I didn’t think anyone in my family were directly descended from Kings or Queens, but recently I was excited to discover that one among us, namely my brother’s wife is in fact descended from many lines of royalty, extending to Charlemagne, first of the Holy Roman Emperors (of the Holy Roman Empire of West and Central Europe) and further back. She is descended from several English and Scottish royal families, namely the Plantagenet family in England and the Stewart Line of Scottish kings in Scotland. I traced her ancestry back to Charlemagne, who is her 33rd great grandfather!
Apparently, though, it is extremely common for those with ancestry in Western Europe to descend from Charlemagne..in fact one website I looked at said that over 90% of Western Europeans descend from Charlemagne!
I myself am not likely descended from Charlemagne, since my father’s roots are in Baltic tribes to the north of the Holy Roman Empire, and my mother’s ancestry is in the Slavic lands to the east of this region.
These first two parts of the family tree extending up to show the ancestors of my sister in law, which indicate the lineage to the most recent members of royalty she is descended from, namely the Scottish kings of the Stewart family.
This website gives information on the Holy Roman Emperors — Charlemagne and his many lineages: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Emperor
Chart from that site:
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Charles I, the Great (Charlemagne) (742–814) |
25 December 800 | 28 January 814 | • King of the Lombards • King of the Franks |
|
 |
Louis I, the Pious (778–840) |
11 September 813[7] | 20 June 840 | Son of Charles I | • King of the Franks • King of Aquitaine |
 |
Lothair I (795–855) |
5 April 823 | 29 September 855 | Son of Louis I | • King of Bavaria • King of Italy • King of Middle Francia |
 |
Louis II (825–875) |
29 September 855 | 12 August 875 | Son of Lothair I | • King of Bavaria • King of Italy • King of Middle Francia |
 |
Charles II, the Bald (823–877) |
29 December 875 | 6 October 877 | Son of Louis I | • King of West Francia • King of Italy |
 |
Charles III, the Fat (839–888) |
12 February 881 | 13 January 888 | Grandson of Louis I | • King of West Francia • King of East Francia • King of Italy |
Widonid dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Guy I (?–894) |
891 | 12 December 894 | Great-great grandson of Charles I | • King of Italy • Duke of Spoleto |
 |
Lambert I (880–898) |
30 April 892 | 15 October 898 | Son of Guy I | • King of Italy • Duke of Spoleto |
Carolingian dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Arnulph (850–899) |
22 February 896 | 8 December 899 | Nephew of Charles III | • King of Italy • King of East Francia |
Bosonid dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Louis III, the Blind (880–928) |
22 February 901 | 21 July 905 | Grandson of Louis II | • King of Italy • King of Provence |
Unruoching dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Berengar I (845–924) |
December 915 | 7 April 924 | Grandson of Louis I | • King of Italy • Margrave of Friuli |
There was no emperor in the west between 924 and 962.
While earlier Germanic and Italian monarchs had been crowned as western Roman Emperors, the actual Holy Roman Empire is usually considered to have begun with the crowning of the Saxon king Otto I. It was officially an elective position, though at times it ran in families, notably the four generations of the Salian dynasty in the 11th century. From the end of the Salian dynasty through the middle 15th century, the Emperors drew from many different German dynasties, and it was rare for the throne to pass from father to son. That changed with the ascension of the Austrian House of Habsburg, as an unbroken line of Habsburgs would hold the Imperial throne until the 18th century, later a cadet branch known as the House of Habsburg-Lorraine would likewise pass it from father to son until the abolition of the Empire in 1806. Notably, the Habsburgs also dispensed with the requirement that emperors be crowned by the pope before exercising their office. Starting with Ferdinand I, all successive Emperors forwent the traditional coronation.
Ottonian dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Otto I, the Great (912–973) |
2 February 962 | 7 May 973 | Great-great-great grandson of Louis I | • King of Italy • King of Germany • Duke of Saxony |
 |
Otto II, the Red (955–983) |
25 December 967 | 7 December 983 | Son of Otto I | • King of Italy • King of Germany |
.jpg) |
Otto III (980–1002) |
21 May 996 | 23 January 1002 | Son of Otto II | • King of Italy • King of Germany |
.jpg) |
Henry II[8] (973–1024) |
7 June 1002 | 14 February 1014 | Second cousin of Otto III | • King of Italy • King of Germany • Duke of Bavaria |
Salian dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Conrad II, the Elder[9] (990–1039) |
26 March 1027 | 4 June 1039 | Great-great-grandson of Otto I | • King of Burgundy • King of Italy • King of Germany |
.jpg) |
Henry III, the Black (1017–1056) |
25 December 1046 | 5 October 1056 | Son of Conrad II | • King of Burgundy • King of Italy • King of Germany |
 |
Henry IV (1050–1116) |
31 March 1084 | 7 August 1106 | Son of Henry III | • King of Burgundy • King of Italy • King of Germany |
 |
Henry V[10] (1086–1125) |
13 April 1111 | 23 May 1125 | Son of Henry IV | • King of Italy • King of Germany |
Supplinburg dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Lothair II[11] (1075–1137) |
4 June 1133 | 4 December 1137 | Far descendant of Otto I | • King of Italy • King of Germany |
Staufen dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
 |
Frederick I, Barbarossa (1122–1190) |
8 June 1155 | 10 June 1190 | Great-grandson of Henry IV | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Burgundy |
 |
|
Henry VI (1165–1197) |
14 April 1191 | 28 September 1197 | Son of Frederick I | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Burgundy • Co-King of Sicily |
Welf dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
 |
Otto IV (1175–1218) |
9 June 1198 | 1215 | Great-grandson of Lothair II | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Burgundy |
Staufen dynasty[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
Frederick II (1194–1250) |
22 November 1220 | 13 December 1250 | Son of Henry VI | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Sicily • King of Jerusalem |
 |
|
Conrad IV (1228–1254) |
13 December 1250 | 21 May 1254 | Son of Frederick II | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Sicily • King of Jerusalem |
 |
|
Conrad V (1252–1268) |
21 May 1254 | 29 October 1268 | Son of Conrad IV | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Sicily • King of Jerusalem |
House of Luxembourg[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Henry VII (1274-1313) |
29 June 1312 | 24 August 1313 | Far descendant of Louis III | • King of Germany • King of Italy • Count of Luxemburg |
House of Wittelsbach[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Louis IV, the Bavarian (1282–1347) |
October 1314 | 11 October 1347 | Far descendant of Lothair II and Henry IV | • King of Germany • King of Italy • Duke of Bavaria |
House of Luxembourg[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Charles IV (1316–1378) |
11 July 1346 | 29 November 1378 | Grandson of Henry VII | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Bohemia • King of Burgundy • Count of Luxemburg |
 |
 |
Sigismund (1368–1437) |
10 September 1410 | 9 December 1437 | Son of Charles IV | • King of Germany • King of Italy • King of Bohemia • King of Hungaryand Croatia |
House of Habsburg[edit]
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
.jpg)
.svg)
House of Wittelsbach[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Charles VII (1697–1745) |
12 February 1742 | 20 January 1745 | Great-great grandson of Ferdinand II | • King of Bohemia • Elector of Bavaria |
House of Habsburg-Lorraine[edit]
| Portrait | Coat of Arms | Name | Reign | Relationship with Predecessor(s) | Others Title(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
Francis I (1708–1765) |
13 September 1745 | 18 August 1765 | Great-grandson of Ferdinand III; Son-in-law of Charles VI | • King of Germany • Archduke of Austria • Grand Duke of Tuscany • Duke of Lorraine |
 |
 |
Joseph II (1741–1790) |
19 August 1765 | 20 February 1790 | Son of Francis I | • King of Germany • King of Bohemia • King of Hungaryand Croatia • Archduke of Austria |
 |
 |
Leopold II (1747–1792) |
21 February 1790 | 1 March 1792 | Son of Francis I | • King of Germany • King of Bohemia • King of Hungaryand Croatia • Archduke of Austria • Grand Duke of Tuscany |
 |
|
Francis II (1768–1835) |
4 March 1792 | 6 August 1806 | Son of Leopold II | • King of Germany • King of Bohemia • King of Hungaryand Croatia • Archduke of Austria |
Coronation[edit]
The Emperor was crowned in a special ceremony, traditionally performed by the Pope in Rome. Without that coronation, no king, despite exercising all powers, could call himself Emperor. In 1508, Pope Julius II allowed Maximilian I to use the title of Emperor without coronation in Rome, though the title was qualified as Electus Romanorum Imperator (“elected Emperor of the Romans”). Maximilian’s successors adopted the same titulature, usually when they became the sole ruler of the Holy Roman Empire.[13] Maximilian’s first successor Charles V was the last to be crowned Emperor.
| Emperor | Coronation date | Officiant | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles I | 25 December 800 | Pope Leo III | Rome, Italy |
| Louis I | 5 October 816 | Pope Stephen IV | Reims, France |
| Lothair I | 5 April 823 | Pope Paschal I | Rome, Italy |
| Louis II | 15 June 844 | Pope Leo IV | Rome, Italy |
| Charles II | 29 December 875 | Pope John VIII | Rome, Italy |
| Charles III | 12 February 881 | Rome, Italy | |
| Guy III of Spoleto | 21 February 891 | Pope Stephen V | Rome, Italy |
| Lambert II of Spoleto | 30 April 892 | Pope Formosus | Ravenna, Italy |
| Arnulf of Carinthia | 22 February 896 | Rome, Italy | |
| Louis III | 15 or 22 February 901 | Pope Benedict IV | Rome, Italy |
| Berengar | December 915 | Pope John X | Rome, Italy |
| Otto I | 2 February, 962 | Pope John XII | Rome, Italy |
| Otto II | 25 December, 967 | Pope John XIII | Rome, Italy |
| Otto III | 21 May, 996 | Pope Gregory V | Monza, Italy |
| Henry II | 14 February 1014 | Pope Benedict VIII | Rome, Italy |
| Conrad II | 26 March 1027 | Pope John XIX | Rome, Italy |
| Henry III | 25 December 1046 | Pope Clement II | Rome, Italy |
| Henry IV | 31 March 1084 | Antipope Clement III | Rome, Italy |
| Henry V | 13 April 1111 | Pope Paschal II | Rome, Italy |
| Lothair III | 4 June 1133 | Pope Innocent II | Rome, Italy |
| Frederick I | 18 June 1155 | Pope Adrian IV | Rome, Italy |
| Henry VI | 14 April 1191 | Pope Celestine III | Rome, Italy |
| Otto IV | 4 October 1209 | Pope Innocent III | Rome, Italy |
| Frederick II | 22 November 1220 | Pope Honorius III | Rome, Italy |
| Henry VII | 29 June 1312 | Ghibellines cardinals | Rome, Italy |
| Louis IV | 17 January 1328 | Senator Sciarra Colonna | Rome, Italy |
| Charles IV | 5 April 1355 | Pope Innocent VI‘s cardinal | Rome, Italy |
| Sigismund | 31 May 1433 | Pope Eugenius IV | Rome, Italy |
| Frederick III | 19 March 1452 | Pope Nicholas V | Rome, Italy |
| Charles V | 24 February 1530 | Pope Clement VII | Bologna, Italy |
In the royal family tree below, Charlemagne (Charles Magne) is my sister-in-laws’ 37th great-grandfather, and his father, Pepin the Brief, her 38th great grandfather.
This family tree is a little easier to read:
The house of Plantagenet:
Eleanor of Aquitane is her 24th great grandmother:
And several of the early kings of the Holy Roman Empire were also her multiple-times great grandfathers…for instance Frederick II King of the Holy Roman Empire is her 22nd Great grandfather.
When I have time for it, I’ll trace her lineage through the different royal Houses in Scotland, England and Europe.
Mikuteit Family Tree 