Count of Flanders
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Coat of arms of the Counts of Flanders.

The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790.

Although the early rulers, from Arnulf I onwards, were sometime referred to as margraves or marquesses, this alternate title largely fell out of use by the 12th century. Since then the rulers of Flanders have only been referred to as counts.

The counts of Flanders enlarged their estate through a series of diplomatic manoeuvres. The counties of Hainaut, Namur, Béthune, Nevers, Auxerre, Rethel, Burgundy, and Artois were acquired via marriage with the respective heiresses. Ironically, the county of Flanders itself suffered the same fate. By the marriage of Margaret III, Countess of Flanders with Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, the county and the subsidiary counties were absorbed into the Duchy of Burgundy in 1405.

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List of Counts of Flanders

House of Flanders

House of Knýtling

House of Normandy

House of Alsace or House of Metz

House of Flanders

In 1244, the Counties of Flanders and Hainaut were claimed by Margaret's sons, the half-brothers John I of Avesnes and William III of Dampierre in the War of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault. In 1246, King Louis IX of France awards Flanders to William.

House of Dampierre

House of Burgundy

House of Habsburg

Charles V proclaimed the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 eternally uniting Flanders with the other lordships of the Low Countries in a personal union. When the Habsburg empire was divided among the heirs of Charles V, the Low Countries, including Flanders, went to Philip II of Spain, of the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg.

Between 1706 and 1714 Flanders was invaded by the English and the Dutch during the War of the Spanish Succession. The fief was claimed by the House of Habsburg and the House of Bourbon. In 1713, the Treaty of Utrecht settled the succession and the County of Flanders went to the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg.

  • Charles V (r. 1714-1740), great grandson of Philip III, also Holy Roman Emperor (elect)
  • Mary Theresa (r. 1740-1780), daughter of Charles IV, married Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
  • Joseph I (r. 1780-1790), son of Maria Theresa and Francis I, also Holy Roman Emperor
  • Leopold (r. 1790-1792), son of Maria Theresa and Francis I, also Holy Roman Emperor
  • Francis II (r. 1792-1835), son of Leopold II, also Holy Roman Emperor

The title was factually abolished in the aftermath of the French revolution and the annexation of Flanders by France in 1795. Although, the title remained officially claimed by the descendants of Leopold II until the reign of Karl I, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Modern Usage

House of Orange-Nassau

  • no claimants after 1839

In 1815, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was established by the Congress of Vienna and William I of the Netherlands was made King of the Netherlands (Latin: rex belgium). The Belgian Revolution of 1830 caused a split in the kingdom between the North and the South. Neither he nor his descendants made any claims to the title of count of Flanders after 1839, when a peace treaty between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Belgium was signed.

House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

In modern times, from 1831 onwards the title of Count of Flanders has been given to younger sons of the Kings of the Belgians (Latin: rex belgarum).

House of Bourbon

The title Count of Flanders is one of the titles of the Spanish Crown.

See also

External links
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