scarce.
| Portrait | Name | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.JPG)
| Borna | c. 810 | 821 | Vassal ofFrankish EmperorCharlemagne. His titles were Duke of the Guduscani, Duke of Dalmatia and Liburnia. Since Croats inhabited those areas at the time, he is considered a Croatian duke. His uncle wasLjudemisl (c. 823) | |
| Vladislav | 821 | c. 835 | Nephew of Borna. | ||
| Mislav | c. 835 | c. 845 | |||
| House of Trpimirović | |||||
 | Trpimir | c. 845 | 864 | Founder of theTrpimirović dynasty | |
| Zdeslav | 864 | 864 | Son of Trpimir | ||
| House of Domagojević | |||||
 | Domagoj | 864 | 876 | Overthrew Zdeslav. | |
| Unnamed | 876 | 878 | Son of Domagoj. Later killed during a civil war. | ||
| House of Trpimirović | |||||
| Zdeslav | 878 | 879 | Restored ruler, overthrew the unnamed son of Domagoj. Killed byBranimir in May 879. | ||
| House of Domagojević | |||||
 | Branimir | 879 | c. 892 | Had for spouse earliest known Croatian female ruler Maruša (Mariosa).[6] | |
| House of Trpimirović | |||||
| Muncimir | 892 | 910 | Son of Trpimir. Also called Mutimir. | ||
| Tomislav I | 910 | 925 | |||
In his letter from 925,Pope John X refers toTomislav I ofTrpimirović dynasty asRex Chroatorum (King of the Croats). All Croatian rulers after Tomislav I held the title of King of Croatia. This is confirmed by epigraphic inscription mentioning the earliest known Croatian queen (regina)Domaslava dated to first half of 10th century.[6][7]
| Portrait | Name | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Trpimirović | |||||
| Tomislav I | 925 | 928 | Possibly the son ofMuncimir. After his death, civil wars weakened the state and some territory, including Bosnia, was lost. His title asrex (king) is based on two contemporary documents:
He was also addressed asprinceps (prince) anddux (duke) on other occasions. Nevertheless, in modern Croatia he is traditionally considered the first (and arguably the most famous) Croatian king. | ||
| Trpimir II | 928 | 935 | Younger brother or son of Tomislav | ||
 | Krešimir I | 935 | 945 | Son of Trpimir II | |
| Miroslav | 945 | 949 | Son of Krešimir I | |
| Michael Krešimir II the Great | 949 | 969 | Younger brother of Miroslav.Michael Krešimir ruled jointly with his wife QueenHelen of Zadar.[6] During their reign, the Croatian Kingdom regained previously lost territories, including Bosnia. Upon Michael Krešimir's death in 969, his wife ruled as regent for their underage son Stephen Držislav. | |
| Helen of Zadar | 969 | 976 | Ruled as regent for her son Stephen Držislav from 969 until her death 8 October 976. | |
| Stephen Držislav | 969 | 997 | Son of Michael Krešimir and Queen Helen of Zadar. He received royal insigia as an act of recognition from theByzantine Emperor and was crowned by theArchbishop of Split inBiograd in 988.Thomas the Archdeacon'sHistoria Salonitana names him as the King of Croatia (rex).[8] | ||
| Svetoslav Suronja | 997 | 1000 | He was the oldest son of kingStephen Držislav, from whom he received the title ofduke, and was designated as his successor. Dethroned by his brothers Krešimir III and Gojslav. | |
| Gojslav | 1000 | 1020 | Younger brother of Svetoslav Suronja. Co-ruled with Krešimir III. | |
| Krešimir III | 1000 | 1030 | Younger brother of Svetoslav Suronja. Ruled alone after the death of Gojslav in 1020 | |
| Stephen I | 1030 | 1058 | Son of Krešimir III. | |
 | Peter Krešimir IV | 1058 | 1074 | Son of Stephen I. During his reign the Croatian Kingdom reached its peak. Near the end of his reign, having no sons, Peter Krešimir designated Demetrius Zvonimir as his heir. | |
 | Demetrius Zvonimir | 1075/76 | 1089 | Cousin of Peter Krešimir IV. He received royal insigia as an act of recognition from the Holy See and was crowned at theBasilica of Saint Peter and Moses atSalona in 1075 or 1076. Married PrincessHelen, daughter of KingBéla I of Hungary (c. 1063).[6] | |
| Stephen II | 1089 | 1090/91 | Son of Gojslav II who was younger brother of King Peter Krešimir IV. He was due to succeed Peter Krešimir IV but was sidelined by the people and clergy in 1075 who instead bestowed the title of king on Demetrius Zvonimir. He was the last member of the Trpimirović dynasty and last native king of Croatia to rule the entire medieval Croatian Kingdom. | |
| House of Árpád | |||||
.jpg) | Ladislaus I | 1091 | 1095 | After the death of King Demetrius Zvonimir in 1089, King Ladislaus I of Hungary (1077–1095) ruled in Slavonia. After the death of Stephen II, he conquered big part of Croatia and adopted the title King of Croatia in 1091. He set his nephewÁlmos to rule as his proxy with the title of duke (1091–1095), but he was recognized only by the Hungarian nobility. He was a claimant to the throne due to the fact that his sister was married to the late Croatian kingZvonimir who died without an heir (son Radovan predeceased Zvonimir), however, kingship over all of Croatia would not be achieved until the reign of his successorColoman. | |
| House of Snačić | |||||
 | Petar Snačić | 1093/1095 | 1097 | Petar Snačić, a Ban of Croatia, was elected to rule by the Croatian nobles, likewise before him his uncle Slavac who briefly appropriated the royal title. He assumed the throne amid deep tension throughout the Kingdom. He fought withColoman of Hungary for control of Croatia and was killed at theBattle of Gvozd Mountain in 1097. Petar was the last native king of Croatia. From 1102 onwards, the Kings of Hungary were also Kings of Croatia, because of the political union of the two crowns. | |
From 1102, the reigning King of Hungary was also the ruler of the Kingdom of Croatia in agreement with the Croatian nobles (seePacta conventa).[9] Croatia was governed on his behalf by a viceroy (ban) and a parliament (sabor). In 1409Ladislaus of Naples sold his rights toDalmatia toRepublic of Venice for 100,000ducats.
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Consort(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Árpád | ||||
.jpg) | Koloman | 1102 - 3 February 1116 (14 years) | Euphemia of Kiev | King of Hungary from 1095 and King of Croatia from 1102 until his death in 1116. Koloman, supported by Pannonian Croats, defeated an army of Croatian and Dalmatian nobles allied to Petar Snačić at theBattle of Gvozd Mountain. Recognized by a council (sabor) of Croatian nobles and crowned as King of Croatia in 1102. |
 | Stjepan II | 3 February 1116 - 3 April 1131 (15 years) | A daughter ofRobert I of Capua | Son of Koloman. |
_B%25C3%25A9la_uralkod%25C3%25B3i_d%25C3%25ADszben.jpg) | Bela IIthe Blind | 3 April 1131 - 13 February 1141 (9 years) | Helena of Serbia | Uncle of Stjepan II and Brother of Koloman. |
 | Gejza II | 13 February 1141 - 31 May 1162 (21 years) | Euphrosyne of Kiev (m.1146) | Son of Bela II the Blind. |
 | Stjepan III | 31 May 1162 - 4 March 1172 (9 years) | Agnes of Austria (m.1168) | Son of Gejza II. Rule contested from 1162 to 1163. |
 | Ladislav II | 31 May 1162 - 14 January 1163 (7 months) | None | Rebel anti-king, younger brother of Gejza II. Son of Bela II. |
.jpg) | Stjepan IV | 14 January 1163 - June 1163 (5 months) | Maria Komnene | Rebel anti-king, younger brother of Gejza II. Son of Bela II. |
 | Bela III | 4 March 1172 - 13 April 1196 (24 years) | Agnes of Antioch (m.1172-d.1184)Margaret of France (m.1186) | Brother of Stjepan III. Son of Gejza II. |
 | Emerik | 13 April 1196 - 30 November 1204 (8 years) | Constance of Aragon (m.1198) | Son of Bela III. |
 | Ladislav III | 30 November 1204 - 7 May 1205 (6 months) | None | Son of Emerik. Crowned at age 4-5 and died six months later. |
 | Andrija II | 7 May 1205 - 21 September 1235 (30 years) | Gertrude of Merania (d.1213)Yolanda of Courtenay (m.1215-d.1233)Beatrice of Este (m.1234) | Uncle of Ladislav III and son of Bela III. In 1222, he issued aGolden Bull, which established the rights of noblemen, including the right to disobey the king when he acted contrary to law. |
.jpg) | Bela IV | 21 September 1235 - 3 May 1270 (34 years) | Maria Laskarina | Son of Andrija II. Ruled during First Mongol invasion (1241–1242). In 1242, he issued aGolden Bull which proclaimedZagreb andSamobor a free royal city. |
.jpg) | Stjepan V | 3 May 1270 - 6 August 1272 (2 years) | Elizabeth the Cuman | Son of Bela IV. Also Prince of Slavonia from 1246 to 1257. |
 | Ladislav IVthe Cuman | 6 August 1272 - 10 July 1290 (17 years) | Elizabeth of Sicily | Son of Stjepan V. He lived with the nomadCuman tribes contrary to the wishes of the Catholic clergy and was thus excommunicated. |
 | Andrija IIIthe Venetian | 4 August 1290 - 14 January 1301 (10 years) | Fenenna of Kuyavia (d.1295)Agnes of Austria (m.1296) | First cousin once removed of Ladislav IV. Grandson of Andrija II. Rule contested by Carlo Martel and Carlo I. |
| House of Přemyslid | ||||
 | Vjenceslav (Anti-king) | 27 August 1301 - 9 October 1305 (4 years) | Viola of Teschen (m.1305) | Great-great-grandson of Bela IV. King of Bohemia. Rule contested byCarlo I. Reign was declared invalid by the Holy See. |
| House of Wittelsbach | ||||
.jpg) | Otto (Anti-king) | 9 October 1305 - May 1307 (1 year) | None | Grandson of Bela IV. Duke of Lower Bavaria. Rule contested byCarlo I. |
| House of Anjou | ||||
 | Karlo Martel | 1290 - 12 August 1295 (5 years) | Clemence of Austria (d.1293/1295) | Set up byPope Nicholas IV and the ecclesiastical party as successor of his maternal uncle, the childless Ladislav IV the Cuman. His title as king was recognized by theŠubić andKőszegi noble families. He was crowned in Croatia. Rule contested by Andrija III. |
 | Karlo I | 14 January 1301 - 16 July 1342 (41 years) | Maria of Galicia(disputed)Maria of Bytom (m.1306-d.1317)Beatrice of Luxembourg (m.1318-d.1319)Elizabeth of Poland (m.1320) | Son of Carlo Martel. Also called Carlo Robert. Rule contested by Vjenceslav and Otto from 1301 until 1307. |
 | Ludovik Ithe Great | 16 July 1342 - 11 September 1382 (40 years) | Margaret of Bohemia (d.1349)Elizabeth of Bosnia (m.1353) | Also King ofPoland from 1370 to 1382. |
.jpg) | Marija | 11 September 1382 - December 1385 (3 years, first reign) and 24 February 1386 - 17 May 1395 (9 years, second reign) | Žigmund (m.1385) | Married Žigmund (Sigismund) of Luxembourg, son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV; after he invadedUpper Hungary in 1385. After the assassination of Carlo II in 1386, Marija began her second reign as co-'king' with her husband Žigmund. |
.jpg) | Karlo II | 31 December 1385 - 24 February 1386 (1 month) | Margaret of Durazzo | Also King of Naples. After Marija renounced the throne, Carlo II of Naples was crowned as King on 31 December 1385. He was wounded in an assassination attempt at the instigation of Mary's mother on 7 February 1386 and died on 24 February that same year. |
 | Ladislav V | 1390-1414 (24 years) | Costanza Chiaramonte (ann.1392)Mary of Lusignan (m.1403-d.1404)Mary of Enghien (m.1406) | Son of Carlo II. He claimed the Crown of Hungary and Croatia since 1390 in opposition to Marija and Žigmund. Was crowned but only had control overZadar. |
| House of Kotromanić | ||||
 | Stjepan Tvrtko | 1390-1391 (1 year) | Doroteja Bugarska (m.1374) | Tvrtko succeeded in conquering large parts of Slavonia, Dalmatia, and Croatia proper. In May 1390, the cities and the Dalmatian islands finally surrendered to Tvrtko, who then started calling himself "by the grace of God king of Rascia, Bosnia, Dalmatia, Croatia, and Pomorje". His realm now encompassed much of Slavonia, Dalmatia, and Croatia south ofVelebit. Tvrtko's sudden death in 1391 prevented him from solidifying theKotromanić hold on Croatian lands. |
 | Stjepan Dabiša | 1391-1394 (4 years) | Jelena Gruba (m.1391) | In the first years of his reign, Dabiša successfully maintained the integrity of Tvrtko'sKingdom of Bosnia, which included not onlyBosnia proper, but alsoCroatia proper,Dalmatia,Zachlumia, andRascia. Dabiša submitted to Sigismund. He resigned Croatia and Dalmatia to the Hungarian king and, with the agreement of his vassals, recognized him as his feudal overlord as well as heir designate to the Bosnian throne. |
| House of Luxembourg | ||||
 | Žigmund | 31 March 1387 - 9 December 1437 (50 years) | Marija (d.1395)Barbara of Celje (m.1305) | Son of Holy Roman Emperor and King of BohemiaCharles IV. Ruledjure uxoris until his wife Marija died in 1395. Was crowned King ofBohemia in 1419, and electedHoly Roman Emperor in 1433. |
| House of Habsburg | ||||
 | Albert I | 18 December 1437 - 27 October 1439 (1 year) | Elizabeth of Luxembourg | Son-in-law of Žigmund. He was also King of Bohemia and Germany from 1438 until his death in 1439. First Habsburg king. |
| House of Jagiellon | ||||
_(cropped).jpg) | Vladislav I | 15 May 1440 - 10 November 1444 (4 years) | None | Also King of Poland from 1434 until his alleged death at theBattle of Varna. Rule contested byLadislav V, the posthumous son of Albert I. |
| House of Habsburg | ||||
 | Ladislav Vthe Posthumous | 10 November 1444 - 23 November 1457 (13 years) | None | Son of Albert I. Born in 1440 after his father's death, spent most of his life in captivity. Rule contested byVladislav I between 1440 and 1444. He had no children and was the last of theAlbertinian line of theHabsburg dynasty. |
| House of Hunyadi | ||||
 | Matija I | 24 January 1458 - 6 April 1490 (32 years) | Catherine of Poděbrady (m.1463-d.1464)Beatrice of Naples (m.1475) | Elected by the nobles. He was son ofJohn Hunyadi. Also King of Bohemia from 1469 until his death in 1490, a title he contested withVladislav II. |
| House of Jagiellon | ||||
 | Vladislav II | 15 July 1490 - 13 May 1516 (25 years) | Beatrice of Naples (m.1490-ann.1500)Anne of Foix-Candale (m.1502-d.1506) | Also King of Bohemia from 1471 (contested with Matija I until 1490). The Hungarian nobles elected him king after his supporters defeated the son of Matija I who relinquished his claim to the Hungarian throne prior to that. Died in 1516. |
 | Ludovik II | 13 May 1516 - 29 August 1526 (10 years) | Mary of Austria | Also King of Bohemia from 1516 until his death in 1526 at theBattle of Mohács. Last king not from the Habsburg dynasty. |
| House of Zápolya | ||||
 | Ivan I (Anti-king) | 10 November 1526 - 22 July 1540 (13 years) | Isabella Jagiellon (m.1539) | Claimed the throne with the support of Hungarian nobles, and laterSuleiman the Magnificent. Rule contested with Ferdinand I. Ivan I made an agreement with Ferdinand I to recognize his right to reunite Hungary after Ivan I's death, but shortly after the birth of his son Ivan, and on his deathbed, Ivan I bequeathed his realm to his son. |
 | Ivan II (Anti-king) | 13 September 1540 - 16 August 1570 (29 years) | None | Son of Ivan I. Elected by supporters of Ivan I as King of Hungary. Claim contested by Ferdinand I and Maximilian. Never crowned. |
On 1 January 1527, the Croatian Parliamentmet in Cetin to electFerdinand I ofHabsburg as the new King of Croatia. The Habsburg monarchy had annexed the lands ofDalmatia after the NapoleonicWar of the First Coalition. TheKingdom of Dalmatia was acrown land of theAustrian Empire (1815–1867) and theCisleithanian half ofAustria-Hungary (1867–1918).
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Consort(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Habsburg | ||||
_-_Emperor_Ferdinand_I_-_WGA02326.jpg) | Ferdinand I | 1 January 1527 - 25 July 1564 (37 years) | Anne of Hungary (d.1547) | Brother-in-law ofLudovik II. Claimed the throne according to the agreement between the House of Jagiellon and the House of Habsburg.Elected by the Sabor as King in January 1527. |
 | Maximilian | 8 September 1563 - 12 October 1576 (13 years) | Maria of Spain | Son of Ferdinand I. Ruled duringBattle of Szigetvár andCroatian-Slovene Peasant Revolt. |
 | Rudolf | 25 September 1572 - 26 June 1608 (35 years) | None | Son of Maximilian. Ruled duringBattle of Sisak. Abdicated in favor of his younger brother Matthias II. |
._Rijksmuseum_SK-A-1412.jpeg) | Matija II | 26 June 1608 - 20 March 1619 (10 years) | Anna of Tyrol (d.1618) | Brother of Rudolf and son of Maximilian. |
 | Ferdinand II | 1 July 1618 - 15 February 1637 (18 years) | Eleonora of Mantua (m.1622) | First cousin of Matija II, and Grandson of Ferdinand I. In 1630, he issuedStatuta Valachorum that placedVlachs (mainly Orthodox Serbs) in theMilitary Frontier under the direct rule by Vienna, removing the Sabor's jurisdiction over them. |
.jpg) | Ferdinand III | 8 December 1625 - 2 April 1657 (31 years) | Maria Anna of Spain (m.1631-d.1646)Maria Leopoldine of Austria (m.1648-d.1649)Eleonora of Mantua (m.1651) | Son of Ferdinand II. Ended the Thirty Years War. |
.jpg) | Ferdinand IV | 16 June 1647 - 9 July 1654 (7 years) | None | Son of Ferdinand III and co-king. |
.jpg) | Leopold I | 27 June 1657 - 5 May 1705 (47 years) | Margaret Theresa of Spain (m.1666-d.1673)Claudia Felicitas of Austria (m.1673-d.1676)Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg (m.1676) | Son of Ferdinand III. Crushed theZrinski–Frankopan Conspiracy and abolished the right of theSabor to elect a king. In 1669, he founded theUniversity of Zagreb. |
 | Josip I | 5 May 1705 - 17 April 1711 (10 years) | Wilhelmina Amalia of Brunswick | Son of Leopold I. |
 | Karlo III | 11 April 1711 - 20 October 1740 (29 years) | Elizabeth Christina of Brunswick | Brother of Josip I and son of Leopold I. Issued and edict called thePragmatic Sanction where he acknowledged female inheritance of the Austrian crown after extinction of the male line and thus enabling his daughter Marija Terezija to become sovereign. |
 | Marija Terezija | 20 October 1740 - 29 November 1780 (40 years) | Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor (d.1765) | Daughter of Karlo III. Divided Croatia into counties (županije). In 1767, she formed a Croatian Royal Council (Consilium Regium) until 1779 when she abolished it. She conducted military and economy reforms, especially concerning serfdom and schooling. |
 | Josip II | 29 November 1780 - 20 February 1790 (9 years) | None | Son of Marija Terezija. Abolished serfdom and conducted a partialGermanization of Croatian lands. |
 | Leopold II | 20 February 1790 - 1 March 1792 (2 years) | Maria Louisa of Spain | Brother of Josip II and son of Marija Terezija. |
 | Franjo | 1 March 1792 - 2 March 1835 (43 years) | Maria Theresa of Sicily (d.1807) Maria Ludovica of Modena (m.1808-d.1816)Caroline Augusta of Bavaria (m.1816) | Son of Leopold II. Consolidated the Habsburg Monarchy into theAustrian Empire in response to the downfall of the Holy Roman Empire. Nominally the lastHoly Roman Emperor. |
 | Ferdinand V | 28 September 1830 - 2 December 1848 (18 years) | Maria Anna of Sardinia (m.1831) | Son of Franjo. Being epileptic, he abdicated in favour of his nephew Franjo Josip due to theRevolutions of 1848. Ferdinand V died in 1875. |
 | Franjo Josip | 2 December 1848 - 21 November 1916 (67 years) | Elizabeth of Bavaria (m. 1854-d.1898) | Nephew of Ferdinand V and Grandson of Franjo. Longest reigning Croatian monarch. During his reign, Croatian lands (Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia) were unified by Ban Josip Jelačič in 1848. In 1867, he reorganized the monarchy into a dual Austrian and Hungarian part. From 1868, theKingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Kingdom of Hungary. |
 | BlessedKarlo IV | 21 November 1916 - 1 April 1922 (5 years) | Zita of Parma | Grand-nephew of Franjo Josip and Great-great-grandson ofFranjo. In his coronation oath to theSabor (Croatian Parliament), he acknowledged the unity of Croatia, Dalmatia and Slavonia withRijeka.[10] During the last days of the monarchy he accepted thetrialist manifest on creating a so-called "Zvonimir's Kingdom".[11][12][13][14][15] He reigned until 1918, when he renounced participation in state affairs, but did not abdicate. TheSabor ended the union of Croatia with Hungary and Austria on 29 October 1918 but never dethroned King Karlo IV.[16] He spent the remaining years of his life attempting to restore the monarchy until his death in 1922. Beatified by theCatholic Church. |
After theWorld War I and the breakup ofAustria-Hungary, Croatia joined a newly formedState of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs as declared in theZagreb Resolution (1918). Following a brief period of self-rule byNational Council of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (which was recognised by the Croatian Parliament, which beforehand proclamined national independence severing its ties to Austria-Hungary and Kingdom of Hungary and nullified theCroatian–Hungarian Settlement), after the controversialGeneva Declaration (1918) that state became part of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes under theKarađorđević dynasty (which was not completely accepted by the National Council nor ever confirmed by the Croatian Parliament). After theVidovdan Constitution (1921), temporarily ceased to exist the Croatian Parliament. It was followed by6 January Dictatorship (1929) and1931 Yugoslav Constitution.
The name of the kingdom was changed in 1929, amid unitarianist reforms, to theKingdom of Yugoslavia. After theTreaty of Rapallo in 1920Istria and parts ofDalmatia were annexed toKingdom of Italy. On the basis of theCvetković–Maček Agreement, and the Decree on the Banate of Croatia dated 24 August 1939, theBanate of Croatia was created. Under the Agreement was again elected Croatian Parliament (sabor) and a crown-appointedban would decide internal matters in Croatia.
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Consort(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Karađorđević | ||||
 | Petar I | 1 December 1918 - 16 August 1921 (2 years) | Zorka of Montenegro (m. 1883) | Son ofAleksandar, Prince of Serbia. After KingAlexander I Obrenović was murdered during theMay Coup of 1903, Peter Karađorđević became the new king of Serbia. Later he becameKing of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. |
 | Aleksandar | 16 August 1921 - 9 October 1934 (13 years) | Maria of Romania (m.1922) | Son of Petar I. He changed the name of the country to Kingdom of Yugoslavia and established aroyal dictatorship. Assassinated by theVMRO withUstaše support in 1934 inMarseille. |
 | Petar II | 9 October 1934 - 29 November 1945 | Alexandra of Greece (m.1944) | Son of Aleksandar. His unclePavle served as Regent until 1941. Part of theYugoslav government-in-exile after the Axisinvasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941. Monarchy was formally abolished in theDemocratic Federal Yugoslavia on 29 November 1945. |
In 1941, Croatia was occupied by theAxis powers along with the rest of Yugoslavia. TheIndependent State of Croatia was set as apuppet state ofNazi Germany andFascist Italy. Soon after its creation, the state government passed three laws on the creation of the Crown of Zvonimir, which made the countryde jure a kingdom.[17][18] Three days later theTreaties of Rome were signed. The ItalianPrince Aimone of Savoy-Aosta was designated King of Croatia. Numerous Adriatic islands and a portion of Dalmatia were annexed by Italy, which all combined to become the ItalianGovernonate of Dalmatia. On September 10, 1943 Independent State of Croatia declared that the Treaties of Rome werenull and void and annexed the portion of Dalmatia that had been ceded to Italy.[19]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Consort(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House of Savoy | ||||
 | Tomislav II (King-designate) | 18 May 1941 - 31 July 1943 | Irene of Greece | Tomislav II established a Croatian royal office (kraljevskistol) in Florence and later in Rome.[20][21] He had at first refused to assume the kingship in opposition to the Italian annexation of theDalmatia region,[22] and is therefore referred to in some sources as king designate.[23][24][25][26] He abdicated on 31 July 1943 after thedismissal ofBenito Mussolini on the orders ofVictor Emmanuel III.[27][28][29][30] |
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The title Duke of Croatia has been used widely:
Uvjetno njima možemo možda pridružiti i Ventescelu, suprugu panonskoga kneza Braslava, koji je kao franački vazal vladao i između Drave i Save prije dolaska Mađara... Čuva se u Cividaleu (Čedadu), zbog toga i ime, a danas prevladava mišljenje da se u 9. i 10. stoljeću nalazila u samostanu San Canzio d'Isonzo... spomenutoga panonskoga kneza Braslava, njegove supruge Ventescele i njihove pratnje
