The

crown land 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 ...

s, crown estate, royal domain or (in French) ''domaine royal'' (from

demesne A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land subinfeudation, sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. ...

) of France were the lands,

fief A fief (; ) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form of feudal alle ...

s and rights directly possessed by the

kings of France France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions. Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...

. While the term eventually came to refer to a territorial unit, the royal domain originally referred to the network of "castles, villages and estates, forests, towns, religious houses and bishoprics, and the rights of justice, tolls and taxes" effectively held by the king or under his domination. In terms of territory, before the reign of Henry IV, the ''domaine royal'' did not encompass the entirety of the territory of the kingdom of France and for much of the Middle Ages significant portions of the kingdom were the direct possessions of other feudal lords. In the tenth and eleventh centuries, the first Capetians—while being the kings of France—were among the least powerful of the great feudal lords of France in terms of territory possessed. Patiently, through the use of feudal law (and, in particular, the confiscation of fiefs from rebellious

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

s), conquest, annexation, skillful marriages with heiresses of large fiefs, and even by purchase, the kings of France were able to increase the royal domain. By the time of Philip IV, the meaning of "royal domain" began to shift from a mere collection of lands and rights to a fixed territorial unit, and by the sixteenth century the "royal domain" began to coincide with the entire kingdom. However, the medieval system of

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a monarch, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture (where only the eldest inherits). It was ...

(a concession of a fief with its land rights by the sovereign to his younger sons, which reverts to the crown upon the extinction of the male line of the original holder) alienated large territories from the royal domain and sometimes created dangerous rivals (especially the

Duchy of Burgundy The Duchy of Burgundy (; ; ) was a medieval and early modern feudal polity in north-western regions of historical Burgundy. It was a duchy, ruled by dukes of Burgundy. The Duchy belonged to the Kingdom of France, and was initially bordering th ...

from the 14th to the 15th centuries). During the Wars of Religion, the alienation of lands and fiefs from the royal domain was frequently criticized. The Edict of Moulins (1566) declared that the royal domain (defined in the second article as all the land controlled by the crown for more than ten years) could not be alienated, except in two cases: by interlocking, in the case of financial emergency, with a perpetual option to repurchase the land; and to form an appanage, which must return to the crown in its original state on the extinction of the male line. Traditionally, the king was expected to survive from the revenues generated from the royal domain, but fiscal necessity, especially in times of war, led the kings to enact "exceptional" taxes, like the '' taille'', upon the whole of the kingdom (the ''taille'' became permanent in 1439).

Chronology of the formation of the royal domain

House of Capet

Reign of Hugh Capet

At the beginning of

Hugh Capet Hugh Capet (; ; 941 – 24 October 996) was the King of the Franks from 987 to 996. He is the founder of and first king from the House of Capet. The son of the powerful duke Hugh the Great and his wife Hedwige of Saxony, he was elected as t ...

's reign, the crown estate was extremely small and consisted mostly of scattered possessions in the

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

and

Orléanais The Duchy of Orléanais () is a former province of France, which was created during the Renaissance by merging four former counties and towns. However after the French Revolution, the province was dissolved in 1791 and succeeded by five ''départ ...

regions (

Senlis Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hauts-de-France. The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...

Poissy Poissy () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris, from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Inhabitan ...

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Attigny. These lands were largely the inheritance of the

Robertians The Robertians (sometimes called the Robertines in modern scholarship) are a proposed Frankish noble family and royal dynasty, whose members were ancestors of the Capetian dynasty that ruled over the Kingdom of France and several other countries ...

, the direct ancestors of the Capetians. * 988:

Montreuil-sur-Mer Montreuil-sur-Mer (; or ; ), Montreuil-on-the-Sea, is a subprefecture in the Pas-de-Calais Department in northern France. Though commonly called by this name since at least the twelfth century, it was legally known as Montreuil until 31 Decemb ...

, the first port held by the Capetians, is acquired through the marriage of the crown prince Robert (future Robert II the Pious) with Rozala, the widow of the

Arnulf II, Count of Flanders Arnulf II (960/1 – 30 March 987) was Count of Flanders from 965 until his death. Life He was the son of Baldwin III of Flanders and Matilda of Saxony, countess of Flanders, daughter of Hermann Billung, Herman, Duke of Saxony.Detlev Schwennicke ...

Reign of Robert II

*1016: acquisition of the

. The king was the nephew of Duke Henry of Burgundy, who died without heirs. * Robert gains the counties of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Dreux Dreux () is a Communes of France, commune in the Eure-et-Loir Departments of France, department in northern France. Geography Dreux lies on the small river Blaise (river), Blaise, a tributary of the Eure (river), Eure, about 35 km north of Cha ...

and

Melun Melun () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region, north-central France. It is located on the southeastern outskirts of Paris, about from the centre of the capital. Melun is the prefecture of Seine-et-Marne, ...

, and negotiates the ultimate acquisition (1055) of a part of

Sens Sens () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yonne Departments of France, department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France, 120 km southeast from Paris. Sens is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture and the second la ...

Reign of Henry I

* 1034: the king gives the

to his brother

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

(the duchy would remain with his descendants until 1361; see

House of Burgundy The House of Burgundy () was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, descending from Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, a younger son of King Robert II of France. The House ruled the Duchy of Burgundy from 1032 to 1361 and achieved the recognized title ...

) * 1055: annexation of the County of Sens.

Reign of Philip I

* 1068: acquisition of Gâtinais and Château-Landon from

Fulk IV, Count of Anjou Fulk IV (; 1043 – 14 April 1109), better known as Fulk le Réchin (), was the count of Anjou, count of County of Anjou, Anjou from around 1068 until his death. He was noted to be "a man with many reprehensible, even scandalous, habits" by Orderi ...

* 1077: annexation of the French

Vexin Vexin () is a historical county of northern France. It covers a verdant plateau on the right bank (north) of the Seine running roughly east to west between Pontoise and Romilly-sur-Andelle (about 20 km from Rouen), and north to south betw ...

* 1081: acquisition of Moret-sur-Loing * 1101: acquisition of the Viscounty of

Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...

and the ''

seigneury A seigneur () or lord is an originally feudal system, feudal title in Ancien Régime, France before the French Revolution, Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. The seigneur owne ...

'' of Dun-sur-Auron from Odo Arpin of Bourges

Reign of Louis VI

* the king spends much of his reign pacifying and consolidating the royal domain by battling certain feudal lords (lords of Montlhéry, of Coucy, of Puiset, of Crécy...) * from Fulk, Viscount of Gâtinais, Louis bought Moret,

Le Châtelet-en-Brie Le Châtelet-en-Brie () is a Communes of France, commune in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. Population The inhabitants are called ''Châtelains'' in Fr ...

, Boësses, Yèvre-le-Châtel and Chambon. *Other additions to the royal domain include: Montlhéry and Châteaufort, Chevreuse, Corbeil,

Meung-sur-Loire Meung-sur-Loire () is a commune in the Loiret department, north-central France. It was the site of the Battle of Meung-sur-Loire in 1429. Geography Meung-sur-Loire lies 15 km to the west of Orléans on the north bank of the river Loir ...

, Châteaurenard and Saint-Brisson.

Reign of Louis VII

* 1137: marriage of Louis with

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine ( or ; ; , or ; – 1 April 1204) was Duchess of Aquitaine from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, and Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II. As ...

, Duchess of Aquitaine and

Gascony Gascony (; ) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part of the combined Province of Guyenne and Gascon ...

and Countess of Poitou. By this marriage, Louis hopes to attach most of South-West France to the royal domain. * 1137: Louis gives

to his brother

. * 1151: separation of Louis VII and of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who in 1152 weds

Henry Plantagenet Henry II () was Monarchy of the United Kingdom, King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189. During his reign he controlled Kingdom of England, England, substantial parts of Wales in the High Middle Ages, Wales and Lordship of Ireland ...

Count of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by King Charles the Bald, Charles the Bald of West Francia in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the t ...

, Count of Maine and

Duke of Normandy In the Middle Ages, the duke of Normandy was the ruler of the Duchy of Normandy in north-western France. The duchy arose out of a grant of land to the Viking leader Rollo by the French king Charles the Simple in 911. In 924 and again in 933, N ...

, who becomes in 1154,

King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers Constitutional monarchy, regula ...

. Eleanor's lands come to Henry in her dowry. * 1160: gives Norman

to his daughter

Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...

as a dowry. Margaret is later forced to surrender her dowry.

Reign of
Philip II Augustus Philip II (21 August 1165 – 14 July 1223), also known as Philip Augustus (), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. His predecessors had been known as kings of the Franks (Latin: ''rex Francorum''), but from 1190 onward, Philip became the firs ...

Territorial Conquests of Philip II of France

* 1184: granted Montargis. * 1185: by the Treaty of Boves, gains

Amiens Amiens (English: or ; ; , or ) is a city and Communes of France, commune in northern France, located north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme (department), Somme Departments of France, department in the region ...

and Montdidier, Roye, Choisy-au-Bac, and Thourotte and rights to the inheritance of Vermandois and Valois. * 1187: seizes

Tournai Tournai ( , ; ; ; , sometimes Anglicisation (linguistics), anglicised in older sources as "Tournay") is a city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality of Wallonia located in the Hainaut Province, Province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies by ...

from the

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

. * confiscates

Meulan Meulan-en-Yvelines (, before 2010: ''Meulan'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. It hosted part of the Sailing at the 1900 Su ...

Gisors Gisors () is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Eure, Normandy (administrative region), Normandy, France. It is located northwest from the Kilometre Zero, centre of Paris. Gisors, together with the ...

, and other castles. * 1191: at the death of Philip of Alsace, Count of Flanders, the County of Artois and its dependencies, the inheritance of the queen Isabelle of Hainaut, are given to prince

Louis Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also ...

. These areas would not become integrated into the royal domain until 1223 when Louis becomes king. * 1191: the County of Vermandois is acquired by the king, after the death of Elisabeth of Vermandois, the inheritor of the County. Confirmed in 1213, by Eléonore of Vermandois sister of Elisabeth. Philip also gains Valois. * 1200: the Norman

is annexed * 1200 the County of Évreux and

Issoudun Issoudun () is a commune in the Indre department, administrative region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is also referred to as ''Issoundun'', which is the ancient name. Geography Location Issoudun is a sub-prefecture, located in the eas ...

are annexed, in exchange for the king's recognition of

John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

as king of England. * 1204: confiscation of the

Duchy of Normandy The Duchy of Normandy grew out of the 911 Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple, King Charles III of West Francia and the Viking leader Rollo. The duchy was named for its inhabitants, the Normans. From 1066 until 1204, as a r ...

, the Touraine, Anjou, Saintonge and, temporarily, of the

Poitou Poitou ( , , ; ; Poitevin: ''Poetou'') was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers. Both Poitou and Poitiers are named after the Pictones Gallic tribe. Geography The main historical cities are Poitiers (historical ...

from John of England. * 1208: La Ferté-Macé confiscated from Guillaume IV of Ferté-Macé * 1220: the

County of Alençon 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 denotin ...

is reunited to the royal domain in the absence of a male heir to Count Robert IV (the county is sold by the vicomtesse of Châtellerault).

Reign of Louis VIII

* 1223: Philip Hurepel, half-brother of the king, received in appanage the Counties of

Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

(

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

), and of Clermont ( Clermont-en-Beauvaisis), as well as the fiefs of Domfront, Mortain and Aumale. *

, Saintonge, Angoumois, Périgord and a part of the Bordeaux, Bordelais were confiscated from the king of England. * following the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) against the Catharism, Cathars and the Counts of Toulouse, Count of Toulouse, the king annexed the County of Toulouse the heiress of which, Joan of Toulouse, married Alphonse, Count of Poitou, son of the king, in 1237. * 1225: in his will, Louis grants the appanages of Count of Artois, Artois and his mother's inheritance to his second son Robert; Count of Poitou, Poitou and Count of Auvergne, Auvergne to his third son Alphonse; and Count of Anjou, Anjou and Count of Maine, Maine to his fourth son John (due to John's death, these possessions would go to Louis' seventh son Charles I of Sicily, Charles).

Reign of Louis IX of France, Louis IX

* 1229: Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse cedes to the king the ''sénéchaussées'' of Nîmes–Beaucaire, Gard, Beaucaire and of Béziers–Carcassonne (Treaty of Paris (1229)) * 1237: the king confirms the appanage grant of the County of Artois for his brother Robert I of Artois. * 1241: the king confirms the appanage grant of

for his brother Alphonse, Count of Poitou. * 1249: Alphonse, Count of Poitou, by jure uxoris, right of his wife succeeds Raymond VII of Toulouse. * 1255: the County of Beaumont-le-Roger is bought back from Raoul of Meulan. * 1258: the king renounces the County of Roussillon, Roussillon and Principality of Catalonia, Catalonia; in exchange the king of Kingdom of Aragon, Aragon renounces Count of Provence, Provence and Languedoc (Treaty of Corbeil (1258)) * 1259: seigneuries of Domfront and of Tinchebray acquired. * 1259: the king gives to the king of England Henry III of England, Henry III the Duchy of Aquitaine, and promises him Saintonge, Charente and Agenais in the case of the death without heir of the Count of Toulouse Alfonso of Poitiers (Treaty of Paris (1259)) * 1268 the king gives the Counts and Dukes of Alençon, County of Alençon and Perche to his son Peter I, Count of Alençon, Peter. * the king grants as appanage the Count of Valois, County of Valois to his son John Tristan and Clermont-en-Beauvaisis to his son Robert.

Reign of Philip III of France, Philip III

* 1271: reversion of the County of Toulouse, County of Toulouse,

and Auvergne (province), Auvergne, the Comtat Venaissin, appanages of Alfonso, Count of Poitou, to the royal domain * 1274: purchase of the Duke of Nemours, County of Nemours * 1274: the king cedes half of the Comtat Venaissin to pope Gregory X * 1283: Perche and the Counts and Dukes of Alençon, County of Alençon are inherited from the king's brother Pierre I of Alençon. * 1284: purchase of the County of Chartres. * the king makes appanage grants of Valois to his second son Charles of Valois, Charles and Beaumont-sur-Oise, Beaumont-en-Oise to his third son Louis d'Évreux, Louis.

Reigns of Philip IV of France, Philip IV, the Fair and his sons

* 1284: marriage of Philip the Fair, the future king of France, with Queen Joan I of Navarre, Countess of Champagne. The County of Champagne is reunited to the royal domain (made official in 1361) * 1285–1295: purchase of the Guînes, County of Guînes from Count Arnould III of Guînes, Arnould III who needed money to pay a ransom. * 1286: purchase of the County of Chartres from Jeanne of Blois-Châtillon, widow of her uncle Pierre I of Alençon, Pierre * 1292: Ostrevant * 1295: the king gives up a part of the County of Guines. * as they reverted to the crown, Philip IV makes appanage grants of Count of Alençon, Alençon, Count of Chartres, Chartres and Perche to his brother Charles of Valois, Charles and Count of Évreux, Évreux to his brother Louis d'Évreux, Louis. By his marriage, Charles also acquires Count of Maine, Maine and Count of Anjou, Anjou. To his sons, Philip gives the appanages of Count of Poitiers, Poitiers to Philip V of France, Philip, and County of La Marche, La Marche and Count of Angoulême, Angoulême to Charles IV of France, Charles.Hallam, 250. * 1308: purchase of the County of Angoulême, of Fougères and of Lusignan (Vienne), Lusignan from Yolande of Lusignan * 1313: Confiscation of

– which is however a land belonging to the Empire – from Marie de Mortagne. * 1322: the County of Bigorre is incorporated into the royal domain at the crowning of the king Charles IV of France, Charles IV, who held it from his mother Joan I of Navarre

House of Valois

Reign of Philip VI of France, Philip VI of Valois

* the appanages of the new king ( Valois, Count of Anjou, Anjou, County of Maine, Maine, County of Chartres, Chartres and Count of Alençon, Alençon) are reunited to the royal domain. * 1336: conquest of the County of Ponthieu, given to the king of England in 1360. * 1343–1349: the Dauphiné is sold to the kingdom of France by the Dauphin of Viennois * 1349: purchase for the kingdom of France of the seigneurie of Montpellier from James III of Majorca, the dispossessed king of Majorca, for 120 000 écus.

Reign of Jean II of France, John II

* 1350–1360: after the death of Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Guînes, and connétable of France (decapitated for treason), the Guînes, County of Guînes is confiscated. It will be ceded to the English by the Treaty of Brétigny. * 1360: by the Treaty of Brétigny, Aquitaine (1/3 of the kingdom) is given to the king of England, to obtain the release of the French king, prisoner since the Battle of Poitiers (1356). * 1360: John, Duke of Berry receives the Duke of Berry, Duchy of Berry as appanage. He is also made Count of Poitiers (1357–1416), Count of Mâcon (c. 1360–1372), Count of Angoulême and Saintonge (bef. 1372–1374) and Count of Étampes (1399–1416). At his death, these lands return to the royal domain. He is also given the List of rulers of Auvergne, Duchy of Auvergne. * 1361: the king gives Touraine in appanage to his son Philip II of Burgundy, Philip. * 1361: the king successfully claims the

as the heir by proximity of blood.

Reign of Charles V of France, Charles V

* Thanks to Du Guesclin, the king recovers the Duchy of Aquitaine. * 27 May 1364: the city of Montivilliers is detached from the County of Longueville and attached to the royal domain. * 1364: Philip the Bold receives in appanage the

* 1371: purchase of the County of Auxerre * 1377:

returns to the royal domain

Reign of Charles VI of France, Charles VI

*1392: the appanage of Duke of Orléans, Orléans is given to Louis I de Valois, Duke of Orléans, brother of the king. He also becomes Count of Valois (1386?), Duke of Touraine (1386), Count of Blois (1397; the county is sold by Guy II, Count of Blois at the death of his only son), Counts and dukes of Angoulême, Angoulême (1404), Périgord, Dreux and Soissons. *1416: the appanage of the Duke of Berry, Duchy of Berry comes back to the royal domain after the death of Jean, Duke of Berry, the uncle of the king. *1416: the king recreates the appanage of Berry for his son John, Dauphin of France (1398-1417), Jean who dies in 1417. *1417: the king gives the appanage of Berry to his son Charles VII of France.

Reign of Charles VII of France, Charles VII

* 1424: Duchy of Touraine granted to Archibald Douglas, 4th Earl of Douglas, killed later that year at Verneuil. * 1434: Amboise is confiscated from Louis of Amboise (who had plotted against Georges de la Trémoille, a favorite of the king) and reunited with the crown. * 1453: at the death of Mathieu of Foix, the Counts of Comminges, County of Comminges is incorporated into the royal domain

Reign of Louis XI of France, Louis XI

* 1461–1472: the king gives the Dukes of Berry, Duchy of Berry in appanage to his brother Charles de Valois, Duc de Berry, Charles of France. Dissatisfied, Charles joins with other feudal nobles in the League of the Public Weal. At the Treaty of Conflans in 1465, Charles of France exchanges Berry for the

(1465–1469). In 1469, Charles is forced to exchange Normandy for the Duke of Aquitaine, Duchy of Guyenne (1486–1472). * 1462: the king alienates the County of Comminges from the royal domain, giving it to Jean de Lescun. * 1477: the County of Ponthieu is definitively reattached to the royal domain. * 1478: the County of Boulogne is acquired by exchange. * 1481: Charles IV, Duke of Anjou, County of Maine, Count of Maine, Guise, Mortain and Gien, who succeeded his uncle René I of Anjou as Duke of Anjou and List of rulers of Provence, Count of Provence and County of Forcalquier, Forcalquier, dies, bequeathing his lands to his cousin Louis XI of France. * 1482: by the Treaty of Arras (1482), Treaty of Arras, the

and Picardy are reattached to the domain. * 1482: acquisition of the viscounty of Châtellerault.

Reign of Charles VIII of France, Charles VIII

* 1483: the seigneuries of Châtel-sur-Moselle and Bainville-aux-Saules, Bainville are taken from the Duchy of Bar. * 1491: the marriage of the king to Duchess Anne of Brittany begins the personal union of the Duchy of Brittany and the kingdom.

Reign of Louis XII of France, Louis XII

* 1498: the crowning of the new king brings his appanages List of Counts and Dukes of Valois, Valois (alienated in 1386?) and Duke of Orléans, Orléans (alienated in 1392) back to the royal domain, and the Counts of Blois, county of Blois is integrated into the royal domain for the first time. * 1498: the second marriage of the king with the Duchess Anne of Brittany continues the personal union of Brittany to the kingdom which had been interrupted when Anne, as widow, asserted the independence of Brittany. * 1498: at the death of Odet of Aydie, the County of Comminges (alienated in 1462) returns to the crown. * 1499: the king gives the Dukes of Berry, Duchy of Berry to his former wife Joan of France, Duchess of Berry, Joan of France. * 1504–1512: the Duke of Nemours, Duchy of Nemours reverts to the royal domain. In 1507, it is given to Gaston of Foix, Duke of Nemours, Gaston of Foix, but reverts at his death in 1512.

Reign of Francis I of France, Francis I

* 1515: Duke of Nemours, Nemours is given to Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici. The duchy passes in 1524 to Francis' mother, Louise of Savoy and will remain with the house of Savoy until 1659. *1531: possessions of the disgraced Charles III, Duke of Bourbon are confiscated: Bourbonnais, Auvergne (province), Auvergne, Counties of Montpensier, of Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont, of Mercœur, Corrèze, Mercœur and Forez From the reign of Francis I, the concept of "royal domain" begins to coincide with the French kingdom in general; the appanage of the House of Bourbon however remains alienated. * 1532: union of the Duchy of Brittany to France, the inheritance of Claude of France daughter of Anne of Brittany. The Dauphin becomes the Duke of Brittany but dies before he ascends to the throne of France.

Reign of Henry II of France, Henry II

*1547: for the first time the title Duke of Brittany and King of France is held by the same male primogeniture descendant. This marks the final step in the personal union of Brittany with France. *1548: Duke of Châtellerault, Duchy of Châtellerault conferred upon James Hamilton, 2nd Earl of Arran. *1558: French reconquest and incorporation of Calais into the Crown lands under the leadership of Henry II, which ended 150 years of English rule.

House of Bourbon

Reign of Henry IV

* 1589: Henry III of Navarre becomes Henry IV of France, succeeding his cousin Henry III of France, Henry III after his assassination. On accession to the thrones of Navarre and France, Henry ruled over a vast territory including appanages suzerain to the king of France, such as the Soissons, County of Soissons, the duchies of Alençon, Vendôme, House of Beaumont, Beaumont, the Viscounty of Limoges, the County of Périgord, the County of Rodez, the Albret, Duchy of Albret, the viscounties of Lomagne, Viscounty of Marsan, Marsan, Gabardan, and Viscounty of Tursan, Tursan, as well as the counties County of Fézensac, of Fézensac, Quatre-Vallées, Gauré, Gaure, County of Armagnac, Armagnac, County of Foix, Foix, and County of Bigorre, Bigorre. * 1589: The Kingdom of Navarre#Navarre under the Foix and Albret dynasties, Kingdom of Navarre (Basse-Navarre and the Viscounty of Béarn, Principality of Béarn) remains independent but in personal union with France.

Reign of Louis XIII of France, Louis XIII

* 1620: The king leads an army over Béarn and issues an edict at Pau, incorporating the Kingdom of Navarre and Béarn to the crown of France. From then on, while some prerogatives and the name were kept, the Kingdom of Navarre (Basse Navarre) with Béarn was no longer sovereign.

References

* Elizabeth M. Hallam. ''Capetian France: 987–1328''. London: Longman, 1980. {{Reflist Ancien Régime French monarchy Geography of France Land registration Monarchy and money