List of Holy Roman Empresses and German queens

Holy Roman Empress or Empress of the Holy Roman Empire is the title given to the consort of the Holy Roman Emperor. The elective dignity of Holy Roman Emperor was restricted to males only, therefore there was never a Holy Roman Empress regnant, though women such as Theophanu or Maria Theresa of Austria, who controlled the power of rule, served as de facto Empresses.

Holy Roman Empresses

Before 924, the title of "Emperor" was not always associated with the German Kingdom; rather, it was initially associated with the Carolingian dynasty, and then possessed by several other figures of the 9th and 10th centuries. Their consorts were thus Empresses, but not necessarily German Queens.

Carolingian (1)

German (East Francian) Queens

With the Treaty of Verdun in 843, the Carolingian Empire was divided. Lothair, the King of the middle Kingdom of Lotharingia or Burgundy, obtained the title of "Emperor"; Louis obtained Eastern Francia, the area which would become Germany. The wives of that realm's Kings are thus German Queens (or more precisely, East Francian Queens – 'Germany' is historically deemed to have developed with the election of Henry the Fowler), but not, it must be noted, always Empresses.

Carolingian

alian Dynasty

House of Welf

House of Nassau

House of Habsburg (3)

House of Wittelsbach (2)

House of Wittelsbach (3)

Consorts of disputed Kings

In addition to the above, the following women were the wives of men who made claim to the Kingship of Germany, but who are not recognised as official Kings:

* Adelheid of Savoy (d.1080). She was the wife of Rudolf of Rheinfeld, anti-King between 1077 and 1080.
* Beatrice of Brabant (1225-11 November 1288). On 10 March 1241, she became the second wife of Henry Raspe, anti-King between 1246 and 1247.
* Elizabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg (d.1266). She was the wife of William II of Holland, who was elected as an anti-King of Germany in 1247. He was crowned "King of the Romans" at Aachen in 1248, and married Elizabeth in 1252. However, he failed to establish sufficient power or recognition as King, and died in battle in 1256. The "Interregnum of the Holy Roman Empire" is dated not from his death, but from that of his predecessor, Conrad IV, and thus Elizabeth is not recognised as an official Queen.
* Sanchia of Provence (1225-1261) and Beatrice of Falkenburg (d.1277). They were the second and third (m.1269) wives respectively of Richard of Cornwall, who was elected King of Germany and of the Romans in 1257, in the hope that he would reestablish order in Germany. He was crowned "King of the Romans" by the Pope at Aachen in 1257; with him was crowned Sanchia. Since he never managed to establish any power in the Empire, Sanchia and Beatrice were "Queens of the Romans" in name only, and were never Empresses.
* Violant of Aragon (1236-1301). She was the wife of Alfonso X of Castile, who claimed and was elected as anti-King to the German throne in 1257 as a grandson of Philip of Swabia. Alfonso never visited Germany, held no authority there, and relinquished his claims in 1275.
* Elisabeth von Hohnstein (died c. 4 April 1380). She was the wife of Günther von Schwarzburg, who was elected King of Germany and of the Romans in place of Louis IV on 30 January 1348, but who was forced to resign his claims by Charles IV on 24 May 1349.

See also

*List of Austrian Empresses (1804-1918).