The House of Capet (french: Maison capétienne) or the Direct Capetians (''Capétiens directs''), also called the
House of France (''la maison de France''), or simply the Capets, ruled the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...
from 987 to 1328. It was the most senior line of the
Capetian dynasty
The Capetian dynasty (; french: Capétiens), also known as the House of France, is a dynasty of Frankish origin, and a branch of the Robertians. It is among the largest and oldest royal houses in Europe and the world, and consists of Hu ...
– itself a derivative dynasty from the
Robertians. Historians in the 19th century came to apply the name "Capetian" to both the ruling house of France and to the wider-spread male-line descendants of
Hugh Capet ( 939 – 996). Contemporaries did not use the name "Capetian" (see
House of France). The Capets were sometimes called "the third race of kings" (following the
Merovingians and the
Carolingians). The name "Capet" derives from the nickname (of uncertain meaning) given to
Hugh, the first Capetian king.
[
For discussion of the name ''Capet'', see the article on Hugh Capet.
]
The direct line of the House of Capet came to an end in 1328, when the three sons of
Philip IV Philip IV may refer to:
* Philip IV of Macedon (died 297 BC)
* Philip IV of France (1268–1314), Avignon Papacy
* Philip IV of Burgundy or Philip I of Castile (1478–1506)
* Philip IV, Count of Nassau-Weilburg (1542–1602)
* Philip IV of Spain ...
(reigned 1285–1314) all failed to produce surviving male heirs to the French throne. With the death of
Charles IV (reigned 1322–1328), the throne passed to the
House of Valois, descended from a younger brother of Philip IV. Royal power would later pass (1589) to another Capetian branch, the
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the S