List of Hessian monarchs

See also: List of Hessian consorts

This is a list of monarchs of Hesse (German: Hessen) during the history of Hesse on west-central Germany. These monarchs belonged to a dynasty collectively known as the House of Hesse and the House of Brabant, originally the Reginar. Hesse was ruled as a landgraviate, electorate and later as a grand duchy until 1918.

Monarchy of Hesse
State
Royal Coat of arms
Ernest Louis
Details
Style	His Royal Highness
First monarch	Henry I (as landgrave)
Last monarch	Ernest Louis (as grand duke)
Formation	1264
Abolition	9 November 1918
Appointer	Hereditary
Pretender(s)	Donatus

Royal Standard of the Grand Duke of Hesse 1903–1918

The title of all of the following monarchs was "landgrave" (German: Landgraf) unless otherwise noted.

Landgraviate of Hesse

Further information: Landgraviate of Hesse

In the early Middle Ages the Hessengau territory (named after the Germanic Chatti tribes) formed the northern parts of the German stem duchy of Franconia along with the adjacent Lahngau. Upon the extinction of the ducal Conradines, these Rhenish Franconian counties were gradually acquired by Landgrave Louis I of Thuringia and his successors.

After the War of the Thuringian Succession upon the death of Landgrave Henry Raspe in 1247, his niece Duchess Sophia of Brabant secured the Hessian possessions for her minor son Henry the Child, who would become the first landgrave of Hesse and founder of the House of Hesse in 1246. The remaining Thuringian landgraviate fell to the Wettin margrave Henry III of Meissen. Henry I of Hesse was raised to princely status by King Adolf of Germany in 1292.

Landgraves of Hesse

House of Hesse

Partitions of Hesse under Hesse family

Landgraviate of Hesse (1264–1308)
Lower Hesse (1st creation) (1308–1311)					Upper Hesse (1st creation) (1308–1311)
Landgraviate of Hesse (from the Upper Hesse line) (1311–1458)
Lower Hesse (2nd creation) (1458–1500)					Upper Hesse (2nd creation) (1458–1500)
Landgraviate of Hesse (from the Lower Hesse line) (1500–1567)
Hesse-Kassel (1567–1803)				Hesse- Rheinfels (1st creation) (1567–1583)	Hesse- Marburg (1567–1604)	Hesse- Darmstadt (1567–1806)
				Hesse- Rheinfels (2nd creation) (1627–1658)	Hesse- Homburg (1st creation) (1622–1806)
		Raised to: Electorate of Hesse-Kassel (1st creation) (1803–1807)
Hesse- Barchfeld (1st creation) (1721–1807)	Hesse- Philippsthal (1st creation) (1663–1807)			Hesse- Wanfried (1700–1755)
			Hesse- Rotenburg (1st creation) (1627–1807)
						Raised to: Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt (1806–1918)
Annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia
Hesse- Barchfeld (2nd creation) (1813–1866)	Hesse- Philippsthal (2nd creation) (1813–1866)	Electorate of Hesse-Kassel (2nd creation) (1813–1866)	Hesse- Rotenburg (2nd creation) (1813–1834)		Hesse- Homburg (2nd creation) (1815–1866)
Annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia

Table of monarchs

Monarch		Born	Reign	Death	Ruling part	Consort	Notes
Henry I the Child		24 June 1244	1264–1308	21 December 1308	Landgraviate of Hesse	Adelaide of Brunswick-Lüneburg I 1263 seven children Matilda of Cleves 1276 seven children	Son of Henry II of Brabant, founded the House of Hesse.
John		1278	1308–1311	14 February 1311	Lower Hesse	Adelaide of Brunswick-Lüneburg II 1306 one child	Divided Hesse with his brother.
Otto I the Elder		1272	1308–1311	17 January 1328	Upper Hesse	Adelaide of Ravensberg 1297 Marburg five children	Divided Hesse with his brother. After the latter's death with no descendants, he reunited Hesse.
			1311–1328		Landgraviate of Hesse
Henry II the Iron		1299	1328–1376	3 June 1376	Landgraviate of Hesse	Elisabeth of Thuringia 1321 five children	Sons of Otto I, ruled jointly.
Louis (I) the Junker		1305	1336–1345	2 February 1345	Landgraviate of Hesse	Elisabeth of Sponheim-Kreuznach 15 October 1340 three children
Herman I the Elder		1305	1336–1370	1370	Landgraviate of Hesse	Unmarried
Otto II the Younger		1322	1336–1366	December 1366	Landgraviate of Hesse	Elisabeth of Cleves 1338 no children
Herman II the Learned		1341	1376–1413	24 May 1413	Landgraviate of Hesse	Joanna of Nassau-Weilburg 3 February 1377 no children Margaret of Nuremberg 15 October 1383 Kulmbach eight children
Louis I the Peaceful		6 February 1402	1413–1458	17 January 1458	Landgraviate of Hesse	Anna of Saxony 8 September 1433 Kassel five children	At his death divided Hesse again.
Louis II the Frank		7 September 1438	1458–1471	8 November 1471	Lower Hesse	Matilda of Württemberg-Urach (1438–1495) 1454 four children	Children of Louis I, divided Hesse between them. Henry III associated his son Louis III in a co-rulership.
Henry III the Rich		15 October 1440	1458–1483	13 January 1483	Upper Hesse	Anna of Katzenelnbogen 1458 six children
Louis III the Younger		November 1461	1474–1478	2 July 1478	Upper Hesse	Unmarried
William I the Elder		4 July 1466	1471–1493	8 February 1515	Lower Hesse	Anna of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 17 February 1488 Münden five children	Didn't have male heirs. Abdicated in 1493 and his possession passed to his brother, also named William.
Regency of Herman IV, Archbishop of Cologne and Hans Hofman of Dörnberg (1483-1489)							Died without heirs.
William III the Younger		8 September 1471	1483–1500	17 February 1500	Upper Hesse	Elisabeth of the Palatinate 12 February 1496 Heidelberg no children
William II the Middle		29 April 1469	1493–1500	11 July 1509	Lower Hesse	Yolande of Vaudémont 9 November 1497 one child Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 20 October 1500 Kassel three children	In 1500 reunited Hesse after the death of his cousin William II.
			1500–1509		Landgraviate of Hesse
Regencies of the Estates of Hesse (1509-1514) and Anna of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1514-1518)							After his death Hesse was divided between his legitimate sons.
Philip I the Magnanimous		13 November 1504	1509–1567	31 March 1567	Landgraviate of Hesse	Christine of Saxony 11 December 1523 Kassel ten children Margarethe von der Saale 14 March 1540 Rotenburg (bigamous and morganatic) nine children
William IV the Wise		24 June 1532	1567–1592	25 August 1592	Hesse-Kassel	Sabine of Württemberg 11 February 1566 Marburg eleven children	Children of Philip I, divided the land between them: William IV received Kassel Louis IV received Marburg, which after his childless death was divided between his brothers; Philip II received Rheinfels, which after his childless death was divided between his brothers; George I received Darmstadt.
Louis IV the Elder		27 May 1537	1567–1604	9 October 1604	Hesse-Marburg	Hedwig of Württemberg 10 May 1563 Stuttgart no children Maria of Mansfeld 4 July 1591 Marburg no children
Philip II the Younger		22 April 1541	1567–1583	20 November 1583	Hesse-Rheinfels	Anna Elisabeth of Palatinate-Simmern 18 January 1569 Heidelberg no children
George I the Pious		10 September 1547	1567–1596	7 February 1596	Hesse-Darmstadt	Magdalene of Lippe 17 August 1572 Kassel ten children Eleonora of Württemberg 25 May 1589 one child
Marburg and Rheinfels redivided between Kassel and Darmstadt
Maurice the Learned		25 May 1572	1592–1632	15 March 1632	Hesse-Kassel	Agnes of Solms-Laubach 23 September 1593 Kassel four children Juliane of Nassau-Siegen 22 May 1603 Dillenburg fourteen children
Louis V the Faithful		24 September 1577	1596–1626	27 July 1626	Hesse-Darmstadt	Magdalene of Brandenburg 5 June 1598 Berlin eleven children	Children of George I, redivided the land: Louis V kept Darmstadt; Philip III received Butzbach, which after his death was reannexed to Darmstadt; Frederick I received Homburg.
Philip III		26 December 1581	1596–1643	28 April 1643	Hesse-Darmstadt (at Butzbach)	Anna Margaretha von Diepholz 29 July 1610 Darmstadt no children Christina Sophia of East Frisia 2 June 1632 Aurich no children
Frederick I		5 March 1585	1596–1638	9 May 1638	Hesse-Homburg	Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg 10 August 1622 Butzbach six children
Butzbach reannexed to Darmstadt
George II		17 March 1605	1626–1661	11 June 1661	Hesse-Darmstadt	Sophia Eleonore of Saxony 1 April 1627 Torgau fifteen children	Children of Louis V, redivided the land: George II kept Darmstadt; John received Braubach, which after his childless death returned to Darmstadt.
John		17 June 1609	1626–1651	1 April 1651	Hesse-Darmstadt (at Braubach)	Johannetta of Sayn-Wittgenstein 30 September 1647 Friedewald no children
Braubach reannexed to Darmstadt
William V the Stable		13 February 1602	1632–1637	21 September 1637	Hesse-Kassel	Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg 21 September 1619 twelve children	Children of Maurice, redivided the land: William V kept Kassel; Frederick received Eschwege, which after his childless death returned to Kassel; Herman IV received Rotenburg, which after his childless death merged in Rheinfels; Ernest received Rheinfels, which after Herman IV's death merged with Rotenburg, retaining the name Rotenburg.
Frederick		9 May 1617	1632–1655	24 September 1655	Hesse-Kassel (at Eschwege)	Eleonora Catherine of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken 8 September 1646 Stockholm six children
Herman IV		15 August 1607	1627–1658	25 March 1658	Hesse-Rotenburg	Sophie Juliane of Waldeck 31 December 1633 Waldeck one child Kunigunde Juliane of Anhalt-Dessau 2 February 1642 Weimar no children
Ernest		8 December 1623	1649–1658	2 May 1693	Hesse-Rheinfels	Maria Eleonore of Solms-Lich June 1647 Frankfurt two children
			1658–1693		Hesse-Rotenburg
Eschwege reannexed to Kassel; Rheinfels merged in Rotenburg
Regency of Amalie Elisabeth of Hanau-Münzenberg (1637-1650)
William VI		23 May 1629	1637–1663	16 July 1663	Hesse-Kassel	Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg 19 July 1649 Cölln seven children
Regency of Margaret Elisabeth of Leiningen-Westerburg (1638-1648)							Sold his lands to his brother, George Christian.
William Christoph		13 November 1625	1638–1669	27 August 1681	Hesse-Darmstadt-Homburg	Sophia Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt 21 April 1650 Darmstadt twelve children Anna Elisabeth of Saxe-Lauenburg 2 April 1665 Lübeck (annulled 1672) no children
Louis VI		25 January 1630	1661–1678	24 April 1678	Hesse-Darmstadt	Maria Elisabeth of Holstein-Gottorp 24 November 1650 Gottorp eight children Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 5 December 1666 Gotha eight children	Children of George II, redivided the land: Louis VI kept Darmstadt; George III received Itter, which after his childless death was reannexed to Darmstadt
George III		29 September 1632	1661–1676	19 July 1676	Hesse-Darmstadt (at Itter	Dorothea Auguste of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Franzhagen 5 May 1661 one child Juliane Alexandrine of Leinigen-Heidenheim 21 July 1667 three children
Regency of Hedwig Sophie of Brandenburg (1663-1677)							Children of William VI. With their mother as regent, they redivided the land: William VII kept Kassel, which after his sudden death was inherited by his brother, Charles I; Philip received Philippsthal.
William VII		21 June 1651	1663–1670	21 November 1670	Hesse-Kassel	Unmarried
Charles I		3 August 1654	1670–1730	23 March 1730	Hesse-Kassel	Maria Amalia of Courland 21 May 1673 Kassel fourteen children
Philip		14 December 1655	1663–1721	18 June 1721	Hesse-Philippsthal	Catherine of Solms-Laubach 14 April 1680 eight children
George Christian		13 November 1625	1669–1671	27 August 1681	Hesse-Homburg	Anna Catharina Pogwitsch 11 October 1666 Hamburg no children	Retained his brother's land. Hesse-Homburg became under mortgage to two merchants (1671–1673) and to the Landgraves of Hesse-Darmstadt (1673–1679). Hesse-Homburg returned then to George Christian's brother, Frederick.
Louis VII		22 June 1658	1678	31 August 1678	Hesse-Darmstadt	Unmarried
Regency of Elisabeth Dorothea of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1678-1688)
Ernest Louis		15 December 1667	1678–1739	12 September 1739	Hesse-Darmstadt	Dorothea Charlotte of Brandenburg-Ansbach 1 December 1687 Darmstadt five children
Frederick II		30 March 1633	1679–1708	24 January 1708	Hesse-Homburg	Margareta Brahe 12 May 1661 Stockholm no children Louise Elisabeth of Courland 23 October 1670 Cölln twelve children Sophie Sybille of Leiningen-Westerburg 1691 three children	The land returned to the Hesse-Homburg-branch in 1679.
William the Elder		15 May 1648	1693–1725	20 November 1725	Hesse-Rotenburg	Maria Anna of Löwenstein-Wertheim 3 March 1669 Rochefort eight children	Children of Ernest, redivided the land: William kept Rotenburg; Charles received Wanfried.
Charles		19 July 1649	1693–1711	3 March 1711	Hesse-Wanfried	Sophie Magdalene of Salm-Reifferscheid before 1675 five children Alexandrine Juliane of Leiningen-Dagsburg before 1703 eleven children
Frederick III Jacob		19 May 1673	1708–1746	8 June 1746	Hesse-Homburg	Elisabeth Dorothea of Hesse-Darmstadt 14 February 1700 Butzbach nine children Christiane Charlotte of Nassau-Ottweiler 17 October 1728 Saarbrücken no children
William II the Younger		25 August 1671	1711–1731	1 April 1731	Hesse-Wanfried	Ernestine of the Palatinate-Sulzbach 19 September 1719 no children	Left no heirs. His lands were inherited by his brother, Christian.
Charles I		23 September 1682	1721–1770	8 May 1770	Hesse-Philippsthal	Caroline Christine of Saxe-Eisenach 24 November 1725 Eisenach five children	Children of Philip, redivided the land: Charles I kept Philippsthal; William received Barchfeld.
William		1 April 1692	1721–1761	13 May 1761	Hesse-Barchfeld	Charlotte Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym 31 October 1724 Hoym fifteen children
Ernest Leopold		15 June 1684	1725–1749	29 November 1749	Hesse-Kassel-Rotenburg	Eleonore of Löwenstein-Wertheim 9 November 1704 Frankfurt ten children
Frederick I		28 April 1676	1730–1751	5 April 1751	Hesse-Kassel	Louise Dorothea of Prussia 31 May 1700 Berlin no children Ulrika Eleonora, Queen of Sweden 24 March 1715 Stockholm no children	Also King of Sweden. Left no heirs. Hesse-Kassel under the regency of his brother, William, later Landgrave William VIII.
Christian		17 July 1689	1731–1755	21 October 1755	Hesse-Wanfried	Maria Franziska of Hohenlohe-Bartenstein c.1730 no children	Left no heirs. His lands reverted to Hesse-Rotenburg.
Wanfried reannexed to Rotenburg
Louis VIII		5 April 1691	1739–1768	17 October 1768	Hesse-Darmstadt	Charlotte of Hanau-Lichtenberg 5 April 1717 Hanau six children
Frederick IV Charles		15 April 1724	1746–1751	7 February 1751	Hesse-Darmstadt-Homburg	Ulrike Louise of Solms-Braunfels 10 October 1746 Hungen two children	Nephew of Frederick III.
Constantine		24 May 1716	1749–1778	30 December 1778	Hesse-Rotenburg	Sophia von Starhemberg 1745 eleven children Jeanne Henriette de Bombelles 27 May 1775 no children
William VIII		10 March 1682	1751–1760	1 February 1760	Hesse-Kassel	Dorothea Wilhelmine of Saxe-Zeitz 27 September 1717 Zeitz three children	Brother of Frederick V; already regent from 1730
Regency of Ulrike Louise of Solms-Braunfels (1751-1766)							Between 1806 and 1815 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Frederick V		30 January 1748	1751–1820	20 January 1820	Hesse-Homburg	Caroline of Hesse-Darmstadt 27 September 1768 Darmstadt eleven children
Frederick II		14 August 1720	1760–1785	31 October 1785	Hesse-Kassel	Mary of Great Britain 8 May 1740 London (by proxy) 28 June 1740 Kassel (in person) four children Philippine of Brandenburg-Schwedt 10 January 1773 Berlin no children
Frederick		1727	1761–1777	1777	Hesse-Barchfeld	Sophia Henrietta of Salm-Grunbach 1772 no children	Left no heirs. His brother Adolf inherited the land.
Louis IX		15 December 1719	1768–1790	6 April 1790	Hesse-Darmstadt	Caroline of the Palatinate-Zweibrücken 12 August 1741 Zweibrücken eight children	Children of Louis VIII, divided their inheritance: Louis IX received his father's inheritance; Caroline Louise received her mother's inheritance in Hanau-Lichtenberg, which then passed to Baden.
Caroline Louise		11 July 1723	1768–1783	8 April 1783	Hesse-Darmstadt (at Hanau-Lichtenberg)	Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden 28 January 1751 five children
William		29 August 1726	1770–1806	8 August 1810	Hesse-Philippsthal	Ulrika Eleonora of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld 22 June 1755 Tournai nine children	Between 1806 and 1813 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Adolph		29 June 1743	1777–1803	17 July 1803	Hesse-Barchfeld	Louise of Saxe-Meiningen 18 October 1781 Meiningen six children
Charles Emmanuel		5 June 1746	1778–1806	23 March 1812	Hesse-Kassel-Rotenburg	Leopoldina of Liechtenstein 1 September 1771 Felsberg two children	Between 1806 and 1813 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Rotenburg briefly annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia (1806-1813)
William I		3 June 1743	1785–1807 1813–1821	27 February 1821	Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel Electorate of Hesse-Kassel	Wilhelmina Caroline of Denmark 1 September 1764 Copenhagen four children	Created Prince-elector of Hesse as His Royal and Serene Highness in 1803. Between 1807 and 1813 the Grand-Duchy was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Louis I		14 June 1753	1790–1830	6 April 1830	Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt	Louise of Hesse-Darmstadt 19 February 1777 Darmstadt seven children	Created Grand Duke of Hesse in 1806.
Charles		27 June 1784	1803–1854	17 July 1854	Hesse-Barchfeld	Auguste of Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen 19 July 1816 Öhringen two children Sophie of Bentheim and Steinfurt 10 September 1823 Steinfurt four children	Between 1806 and 1813 the Landgraviate was annexed to the Kingdom of Westphalia.
Louis		29 August 1726	1813–1816	8 August 1810	Hesse-Philippsthal	Marie Franziska Berghe of Trips 21 January 1791 Susteren two children	Landgraviate recovered in 1813 by the hand of the Elector of Hesse.
Victor Amadeus		2 September 1779	1813–1834	12 November 1834	Hesse-Rotenburg	Leopoldine of Fürstenberg 20 October 1799 Prague no children Elisabeth of Hohenlohe-Langenburg 10 September 1812 Langenburg one child Eleonora of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Krautheim and Gerlachsheim 19 November 1831 Gerlachsheim no children	In 1834, Hesse-Rotenburg reunited with Hesse-Kassel.
Rotenburg annexed to the Electorate of Kassel
Ernest Constantine		8 August 1771	1816–1849	25 December 1849	Hesse-Philippsthal	Louise of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt 10 April 1796 Rudolstadt five children Caroline of Hesse-Philippsthal 17 February 1812 Kassel two children	Landgraviate recovered in 1813 by the hand of the Elector of Hesse.
Frederick VI		30 July 1769	1820–1829	2 April 1829	Hesse-Homburg	Elizabeth of the United Kingdom 7 April 1818 London no children	Left no heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
William II		28 July 1777	1821–1847	20 November 1847	Electorate of Hesse Kassel	Augusta of Prussia 13 February 1797 Berlin six children Emilie Ortlöpp 8 July 1841 (morganatic) eight children Caroline of Berlepsch 8 July 1841 Hanau (morganatic) no children
Louis William		29 August 1770	1829–1839	19 January 1839	Hesse-Homburg	Augusta Amalia of Nassau-Usingen 1804 (annulled 1805) no children	Left no heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
Louis II		26 December 1777	1830–1848	16 June 1848	Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt	Wilhelmine of Baden 19 June 1804 Karlsruhe seven children
Philip		11 March 1779	1839–1846	15 December 1846	Hesse-Homburg	Rosalie Antonie Pototschnig 1838 (morganatic) no children	Left no heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
Gustav		17 February 1781	1846–1848	8 September 1848	Hesse-Homburg	Louise of Anhalt-Dessau 12 February 1818 Dessau three children	Left no male heirs. The land was inherited by his brother.
Frederick William		20 August 1802	1847–1866	6 January 1875	Electorate of Hesse Kassel	Gertrude von Hanau 26 June 1831 (morganatic) nine children	In 1866 the Electorate was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.
Electorate of Kassel annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Louis III		9 June 1806	1848–1877	13 June 1877	Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt	Mathilde Caroline of Bavaria 26 December 1833 Munich no children Magdalene of Hochstadten 1868 (morganatic) no children
Ferdinand		26 April 1783	1848–1866	24 March 1866	Hesse-Homburg	Unmarried	Left no male heirs. At his death the Landgraviate of Hesse-Homburg was briefly added to the territory of Louis III (Hesse-Darmstadt) before being annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia later in 1866.
Homburg annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Charles II		22 May 1803	1849–1866	12 February 1868	Hesse-Philippsthal	Marie of Württemberg 9 October 1845 Pokój two children	In 1866 the Landgraviate was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.
Philippsthal annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Alexis		13 September 1829	1854–1866	16 August 1905	Hesse-Barchfeld	Louise of Prussia 17 June 1854 Berlin no children	In 1866 the Landgraviate was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia.
Barchfeld annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia
Louis IV		12 September 1837	1877–1892	13 March 1892	Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt	Alice of the United Kingdom 1 July 1862 East Cowes seven children Alexandrina Hutten-Czapska 30 April 1884 Darmstadt (morganatic, annulled 1884) no children
Ernest Louis		25 November 1868	1892–1918	9 October 1937	Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt	Victoria Melita of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 19 April 1894 Coburg (annulled 21 December 1901) two children Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich 2 February 1905 Darmstadt two children	Deposed in 1918, at the end of World War I.

See also

• House of Hesse
• History of Hesse
• Coat of arms of Hesse

External links

• The History Files: King Lists Europe: Kingdoms of Germany – Hesse
• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy of the Hessian noble family". Genealogy.EU.