Count of Guise and Duke of Guise ( , ) were titles in the

French nobility The French nobility () was an Aristocracy, aristocratic social class in France from the France in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages until its abolition on 23 June 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First French Empire, ...

. Originally a

seigneurie In English law, seignory or seigniory, spelled ''signiory'' in Early Modern English (; ; ), is the lordship (authority) remaining to a grantor after the grant of an estate in fee simple. '' Nulle terre sans seigneur'' ("No land without a lord") ...

, in 1417

Guise Guise ( , ; ) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. The city was the birthplace of the noble family of Guise, Dukes of Guise, who later became Princes of Joinville. Population Sights The remains of t ...

was erected into a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

for René, a younger son of

Louis II of Anjou Louis II (5 October 1377 – 29 April 1417) was Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence from 1384 to 1417; he claimed the Kingdom of Naples, but only ruled parts of the kingdom from 1390 to 1399. His father, Louis I of Anjouthe founder of the House o ...

. While disputed by the

House of Luxembourg The House of Luxembourg (; ; ) or Luxembourg dynasty was a royal family of the Holy Roman Empire in the Late Middle Ages, whose members between 1308 and 1437 ruled as kings of Germany and Holy Roman emperors as well as kings of Bohemia, List of r ...

(1425–1444), the county was ultimately retained by the House of Anjou and its descendants, passing in 1520 to the

cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

of the ducal

House of Lorraine The House of Lorraine () originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death without a male heir of Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine. By the marriage of Francis of Lorraine to Maria Ther ...

that became known as the

House of Guise The House of Guise ( , ; ; ) was a prominent French noble family that was involved heavily in the French Wars of Religion. The House of Guise was the founding house of the Principality of Joinville. Origin The House of Guise was founded as a c ...

, headed by Claude of Lorraine. In 1528, the county was elevated to a dukedom and

peerage of France The Peerage of France () was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 during the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France () was held by the greatest, highest-ranking members of the Fr ...

for him. The Dukes of Guise and their sons played a prominent role in the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...

, during which they were the leaders of the ultra-Catholic faction. This dukedom became extinct in 1688, and the lands attached to it passed to the Princess Palatine Anne, a great-granddaughter of Charles of Lorraine-Guise, Duke of Mayenne – although she was not the heiress in strict primogeniture, that being the

Duke of Mantua During its Timeline of Mantua, history as independent entity, Mantua had different rulers who governed on the city and the lands of Mantua from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. From 970 to 1115, the Counts of Mantua were members of ...

. The dukedom was recreated for Anne and her husband, Henri Jules de Bourbon, Prince of Condé in 1704. On the extinction of the Bourbon- Condé family in 1830, the Guise dukedom was inherited by the

House of Orléans The 4th House of Orléans (), sometimes called the House of Bourbon-Orléans () to distinguish it, is the fourth holder of a surname previously used by several branches of the House of France, Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimat ...

, descendants of Anne's granddaughter

Louise Henriette de Bourbon Louise Henriette de Bourbon (20 June 1726 – 9 February 1759), ''Mademoiselle de Conti'' at birth, was a French princess, who, by marriage, became Duchess of Chartres (1743–1752), then Duchess of Orléans (1752–1759) upon the death of her fa ...

, Duchess of Orleans. Louis Philippe of Orléans having become King of the French in 1830, henceforth the title ''Duke of Guise'' was used as a courtesy title for members of this family after it was deposed and went into exile in 1848, firstly for three sons of

Prince Henri, Duke of Aumale Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale (16 January 1822 – 7 May 1897) was a leader of the Orleanists, a political faction in 19th-century France associated with constitutional monarchy. He was born in Paris, the fifth son of ...

, and then for Prince Jean, son of Robert d'Orléans, Duke of Chartres. In 1926,

Jean, Duke of Guise Jean d'Orléans (Jean Pierre Clément Marie; 4 September 1874 – 25 August 1940) was Orléanist pretender to the defunct French throne as Jean III. He used the courtesy title of Duke of Guise. He was the third son and youngest child of P ...

became the

Orléanist Orléanist () was a 19th-century French political label originally used by those who supported a constitutional monarchy expressed by the House of Orléans. Due to the radical political changes that occurred during France in the long nineteenth ...

claimant to the throne of France as "Jean III".

Counts of Guise (1417–1481 and 1491–1528)

House of Anjou

* René I of Naples (René) (1417–1425)

House of Luxembourg The House of Luxembourg (; ; ) or Luxembourg dynasty was a royal family of the Holy Roman Empire in the Late Middle Ages, whose members between 1308 and 1437 ruled as kings of Germany and Holy Roman emperors as well as kings of Bohemia, List of r ...

The House of Luxembourg had disputed the countship of Guise, and with the approval of

John, Duke of Bedford John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford (20 June 1389 – 14 September 1435) was a medieval English prince, general, and statesman who commanded England's armies in France during a critical phase of the Hundred Years' War. Bedford was the third son ...

, English Regent of France, seized the county in 1425. * John, Count of Ligny (John I) (1425–1441) *

Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, of Brienne, de Ligny, and Conversano (1418 – 19 December 1475) belonged to the Ligny branch of the House of Luxemburg and was Constable of France. Life Saint-Pol was the eldest son of Peter of Luxembo ...

(Louis I) (1441–1444)

House of Anjou

The marriage of

Charles of Le Maine Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

, younger brother of René, to Isabelle of Luxembourg, sister of Louis, allowed him to peacefully recover Guise. *

(Charles I) (1444–1472) * Charles IV, Duke of Anjou (Charles II) (1472–1481)

House of Armagnac The House of Armagnac is a French noble house established in 961 by Bernard I, Count of Armagnac. It achieved its greatest importance in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The House of Armagnac, at the end of the thirteenth century, was not y ...
–
House of Rohan The House of Rohan () is a Bretons, Breton family of viscounts, later dukes and princes in the French nobility, coming from the locality of Rohan, Morbihan, Rohan in Brittany. Their line descends from the viscounts of Porhoët and is said to tr ...

Charles IV left his lands to the Crown, but Guise was granted to his nephew Louis in 1491. *

Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours Louis d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours (1472; Normandy, France – 28 April 1503; Cerignola, Italy), was a French nobleman, politician and military commander who served as Viceroy of Naples from 1501-1503, during the Third Italian War. He was known for ...

(Louis II) (1491–1503) *Marguerite d'Armagnac, duchesse de Nemours (Marguerite) (d. 1503) **held by her husband ''Pierre de Rohan-Gié'' (Peter) (1503–1504) *Charlotte d'Armagnac, duchesse de Nemours (Charlotte) (d. 1504) **held by her husband ''Charles de Rohan-Gié'' (Charles III) (1504–1520)

House of Lorraine The House of Lorraine () originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death without a male heir of Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine. By the marriage of Francis of Lorraine to Maria Ther ...

In 1520, the

Parlement of Paris The ''Parlement'' of Paris () was the oldest ''parlement'' in the Kingdom of France, formed in the 14th century. Parlements were judicial, rather than legislative, bodies and were composed of magistrates. Though not representative bodies in the p ...

awarded the countship of Guise to Claude of Lorraine, second son of René II of Lorraine (the grandson of René I of Naples) and heir to his French possessions. The countship was elevated to a dukedom in 1528. * Claude de Lorraine (Claude) (1520–1528)

Dukes of Guise (1528–1688 and 1704–1830)

House of Guise The House of Guise ( , ; ; ) was a prominent French noble family that was involved heavily in the French Wars of Religion. The House of Guise was the founding house of the Principality of Joinville. Origin The House of Guise was founded as a c ...

Claude, Duke of Guise Claude de Lorraine, Duke of Guise (20 October 1496 – 12 April 1550) was a French aristocrat and general. He became the first Duke of Guise in 1528. He was a highly effective general for the French crown. His children and grandchildren were to ...

(1496–1550; s.1528) (Claude) (Father of

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...

mother of

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

) *

Francis Francis may refer to: People and characters *Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church (2013–2025) *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Francis (surname) * Francis, a character played by YouTuber Boogie2 ...

(1519–1563; s. 1550), son of the above; *

Henry I Henry I or Henri I may refer to: :''In chronological order'' * Henry I the Fowler, King of Germany (876–936) * Henry I, Duke of Bavaria (died 955) * Henry I of Austria, Margrave of Austria (died 1018) * Henry I of France (1008–1060) * Henry ...

(1550–1588; s. 1563), son of the above; *

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

(1571–1640; s. 1588), son of the above; *

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

(1614–1664; s. 1640), son of the above; * Louis Joseph (1650–1671; s. 1664), nephew of the above; * Francis Joseph (1670–1675 s. 1671), son of the above; *

Marie Marie may refer to the following. People Given name * Marie (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** List of people named Marie * Marie (Japanese given name) Surname * Jean Gabriel-Marie, French compo ...

(1615–1688; s.1675), sister of Henry II. Marie did not marry and had no descendants. She bequeathed Guise to a kinsman, Charles François de Stainville on 8 January 1688. This was undone by the

at the request of other claimants to the estate, among whom was the wife of France's '' premier prince du sang''

Anne Henriette of Bavaria Anne of the Palatinate (Anne Henriette Julie; 13 March 1648 – 23 February 1723) known in France as Anne of Bavaria or Princess Palatine, was a Princess of the Palatinate and Countess Palatine of Simmern by birth and was the wife of Henri Ju ...

Princess of Condé The title Princess of Condé refers to the wife of the Prince of Condé, a noble title in France. The House of Condé is a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, which played a significant role in French history. Princess of Condé See also *Duc ...

, a great-granddaughter of

Charles of Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne Charles de Lorraine, duc de Mayenne (26 March 1554 –3 October 1611) was a French noble, governor, military commander and rebel during the latter French Wars of Religion. Born in 1554, the second son of François de Lorraine, duke of Guise ...

through her mother. In this way the lands of the House of Guise—and later the ducal title—came to the

House of Bourbon-Condé A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

House of Bourbon-Condé A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

(1648–1723), 3rd cousin of Louis Joseph; * Henry III (1643–1709), husband of the above; * Louis II (Louis II) (1668–1710), son of the above; * Louis III Henry (1692–1740), son of the above; * Louis IV Joseph (1736–1818), son of the above; * Louis V Henry (1756–1830), son of the above. Afterwards, the title was extinguished and no longer bestowed. It returned to the

royal domain Crown land, also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. Today, in Commonwealth realm ...

. Louis Henri though left his estate to his godson,

Henri d'Orléans, duc d'Aumale Henri Eugène Philippe Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Aumale (16 January 1822 – 7 May 1897) was a leader of the Orleanists, a political faction in 19th-century France associated with constitutional monarchy. He was born in Paris, the fifth son of ...

. He was bestowed with the personal title of Duke of Guise by Louis-Philippe, King of the French, his grandfather, in 1847.

House of Bourbon-Orléans

From here on the title became a courtesy title used by the

. *Henri d'Orléans (1847–1847) son of

*François Paul d'Orléans (1852–1852) brother of Henri * François Louis d'Orléans (1854–1872) brother of Henri and François Paul * Jean d'Orléans (1874–1940) grandson of

Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "courage" or "ready, prepared" related to Old High German "to risk, ventu ...