The House of Leszczyński ( , ; plural: Leszczyńscy, feminine form: Leszczyńska) was a prominent

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...

family. They were

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

s in the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

and later became royal family of Poland.

History

The Leszczyński family was a

family. In 1473, Rafał Leszczyński obtained from Emperor Frederick III the title of count. This title was conferred on "the entire family". The last representative of the main family,

Stanisław Leszczyński Stanisław I Leszczyński (; lt, Stanislovas Leščinskis; french: Stanislas Leszczynski; 20 October 1677 – 23 February 1766), also Anglicized and Latinized as Stanislaus I, was twice King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, and at v ...

, King of Poland, Grand Duke of

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

and later

Duke of Lorraine The rulers of Lorraine have held different posts under different governments over different regions, since its creation as the kingdom of Lotharingia by the Treaty of Prüm, in 855. The first rulers of the newly established region were kings of t ...

, died in 1766. The family name derives from Leszczyna, now a suburb of

Leszno Leszno (german: Lissa, 1800–1918 ''Lissa in Posen'') is a historic city in western Poland, within the Greater Poland Voivodeship. It is the seventh-largest city in the province with an estimated population of 62,200, as of 2021. Previously, it ...

Greater Poland Greater Poland, often known by its Polish name Wielkopolska (; german: Großpolen, sv, Storpolen, la, Polonia Maior), is a Polish historical regions, historical region of west-central Poland. Its chief and largest city is Poznań followed ...

. The Leszczyński family obtained the title of count of Leszno in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...

. The family had its greatest importance in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, when they were ardent supporters of

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

and turned their estates of Leszno and

Baranów Sandomierski Baranów Sandomierski is a small town in southern Poland, in the Subcarpathian Voivodship, Tarnobrzeg County on the Vistula River, with 1,420 inhabitants as of December 2021. Baranów lies near the Vistula river, along voivodeship road nr. 985, ...

into major centres of the Polish Reformed Church. Charles André van Loo - Portrait of Marie Leszczynska, Queen of France - WGA13430

There is another unrelated Leszczyński family with the

Abdank coat of arms Abdank is a Polish coat of arms. It was used by several szlachta families in the times of the Kingdom of Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Blazoning Gules '' łękawica'' argent, crest: łąkawica as in arms. History According to ...

Coat of arms and motto

The Leszczyński family used the Clan Wieniawa arms, and their motto was ''Qui Lescynsciorum genus ignorat, Poloniae ignorat''. image:Coat of Arms of Stanislaus Leszczynski as king of Poland.svg, Coat of Arms of King Stanisław I Leszczyński File:Coat of Arms of Stanislaus Leszczynski as prince of Lorraine.svg, Coat of Arms of Stanisław I Leszczyński as King of Poland and Prince of Lorraine file:Marie Leczsinska.png, Coat of Arms of Maria Leszczyńska as Queen of France

Notable family members

* Rafał Leszczyński (died 1441), Podkomorzy of Kalisz, general

starost The starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', german: link=no, Starost, Hauptmann) is a term of Slavic origin denoting a community elder whose role was to administer the assets of a clan or family estates. Th ...

of Wielkopolska, progenitor of the Leszczyński family * Rafał Leszczyński (c. 1526-1592), Voivode of Brześć Kujawski Voivodeship and

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

of Śrem * Wacław Leszczyński (1576–1628), Voivode of Kalisz Voivodship, Great Chancellor of the Crown * Rafał Leszczyński (1579–1636), Voivode of

Belz Voivodship Bełz Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo bełskie, la, Palatinatus Belzensis) was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland from 1462 to the Partitions of Poland in 1772–1795. Together with the Ruthenian Voivodeship it was ...

, leader of Polish

Calvinists Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

Jan Leszczyński Jan Leszczyński (20 October 1946 – 13 January 2004) was a Polish footballer. He played in one match for the Poland national football team The Poland national football team ( pl, Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej) has represented ...

(1603-1678), Great Chancellor of the Crown * Wacław Leszczyński (1605–1666), Bishop of Warmia, Primate of Poland *

Przecław Leszczyński Przecław is a small town in Mielec County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Przecław. It lies in Lesser Poland, approximately south of Mielec and north-wes ...

(1605-1670), Voivode of Dorpat Voivodship * Andrzej Leszczyński (1606–1651), Palatine of

Dorpat Voivodship The Dorpat Voivodeship ( pl, Województwo dorpackie or ''województwo derpskie'') was a unit of administrative division and local government in the Duchy of Livonia The Duchy of Livonia ( or ; lt, Livonijos kunigaikštystė; la, Ducatus Ult ...

* Andrzej Leszczyński (1608–1658), Primate of Poland, Great Chancellor of the Crown *

Bogusław Leszczyński Bogusław Leszczyński, count of Leszno (1614–1659) from the Leszczyński Family of Holy Roman Empire counts, was a Polish noble (''szlachcic'') and politician from Wielkopolska region. Biography Traveled abroad from 1632-1636 with his tu ...

(1614–1659), Grand Treasurer and

Deputy Chancellor of the Crown Chancellor of Poland ( pl, Kanclerz - , from la, cancellarius) was one of the highest officials in the historic Poland. This office functioned from the early Polish kingdom of the 12th century until the end of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwea ...

(died 1657), Bishop of Kijów ( Kyiv, also Kiev) *

Samuel Leszczyński Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...

(1637-1676), poet, Voivode of Dorpat Voivodship * Rafał Leszczyński (1650–1703), Grand Treasurer of the Crown *

(1677–1766), King of Poland and later Duke of Lorraine, married Catherine Opalińska * Maria Leszczyńska (1703–1768), Queen of France, married to Louis XV of France

Famous descendants

Among the descendants of Stanislaw Leszczyński were four

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 () as the first ...

and

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, two

Kings of the Two Sicilies The following is a list of rulers of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, until the fusion into the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. History Joachim Murat was the first king to rule a kingdom called "Two Sicilies" by the Edict of Bayonne, in 1808. Thou ...

, two

Kings of Etruria The Kingdom of Etruria (; it, Regno di Etruria) was an Italian monarchy, kingdom between 1801 and 1807 that made up a large part of modern Tuscany. It took its name from Etruria, the old Ancient Rome, Roman name for the land of the Etruscans. ...

, two Kings of Italy (simultaneously one

Emperor of Ethiopia The emperor of Ethiopia ( gez, ንጉሠ ነገሥት, nəgusä nägäst, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse ( am, ዐፄ, "emperor"), was the hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century ...

and one King of the Albanians), six Kings and one Queen of Spain, two

Emperors of Brazil The monarchs of Brazil (Portuguese: ''monarcas do Brasil'') were the imperial heads of state and hereditary rulers of Brazil from the House of Braganza that reigned from the creation of the Brazilian monarchy in 1815 as a constituent kingdom o ...

(simultaneously one

King of Portugal This is a list of Portuguese monarchs who ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of Portugal, in 1139, to the deposition of the Portuguese monarchy and creation of the Portuguese Republic with the 5 October 1910 revolution. Through the n ...

and Algarve), five Kings and one Queen of Portugal and Algarve, one Emperor of Austria (simultaneously one King of Hungary), five

Kings of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...

, four

Kings of Belgium This is a list of Belgian monarchs from 1831 when the first Belgian king, Leopold I, ascended the throne, after Belgium seceded from the Kingdom of the Netherlands during the Belgian Revolution of 1830. Under the Belgian Constitution, the Belg ...

, one King of Bavaria, two Tsars of Bulgaria, three

Kings of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...

, one King of Yugoslavia, two Princes of Lichtenstein, two Grand Dukes and two Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, several Queen consorts and several titular Kings.

Tree

, married Catherine Opalińska ** Maria Leszczyńska, married Louis XV of France *** Louise Élisabeth of France, married

Philip, Duke of Parma it, Filippo di Borbone , house = Bourbon-Parma (founder) , father = Philip V of Spain , mother = Elisabeth Farnese , birth_date = , birth_place = Royal Alcazar, Madrid, Spain , death_date = , death_place = Alessan ...

**** Princess Isabella of Parma, married

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...

**** Ferdinand, Duke of Parma, married

Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria Maria Amalia may refer to: * Maria Amalia of Courland (1653–1711), princess of Courland from the Ketteler family * Maria Amalia of Nassau-Dillenburg (1582–1635), royal of the House of Nassau * Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily (1782–1866), Qu ...

***** Princess Carolina of Parma, married

Prince Maximilian of Saxony A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

(descendant of King

John III Sobieski John III Sobieski ( pl, Jan III Sobieski; lt, Jonas III Sobieskis; la, Ioannes III Sobiscius; 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobie ...

) ****** Princess Maria Anna of Saxony (1799–1832) ******* Archduchess Auguste Ferdinande of Austria ******** Ludwig III of Bavaria Królewska

****** Frederick Augustus II of Saxony Królewska

******

John of Saxony , image = Photograph of John, King of Saxony (1801-1873).jpg , reign =9 August 1854 – 29 October 1873 , caption = Photograph of King John, , predecessor = Frederick Augustus II , successor =Albert , succe ...

******* Princess Elisabeth of Saxony ******** Margherita of Savoy ********* Victor Emmanuel III of Italy Królewska

********** Umberto II of Italy Królewska

*********** Giovanna of Italy ************

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Simeon Borisov von Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ( bg, Симеон Борисов Сакскобургготски, translit=Simeon Borisov Sakskoburggotski, ; born 16 June 1937) is a Bulgarian politician who reigned as the last tsar of the Kingdom of Bul ...

******* Albert of Saxony Królewska

******* Frederick Augustus I of Saxony Królewska

******* George, King of Saxony Królewska

******** Frederick Augustus III of Saxony Królewska

******** Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony (1867–1944) ********* Charles I of Austria Królewska

********** Otto von Habsburg ****** Maria Josepha Amalia, Queen of Spain ***** Louis, King of Etruria Królewska

****** Charles II, Duke of Parma Królewska

**** Maria Luisa, Queen of Spain ***** Carlota Joaquina of Spain ****** Miguel I of Portugal Królewska

*******

Infanta Maria Josepha of Portugal , house = Braganza , father = Miguel of Portugal , mother = Adelaide of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg , birth_date =19 March 1857 , birth_place =Schloss Bronnbach , death_date = , death_place =Vienna, Austria , bu ...

******** Marie-Adélaïde, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Crown of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg

******** Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg Crown of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg

********* Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Crown of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg

******** Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of Belgium *********

Leopold III of Belgium Leopold III (3 November 1901 – 25 September 1983) was King of the Belgians from 23 February 1934 until his abdication on 16 July 1951. At the outbreak of World War II, Leopold tried to maintain Belgian neutrality, but after the German invasi ...

**********

Baudouin of Belgium Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his de ...

********** Albert II of Belgium Królewska

***********

Philippe of Belgium french: Philippe Léopold Louis Mariegerman: Philipp Leopold Ludwig Maria , house = Belgium , father = Albert II of Belgium , mother = Paola Ruffo di Calabria , birth_date = , birth_place = Belvédère Castle, Laeken, B ...

, married to Queen Mathilde of Belgium, the daughter of Countess Anna Maria Komorowska (the current reigning King of Belgium) ********** Princess Joséphine Charlotte of Belgium ***********

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg Henri (french: Henri Albert Gabriel Félix Marie Guillaume, ; born 16 April 1955) is the Grand Duke of Luxembourg. He has reigned since 7 October 2000. Henri, the eldest son of Grand Duke Jean and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium, is a f ...

(the current reigning Grand Duke of Luxembourg) ******* Infanta Maria Theresa of Portugal ******** Archduchess Elisabeth Amalie of Austria ********* Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein Princely Hat

********** Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein Princely Hat

(the current reigning Prince of Liechtenstein) ******

Pedro I of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he List of ...

*******

Pedro II of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom PedroII (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), nicknamed "the Magnanimity, Magnanimous" ( pt, O Magnânimo), was the List of monarchs of Brazil, second and last monarch of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. ...

******* Maria II of Portugal Królewska

******** Pedro V of Portugal Królewska

********

Luís I of Portugal Dom Luís I (31 October 1838, in Lisbon – 19 October 1889, in Cascais), known as The Popular (Portuguese: O Popular) was a member of the ruling House of Braganza,"While remaining patrilineal dynasts of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha accord ...

********* Carlos I of Portugal Królewska

********** Manuel II of Portugal Królewska

******** Infanta Antónia of Portugal ********* Ferdinand I of Romania Królewska

********** Carol II of Romania Królewska

*********** Michael I of Romania Królewska

************

Margareta of Romania Margareta, Custodian of the Crown of Romania (; born 26 March 1949) is the eldest daughter of King Michael I and Queen Anne of Romania. She assumed her father's duties in March 2016, upon his retirement, and has claimed the headship of the House ...

********** Maria of Yugoslavia ***********

Peter II of Yugoslavia Peter II ( sr-Cyrl, Петар II Карађорђевић, Petar II Karađorđević; 6 September 1923 – 3 November 1970) was the last king of Yugoslavia, reigning from October 1934 until his deposition in November 1945. He was the last r ...

***** Maria Luisa of Spain, Duchess of Lucca ***** Ferdinand VII of Spain Królewska

****** Isabella II of Spain Królewska

***** María Isabella of Spain ****** Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Królewska

******* Francis II of the Two Sicilies Królewska

******* Prince Alfonso, Count of Caserta ******** Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies ********* Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies ********** Juan Carlos I of Spain Królewska

*********** Felipe VI of Spain Królewska

(the current reigning King of Spain) ***** Ferdinand VII of Spain ****** Isabella II of Spain ******* Alfonso XII of Spain Królewska

********

Alfonso XIII of Spain Alfonso XIII (17 May 1886 – 28 February 1941), also known as El Africano or the African, was King of Spain from 17 May 1886 to 14 April 1931, when the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed. He was a monarch from birth as his father, Alf ...

*** Louis Ferdinand **** Louis XVI of France Królewska

***** Louis XVII of France **** Louis XVIII of France Królewska

****

Charles X of France Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...

***** Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême Królewska

******

Princess Louise Marie Thérèse of Artois Louise Marie Thérèse d'Artois (21 September 1819 – 1 February 1864) was a duchess and later a regent of Parma. She was the eldest daughter of Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry, younger son of King Charles X of France and Princess Caroline o ...

******* Robert I, Duke of Parma Królewska

********

Marie Louise of Bourbon-Parma , house = Bourbon-Parma , father = Robert I of Parma , mother = Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Two Sicilies , spouse = Ferdinand I, Prince of Bulgaria , consort = yes , reign = 20 April 1893 – 31 January 1899 , issue = Boris IIIKiril, ...

********* Boris III of Bulgaria Królewska

Palaces

image:Руїни замку Чорторийських. Чорторийськ. Rujiny zamku Čortoryjśkyx. Čortoryjśk.png, Ruins of the castle in

Czartorysk Staryi Chortoryisk ( uk, Старий Чорторийськ, translit. ''Staryi Chortoryis'k'', pl, Czartorysk) is a village (''selo'') in north-western Ukraine. It is located on the bank of the Styr River in the Kamin-Kashyrskyi Raion of Volyn ...

image:Baranow1.jpg, Castle in

Baranow Sandomierski Baranow may refer to: *Baranow, Edmonton, a neighbourhood in Edmonton, Canada *Baranów Sandomierski Baranów Sandomierski is a small town in southern Poland, in the Subcarpathian Voivodship, Tarnobrzeg County on the Vistula River, with 1,420 ...

image:2008 08050029 - Gołuchów - zespół zamkowy - zamek.JPG, Castle in Gołuchów image:Sanatorium w Krasnobrodzie.woj.lubelskie,pow.zamojski,gm.Krasnobród..jpg, Palace in Krasnobród Image:Rydzyna5 Apr05.jpg, Castle in

Rydzyna Rydzyna (pronounced , german: Reisen) is a historic town in western Poland, located in the southern part of the Greater Poland Voivodeship, 10 km south of Leszno, in the Leszno County, close to the main Poznań - Wrocław highway S5. The ...

was rebuilt in 1700 by Pompeo Ferrari on his order. Image:France Loir-et-Cher Chambord Chateau 03.jpg, Château de Chambord, where Stanisław Leszczyński lived between 1725 and 1733. Image:Nancy Place Stanislas BW 2015-07-18 13-53-37.jpg,

Place Stanislas Place Stanislas is a large pedestrianised square in the French city of Nancy, in the Lorraine historic region. Built between 1752 and 1756 on the orders of Stanisław Leszczyński, the square is one of oldest examples of an architecturally consis ...

in Nancy was constructed between 1751 and 1755 . Image:Eglise Saint Jacques Lunéville.jpg, Église Saint-Jacques in Lunéville was established by him in 1745. Image:Lublin-dwór Rafała Leszcyńskiego.JPG, Manor House of Rafał Leszczyński in

Lublin Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...

References

{{Royal houses of Poland

History

Coat of arms and motto

Notable family members

Famous descendants

Tree

Palaces

Further reading

References