List of monarchs of France (Long Live The Republic)

The monarchs of France ruled from the establishment of the Kingdom of the Franks in 589 to the fall of the Second Empire of France in 1849, with various interruptions. The monarchs were styled King/Queen of France for most of France's history, but with the restoration of France under Céline de Valence, the monarchs of France styled themselves with the imperial title of Emperor/Empress of France. The Kings of the Franks, are often included in the list of French monarchs of France, beginning with Dagaric the Wise, who established a feudal and sovereign realm in France. This title, Rex Francorum in Latin, gradually fell into disuse from the 11th century and by the 13th century was no longer officially in use, as the monarchs of France thought of themselves less as leaders of a people but more of a specific territory. In addition, beginning with Clovis the Great, the Frankish monarchs styled themselves Emperor of the Franks.

All monarchs of France before 1286 had been male, which caused a period of civil war with the ascension of Marguerite I, the last scion of the House of Troyes. One of her relatives, Guillaume, claimed the throne by right of being the closest living male relative of Marguerite's father. The War of the French Succession ultimately culminated in a victory for Marguerite, solidifying the right of a woman to succeed to the throne of France. In 1387, the House of Troyes was overthrown by the House of Fontainebleau, after another civil war in which the last monarch of the House of Troyes, Henri V was deposed after it was alleged he was a bastard and not the son of the late king.

In 1423, the French king Richard II died, with the throne passing to his eldest daughter Blanche, wife of the Spanish Emperor Sancho IV, however the French refused to accept the possible integration of France into Spain and installed Blanche's sister Sophie as Queen. In the succession war that followed, France was greatly weakened and ultimately collapsed into various feudal entities with the Spanish claiming victory but failing to occupy France.

France was restored as a sovereign nation in 1508, with the coronation of Céline de Valence as Empress of France, after she had conquered the warring fiefdoms and reunited the French people. The House of Valence ruled France until the overthrow of the monarchy and proclamation of the First French Republic in 1800. The monarchy was restored in 1836 and the Valence dynasty was returned to the throne, but the monarchy was abolished again in 1849 after the proclamation of the Second French Republic.

Kings of France
Historians consider the ascension of Louis I to the throne the beginning of the Kingdom of France and with the loss of Germany and Italy the end of the Frankish Empire.