This is a list of the variousrulers of Auvergne.
In the 7th centuryAuvergne was disputed between theFranks andAquitanians. It was later conquered by theCarolingians, and was integrated for a time into the kingdom of Aquitaine. The counts of Auvergne slowly became autonomous.
In the 10th century Auvergne became a disputed territory between thecount of Poitiers and thecounts of Toulouse.
In theMiddle Ages Auvergne was broken into four feudal domains:
Auvergne was integrated in turn into theappanages ofAlphonse,count of Poitou andToulouse (1241–1271) and ofJohn,duke of Berry andAuvergne andcount of Poitiers andMontpensier (1360–1416).
During theHundred Years' War Auvergne faced numerous raids and revolts, including theTuchin Revolt.
In 1434 the Duchy of Auvergne passed to theHouse of Bourbon.
Quite contemporaneously, the County of Auvergne passed to the House ofLa Tour d'Auvergne, and upon its extinction in 1531 it passed toCatherine de' Medici before becoming aroyal domain.
In 1436, the Dauphinate of Auvergne passed to theHouse of Bourbon-Montpensier.
After the death of Acfred, who left the comital fisc completely diminished, there appeared no successor who could control the entire Auvergne, with Velay. Several relatives of surrounding regions made claims. Below are the dates of their effective control.
From the viscounty of Clermont, then vassal to the elective county of Auvergne, came the so-called House of Auvergne, a designation used by modern historians for the family that ruled consistently the Auvergne region from 963. After a period of comital vacancy, the viscounts of Clermont were elevated as successors of the elective counts: the county became hereditary.
In 1155, count William VIIthe Young was usurped by his uncle, count William VIIIthe Old. However, William VIII left a smaller portion for his nephew to rule. In 1209, the county of William VIIIthe Old would be made smaller after a partial confiscation byPhilip II of France, later to be made in 1360 as theDuchy of Auvergne.
As for William VIIthe Young, he was able to maintain his status in part of his county,[1] especiallyBeaumont,Chamalières, andMontferrand. From this smaller county raised, in 1302, theDauphinate of Auvergne.
Based in the fact that William VII's wife was the daughter of thedauphin de Viennois, Guigues IV, and that William VII's descendants, in virtue of the Viennois blood, used the surnameDauphin, the majority of authors anticipate the formalization of the dauphinate in 1302 and choose to call William VII and his successors already asdauphins of Auvergne, for a clear distinction from the descendants of William VIII. Still others, out of convenience, choose to call these successors the counts-dauphins of Auvergne.
| County of Auvergne (963-1169) | ||
| Younger County of Auvergne (1169-1302) Raised to: Dauphinate of Auvergne (1302–1436) | ||
| Part of the county annexed toFrance (1209); In 1360, emerged here the Duchy of Auvergne | Elder County of Auvergne (1169-1437) | |
| Inherited by La Tour d'Auvergne | Inherited by Bourbon | |
Note: The parallel existence of the usurpers of the Elder County of Auvergne and of the usurped Younger County-Dauphinate, who often carried the same first names, also complicates things.[2] To avoid confusion, the numbering system used here is continuous, and Dauphin is used as part of the name where applicable.
| Monarch | Born | Reign | Ruling part | Consort | Death | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guy I | c.950? Second son ofRobert II, Viscount of Clermont [fr] and Ingelberga | 980-989 | County of Auvergne | Ausenda no children | 989 aged 38-39? | He was the first of the family to use the comital title in Auvergne. However, he left no descendants and was succeeded by his brother. | |
| William IV[3] | .jpg) | c.950? Third son ofRobert II, Viscount of Clermont [fr] and Ingelberga | 989-1016 | County of Auvergne | Humberge de Brioude[4] five children | 1016 aged 65-66? | |
| Robert I | c.970? First son ofWilliam IV and Humberge de Brioude | 1016-1032 | County of Auvergne | Unknown orErmengarde-Philippa [fr](?)[5] two children | 1032 aged 51-52? | ||
| William V | c.1000 Only son ofRobert I | 1032-1064 | County of Auvergne | Philippa of Gévaudan five children | 1064 aged 63-64? | ||
| Robert II | c.1030? First son ofWilliam V and Philippa of Gévaudan | 1064-1095 | County of Auvergne | Bertha of Rouergue 1051 no children Judith de Melgueil c.1069 two children | c.1095 aged 64-65? | ||
| William VI | c.1069 Son ofRobert II and Judith de Melgueil | 1095 – 25 January 1136 | County of Auvergne | Emma of Sicily [it] 1092[6] two children | 25 January 1136[7] aged 66-67 | ||
| Robert III | c.1092? First son ofWilliam VI andEmma of Sicily [it] | 25 January 1136 – 1147 | County of Auvergne | Unknown[8] one child | 1147 Palestine aged 51-52? | ||
| William VIIthe Young | 1102? Only son ofRobert III [fr] | 1147-1155 | County of Auvergne | Marquise of Albon [fr][9] 1150 four children | 1169 aged 66-67? | In 1155, William VIII robbed William VII a great part of Auvergne. | |
| 1155-1169 | Younger County of Auvergne | ||||||
| William VIIIthe Old [fr] | c.1100? Second son ofWilliam VI andEmma of Sicily [it] | 1155-1182 | Elder County of Auvergne | Anne of Nevers four children | 1182 aged 81-82? | ||
| Robert IVDauphin[10] | .jpg) | c.1150 First son ofWilliam VII andMarquise of Albon [fr] | 1169 – 22 May 1235 | Younger County of Auvergne | Guillemette de Comborn (d.May 1199) 1150 four children | 22 May 1235 aged 84-85? | Held the surnameDauphin, after the title of his mother's family. |
| Robert IV |  | c.1130 Son ofWilliam VIII [fr] and Anne of Nevers | 1182-1194 | Elder County of Auvergne | Matilda of Burgundy [fr] 1165 six children | 1194 aged 81-82? | |
| William IX | c.1150 First son ofRobert IV andMatilda of Burgundy [fr] | 1194-1199 | Elder County of Auvergne | Unmarried | 1199 aged 48-49? | ||
| Guy II |  | c.1165 Second son ofRobert IV andMatilda of Burgundy [fr] | 1199-1222 | Elder County of Auvergne | Petronilla of Chambon [fr] 1180 eight children | 1222 aged 81-82? | |
| William X | c.1195 First son ofGuy II andPetronilla of Chambon [fr] | 1222-1246 | Elder County of Auvergne | Adelaide of Brabant 23 May 1225 six children | 1246 aged 81-82? | His wife was elected to succeed to theCounty of Boulogne, which then passed to her sons. | |
| William VIIIDauphin [fr][11] |  | c.1175 First son ofRobert IVDauphin andGuillemette de Comborn | 22 May 1235 – 19 November 1240 | Younger County of Auvergne | Huguette de Chamalières 1196 one child Isabelle de Montluçon one child Philippa de Baffie no children | 19 November 1240 aged 74-75? | |
| Robert VDauphin [fr][12] | c.1200 Only son ofWilliam VIIIDauphin [fr] and Huguette de Chamalières | 19 November 1240 – 12 April 1262 | Younger County of Auvergne | Alix de Ventadour (d.c.1250) c.1230 six children | 12 April 1262 aged 61-62 | ||
| Robert V |  | c.1225 Son ofWilliam X andAdelaide of Brabant | 1246 – 17 January 1277 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Éléonore de Baffie 1245 six children | 17 January 1277 aged 51-52 | AlsoCount of Boulogne. From his reign, the remaining counts of Auvergne also had possession over the county of Boulogne. |
| Robert VIDauphin [fr] |  | c.1238 First son ofRobert VDauphin [fr] and Alix de Ventadour | 12 April 1262 – 21 March 1282 | Younger County of Auvergne | Matilda of Elder Auvergne (1230- 21 August 1280) c.1250 five children | 21 March 1282 aged 43-44 | |
| William XI |  | 1248 First son ofRobert V and Éléonore de Baffie | 17 January 1277 – 1277 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Unmarried | 1277[13] aged 31-32 | |
| Robert VI |  | 1250 Second son ofRobert V and Éléonore de Baffie | 1277-1317 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Beatrice of Montgascon 14 June 1279 Luzillat six children | 1317[14] aged 66-67 | |
| Robert VIIDauphin [fr] | c.1255 First son ofRobert VIDauphin [fr] andMatilda of Elder Auvergne | 21 March 1282 – 19 May 1324 | Younger County of Auvergne (until 1302) Dauphinate of Auvergne (from 1302) | Alixente de Mercoeur (d.15 July 1286) 1279 four children Isabelle de Jaligny (d.1 October 1297) 1289 four children | 19 May 1324 aged 68-69 | During his reign the county was elevated to a dauphinate. | |
| Robert VII |  | 1282 Son ofRobert VI and Beatrice of Montgascon | 1317 – 13 October 1325 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Blanche of Bourbon (d.1304) 25 June 1303 Paris one child Marie of Termonde (de Dampierre) 1312 one child | 13 October 1325 aged 81-82? | |
| John [fr] | c.1280 First son ofRobert VIIDauphin [fr] andAlixente de Mercoeur | 19 Mary 1324 – 10 March 1351 | Dauphinate of Auvergne | Anne de Poitiers-Valentinois (1289-17 August 1351) 27 May 1313 three children | 10 March 1351 aged 70-71 | Inherited also his mother's lordship of Mercoeur. | |
| William XII | 1303 Son ofRobert VII and Blanche of Bourbon | 13 October 1325 – 6 August 1332 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Margaret of Évreux [fr] 1325 Busséol one child | 6 August 1332 aged 28-29 | Children of Robert VII, divided the inheritance: William received the core county, and Godfrey the lordships ofMontgascon andRoche-Savine. | |
| Godfrey |  | c.1315? Second son ofRobert VII and Marie of Termonde | 13 October 1325 – 1387 | Elder County of Auvergne (atMontgascon andRoche-Savine) | Margaret of Younger Auvergne 1364 no children Jeanne de Ventadour 1375 one child Blanche de Senlis 1376 no children | 1387 aged 71-72? | |
| Regency ofMargaret of Évreux [fr] (1332–1338) | In virtue of her second marriage she became queen of France. | ||||||
| Joanna I |  | 8 May 1326 Only daughter ofWilliam XII andMargaret of Évreux [fr] | 6 August 1332 – 29 September 1360 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Philip, heir of Burgundy November 1338 Vincennes three children John II of France 9 February 1350 Château de Sainte-Gemme [fr] two children | 29 September 1360 aged 34 | |
| Béraud I [fr] | c.1315 First son ofJohn [fr] andMarquise of Albon [fr] | 10 March 1351 – 27 August 1356 | Dauphinate of Auvergne | Marie de Villemur (1315-28 September 1338) 14 March 1333 Avignon nine children | 27 August 1356 aged 40-41 | ||
| Béraud IIthe Great [fr] | 1333 First son ofBéraud I [fr] andMarie de Villemur | 27 August 1356 – 17 January 1399 | Dauphinate of Auvergne | Joanna of Forez [fr] 22 June 1357 one child Joanna of Elder Auvergne (d.1 October 1373) June 1371 no children Margaret, Countess of Sancerre [fr] 27 June 1374 Riom eight children | 17 January 1399 aged 65-66 | ||
| Philipof Rouvres |  | 1346 Rouvres-en-Plaine Son ofPhilip, heir of Burgundy andJoanna I | 29 September 1360 – 21 November 1361 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Margaret III, Countess of Flanders 1355 no children | 21 November 1361 Rouvres-en-Plaine aged 14-15 | From the Ducal/Capetian House of Burgundy. Left no descendants after a very short reign, and the county went to another son of Robert VII. |
| John I | c.1310? First son ofRobert VII and Marie of Termonde | 21 November 1361 – 24 March 1386 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Joanna of Clermont 1328 three children | 24 March 1386 Compiègne aged 39-40 | ||
| John II |  | c.1330 Son ofJohn I and Joanna of Clermont | 24 March 1386 – 28 September 1404 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | Aliénor of Comminges 11 August 1373 one child | 28 September 1404 aged 73-74? | |
| Béraud III [fr] | 1380 Ardres First son ofBéraud II [fr] andMargaret, Countess of Sancerre [fr] | 17 January 1399 – 28 July 1426 | Dauphinate of Auvergne | Jeanne de La Tour (d.1415) 1409 one child Marguerite de Chauvigny (d.23 July 1473) 14 July 1426 Issodoun [fr] no children | 28 July 1426 Ardres aged 45-46 | Children of Beraud II, both titledDauphin/Dauphine, inherited separately their possessions:
| |
| Anne |  | 1358 Only daughter ofBéraud II [fr] andJoanna of Forez [fr] | 15 May 1372 – 22 September 1417 | Dauphinate of Auvergne (atForez) | Louis II, Duke of Bourbon 19 August 1371 four children | 22 September 1417 Cleppé aged 58-59 | |
| Dauphinate of Forez inherited by Bourbon | |||||||
| Joanna II |  | 1378 Daughter ofJohn II and Aliénor of Comminges | 28 September 1404 – 1424 | Elder County of Auvergne (withCounty of Boulogne) | John, Duke of Berry 5 June 1390 Puy-de-Dôme no children Georges de La Trémoille 16 November 1416 Puy-de-Dôme no children | 1424 aged 45-46 | Ruled alongside her husbands. |
| Maria | September 1376 Daughter ofGodfrey and Jeanne de Ventadour | 1387-1424 1424 – 7 August 1437 | Elder County of Auvergne (atMontgascon andRoche-Savine until 1424; in all Auvergne and Boulogne from 1424) | Bertrand IV of La Tour 1389 four children | 7 August 1437 aged 60 | ||
| Elder Auvergne inherited by La Tour d'Auvergne | |||||||
| Joanna | 1414 Only daughter ofBéraud III [fr] and Jeanne de La Tour | 28 July 1426 – 26 May 1436 | Dauphinate of Auvergne | Louis I, Count of Montpensier 8 December 1426 no children | 26 May 1436 Ardres aged 21-22 | Heiress of her father and last of her family, her possessions were inherited by the Montpensier branch of the House of Bourbon. | |
| Dauphinate of Auvergne inherited by Bourbon-Montpensier | |||||||
| County of Auvergne | Dauphinate of Auvergne |
|---|---|
AsAppanage:
|
From 1525–1538 the dauphinate was confiscated by the king and united with the royal domain.
At her death in 1693, the title returned to the royal domain. It was later given to:
|
| Became part of the royal domain upon the ascension ofLouis XIII, son of Henry IV and Marie de'Medici | Afterwards, the title returned to the royal domain and was claimed as a courtesy title by thedukes of Orléans, and the modernOrleanist pretenders |
The title ofbishop of Clermont is used from 1160 onwards. Before then they were called bishop of Arvernes.[citation needed] In 2002, the Bishopric of Clermont was incorporated into the Archbishopric of Clermont-Ferrand.
The Duchy of Auvergne was created in 1360 byJohn II of France, out of part of the Elder County of Auvergne, confiscated byPhilip II of France in 1209.
After his death in 1527, the title was confiscated and passed to the royal domain.
Louise confronted Charles III's right to succession with the support of her son, KingFrancis I of France. After her death in 1531, the title passed to the royal domain.