Confused about the timeline of those who ruled France? All those King Louis’? The Gauls who were as tough as old boots so that that when the Romans arrived, they decided to be friends instead of challenge their enemy to battle as they usually did. The Vandals, the Visigoths and the Vikings. The Merovingians, the Franks, the Carolingians, the Bourbons. In this short history of the rulers of France, we’ll share the most fascinating facts…
A short history of the rulers of France
We’re starting with the Gauls in the 5th century BC because, really, before France was France, it was Gaul. And of course there were people living here before the Gauls, but we have to start somewhere!
The Gauls
The Gauls were a collection of Celtic tribes that lived across what is now France, plus parts of what is now Belgium, and northern Italy. They weren’t united in any central government like modern France, but were instead a loose federation of tribes. When the Greeks arrived in Marseilles in 600BC they said of the Gauls that they were made of sunshine as so many of them had golden hair.
And these tribes were fierce. They even sacked Rome in 390 BC under the command of their chieftain, Brennus of the Gaullish tribe the Senones. His famous line to the Romans? ‘Vae Victis,’ or ‘Woe to the Vanquished.’ Basically, ‘Tough luck, you lost.’ Pretty brutal.
But as tough as the Gauls were, the Romans eventually won. And the man who would change the fate of Gaul forever was none other than Julius Caesar. Between 58 and 50 BC, Caesar led his legions in the Gallic Wars, systematically conquering the Gallic tribes.
One of the last big moments of resistance was at the Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, where the Gallic chieftain Vercingetorix made a last stand against Caesar. There is a great statue of him in the city of Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne and the plaque on it reads “I fight that all may be free.” Spoiler alert: it didn’t end well for him. He was captured and eventually executed in Rome.
The Romans in France
Gaul became a Roman province and was Romanised – referred to as the Gallo-Roman period. The cities that we now know like Paris which was known by its Roman name Lutetia), and Lyon which was then called Lugdunum, and others started to take shape. Latin became the dominant language for those who held power, which set the stage for the development of the French language later on.
Many tribes had their own language so the introduction of Latin across different tribal areas was a big deal. Over time Latin merged with the local Gaulish dialects. This mixture gave rise to Vulgar Latin, which eventually transformed into what’s known as Old French which was also influenced by the arrival of invading Germanic tribes. The French language wasn’t standardised until much later.
It actually wasn’t until the 16th century when King François I made a landmark decision by issuing the Ordinance of Villers-Cotterêts in 1539, that French became the official language of administration and law in France, replacing Latin. That was a key moment in shaping the modern French identity. And the chateau where he issued the decree is now dedicated to the French language and language generally – the Cite de la Langue Francais is an absolutely fascinating place to visit.
A little over a hundred years after Francois’ declaration, in 1635, the Académie Française was established to protect and preserve the French language.
To this day, all over France there are still traces of the Roman influence, amphitheatres like in Lyon, Saintes in Charente-Maritime and even in Paris, theatres like in Orange in Provence, triumphal arches like in Reims Champagne, temples like in Nimes and the fabulous Pont du Gard bridge in the south of France. Pretty much everywhere you go in France you’ll find Roman remains – not in every city, not in every town, but in most areas from north to south.
The Visigoths and the Vandals
Ok let’s fast forward a few centuries to the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century. Yes only 1600 years ago, the Romans still held power in France, but by then Rome was having a tough time keeping control of its territories, including Gaul. In came the so-called barbarians, the Visigoths and the Vandals, Germanic tribes who invaded Gaul as the Western Roman Empire crumbled.
The Visigoths, in particular, settled in the southern part of Gaul and Spain, while the Vandals moved on to North Africa. This was a chaotic period, with different tribes carving out their own kingdoms. It’s like Europe was having a massive, post-Roman yard sale, and everyone was grabbing what they could.
The Franks
Along came the Franks, led by the one and only Clovis. Now, here’s where things get interesting. Clovis was the first king to unite the Frankish tribes under one rule, around the late 5th century. And here’s a fun fact: Clovis’ name is the origin of the modern French name Louis, of which there would eventually be 18 French kings named Louis.
And another fun fact – he apparently never cut his hair in his entire life.
Clovis he loved to fight, and he was always up for a battle and liked nothing better than getting in the middle of a melee and wiping out the enemy with his axe. He often won but one day he came up against a tribe that looked set to beat him. All of his prayers to his Gods had no effect. His wife Clotilde prayed to her god, the Christian god, and the battle went in his favour, so he converted to Christianity in 496 AD.
His baptism was a big deal because it marked the beginning of France’s long relationship with Christianity, which would shape its history for centuries to come. Clovis was baptised in Reims by The Bishop of Reims, who became Saint Remi, creating a link between the monarchy and the church – in fact 33 French monarchs were crowned in Reims – giving the town the name the Coronation City. There is a legend that on the day he was baptised, 25 December, the streets of Reims were decorated and candles were lit and perfumes sprinkled so that the air smelled sweet.
Monks marched in procession chanting and singing hymns, then came Clovis and his sisters and three thousand of his warriors, sporting fashionable enormous moustaches and trying to look meditative as they too were to be baptised. Clovis dipped his head beneath water three times and the Bishop was about to anoint him but the oil was held up by the crowds when a white dove is said to have appeared carrying a phial full of holy oil. And that oil was used in almost all of the coronations up to the French Revolution when the jar was smashed with a hammer. But a few pieces remained, and a little balm was kept and is one of the treasures of Reims, kept in the Archbishops Palace, the Palace of Tau, to this day.
The Merovingian dynasty
Clovis, King of the Franks established the Merovingian dynasty, and for a while, things were relatively stable. But you know how dynasties go—eventually, things start to fall apart, and the Merovingians lost their grip. They became known as ‘rois fainéants’ – the do-nothing kings.
The Carolingians
Enter the Carolingians. Their dynasty began with a man named Charles Martel, also known as ‘The Hammer’ and not because he was good at woodwork. He was a warrior king and won important battles, but his name was an old French word for hammer. He ruled from then capital of France Laon in Picardy.
Charlemagne
Then came his grandson, Charlemagne, and if there’s one name you need to know in early French history, it’s Charlemagne. His parents were King Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, and Big Footed Bertha. Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor on Christmas Day in the year 800 by Pope Leo III and he’s also known as Charles the Great and the Father of Europe. This guy built an empire that stretched across much of Western Europe.
Charlemagne was also a huge supporter of education and culture, sparking what’s known as the Carolingian Renaissance. Schools, libraries, and monasteries flourished during his reign. And he loved cheese – especially brie! He had 20 children and was succeeded by his son Louis, known as Louis the Pious because he behaved like a monk.
There is a famous French 1960’s song called Sacré Charlemagne, about how Charlemagne invented schools in the Middle Ages and it’s why school children don’t like Charlemagne!
But of course, no empire lasts forever. The empire that Charlemagne built was divided among his grandsons, which weakened it. And then came the Vikings.
The Vikings in France
The Vikings arrived in the 8th century, and it was a rough time especially for northern France because these Scandinavian raiders kept showing up on the rivers, pillaging cities.
They even sailed up the Seine and held Paris to ransom and refused to leave until King Charles the Bald gave them, it’s said, a whopping 2,500kg of gold and silver. One of the most famous Viking leaders was Rollo, who ended up making a deal with the French king in 911. Rollo got to marry a daughter of the king and to keep a chunk of land in northern France, which became known as Normandy—which actually means the land of the Northmen. In return, Rollo promised to protect the area from other Viking raids.
The Norman Conquest
And that sets the stage for one of the most famous events in both French and English history—the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, led by William the Conqueror, who was, of course, Duke of Normandy and became King of England and was of Viking descent.
Every English monarch who followed William, including Queen Elizabeth II, is considered a descendant of the Norman-born king. According to some genealogists, more than 25 percent of the English population is also distantly related to him, as are countless Americans with British ancestry.
By the 13th century, William was the most common given name among English men. Today it still ranks in the top 10, and some have predicted that the future crowning of another King William will make it even more popular.
The Capetians
The next big dynasty in French history was the Capetians, starting with Hugh Capet in 987. It still wasn’t France as we know it though. Mostly his kingdom was around Paris, the rest of the French kingdom was in the hands of powerful local lords. Hugh was descended from Charlemagne and his line would rule for hundreds of years, eventually giving rise to the House of Valois and then the House of Bourbon. And there were also the Plantagenets, who ruled vast territories in France.
The Plantagenets
The Plantagenets ruled England, but also ruled half of France at one time. Their origin was French, and like most of the rulers of England for the next 300 years or so after William the Conqueror – they spoke French. The most famous of them was Richard the Lionheart who barely set foot in England and was said to have remarked he would give up England if he could rule all of France.
The Valois
The Valois dynasty lasted from the early 1300s to the late 1500s and had several kings including Louis the Spider, so-called as he was always up to intrigue and conspiracy, and he was ruthless. It’s said that when he was told his father had died, he was absolutely delighted because he never liked him! But under his rule more of the feudal lands came under the control of the crown and France became the most powerful national state in Europe.
There was also Francois 1er – known as the Renaissance King as he loved Italian art and was a big patron of the arts, building grand castles and even brought Leonardo da Vinci to live in France at a castle in Amboise in the Loire Valley.
The Bourbons and the Sun King
After this we had the Bourbons. The name of Bourbon comes from a town in France (called Bourbon-L’Archambault from the name of an early lord) and the region around it, the Bourbonnais. We can’t talk about them without mentioning Louis XIV, the Sun King who became king aged 4 in 1643. He turned France into the dominant power in Europe. Louis was all about absolute monarchy – ‘L’état, c’est moi,’ or ‘I am the state,’ is what he supposedly said.
And he wasn’t kidding! Louis was a control freak. He built the magnificent Palace of Versailles and filled it with court intrigue, parties, and… excessive spending. He forced his lords and ladies to leave their lovely chateaux and live in uncomfortable rooms at Versailles so that he could control them better. Under Louis XIV, France also became a centre of culture, art, and fashion. He was France’s longest reigning monarch – 72 years on the throne. He died aged 77 of gangrene, 4 days before his birthday.
His successor Louis XV was 5 when he became King, and he was very spoiled and taught no manners. He became an arrogant ruler, having been brought up to believe that his people belonged to him, whereas Louis XIV was taught he belonged to his people. He spent money when there was none, was too lazy to govern and cared about nothing but his own pleasures (especially his many mistresses). It was a recipe for disaster.
His successor Louis XVI was a bit better behaved, but the people by now were not happy. It wasn’t just about greedy, arrogant rulers, the weather was not kind, crops failed, taxes were too high (France had supported the American War of Independence at a high price), people were hungry, poor, exhausted and fed up with being treated like cash cows to feed the whims of those who held the power. Nothing much changes does it.
The French Revolution
Fast forward to 1789, and all that royal splendour came crashing down with the French Revolution. The French people were fed up with inequality, famine, and taxes. The storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789, marked the start of the revolution, and soon after, the monarchy was overthrown.
And the monarchy didn’t just end, it ended dramatically. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were both executed by guillotine in 1793 during the Reign of Terror. After that, France became a republic, but it wasn’t exactly stable. There were wars, counter-revolutions, and all kinds of chaos. France’s first constitution, The First Republic was created in 1791 by the National Assembly, a body formed in 1789 to replace the monarchy’s absolute rule.
The French Republic is born – and Napoleon Bonaparte becomes Emperor
And then came Napoleon Bonaparte. He took advantage of the chaos after the revolution, eventually becoming Emperor of the French in 1804. Napoleon expanded the French empire across Europe with a series of military campaigns, but as we all know, his ambition eventually led to his downfall.
His invasion of Russia in 1812 was a disaster, and after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was finally defeated and exiled to St. Helena, where he spent the rest of his life.
After Napoleon, France went through several more changes—a restored monarchy, a second republic, a second empire under Napoleon’s nephew, Napoleon III, and finally, in 1870, the establishment of the Third Republic.”
Since 1791, there have been sixteen French constitutions in total. At the heart of the Republic are the same principles that guided the first: liberté, égalité, fraternité. These three words are the French Republic’s motto.
The guiding principles of France’s many constitutions were shaped by the philosophers of the Enlightenment, including the French writer Voltaire and Denis Diderot, co-founder of the French Encyclopedia. These men helped shape not only the French government, but their influence also spread further, for instance Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu’s writings on government and law profoundly influenced the American Founders and the design of the US Constitution.
Today we are in the Fifth Republic, established in 1958 by Charles de Gaulle, though it has been revised and expanded since then. He was not only a World War II hero but also a political force who reshaped modern France. The Fifth Republic strengthened the role of the president, making France a semi-presidential republic, and de Gaulle himself served as its first president.
Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com
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