Poland is ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (from the 11th century).
First royal coat of arms
The first known Polish ruler is Duke Mieszko I, who adopted Christianity under the authority of Rome in the year 966. He was succeeded by his son, Bolesław I the Brave, who greatly expanded the boundaries of the Polish state and ruled as the first king in 1025. The following centuries gave rise to the mighty Piast dynasty, consisting of both kings such as Mieszko II Lambert, Przemysł II or Władysław I the Elbow-high and dukes like Bolesław III Wrymouth. The dynasty ceased to exist with the death of Casimir III the Great in 1370. In the same year, the Capetian House of Anjou became the ruling house with Louis I as king of both Poland and Hungary. His daughter, Jadwiga, later married Jogaila, the pagan Grand Duke of Lithuania, who in 1386 was baptized and crowned as Władysław II Jagiełło, thus creating the Jagiellonian dynasty and a personal union between Poland and Lithuania.
The dynasty is still ruling the country. The kingdom united to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1569, creating the Kingdom of Poland-Lithuania or the Commonwealth of Nations.
Constitutional monarchs since 1792, the kings of Poland-Lithuania rule the country from the Royal Palace of Warsaw.
Royal palace
List of Polish Monarchs[]
Piast Dynasty[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke
Mieszko I |
c. 930 | 960 | 25 May 992 | First Christian ruler of Poland |
| King
Bolesław I the Brave |
c. 967 | 992 (Duke)
18 April 1025 (King) |
17 June 1025 | First crowned king |
| King
Mieszko II Lambert |
c. 990 | 25 December 1025 | 10/11 May 1034 | Deposed as a result of the Pagan Rebellion in 1031 |
| Duke
Bezprym |
c. 986 | 1031 | c. 1032 | |
| Duke
Otto |
c. 1000 | 1033 | c. 1033 | |
| Duke
Dytryk |
c. 992 | 1032 | c. 1033 | |
| Duke
Mieszko II Lambert |
c. 990 | 1033 | 10/11 May 1034 | Restored as duke |
| Duke
Bolesław the Forgotten |
before 1016 | 1034 | 1038/1039 | Semi-legendary, existence disputed |
| King
Casimir I the Restorer |
25 July 1016 | 1058 (Duke)
26 December 1076 (King) |
19 March 1058 | Restoration |
| King
Bolesław II the Generous |
1042 | 1058 (Duke)
26 December 1076 (King) |
2/3 April 1081 | Deposed and exiled in 1079 after slaying Saint Stanislaus |
| Duke
Władysław I Herman |
1044 | 1079 | 4 June 1102 | Succeeded brother after his exile |
| Duke
Zbigniew |
c. 1073 | 1102 | 8 July 1113 | Exiled in 1107 |
| Duke
Bolesław III Wrymouth |
20 August 1086 | 1107 | 28 October 1138 | His death led to the fragmentation of Poland |
Partition of Poland[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Duke
Władysław II the Exile |
1105 | 1138 | 30 May 1159 | Deposed and exiled in 1146 |
| High Duke
Bolesław IV the Curly |
c. 1125 | 1146 | 5 January 1173 | Succeeded exiled half-brother |
| High Duke
Mieszko III the Old |
c. 1127 | 1173 | 13 March 1202 | Deposed by brother in 1177 |
| High Duke
Casimir II the Just |
c. 1138 | 1177 | 1194 | Usurped power from brother |
| High Duke
Leszek I the White |
c. 1184/1185 | 1194 | 24 November 1227 | |
| High Duke
Władysław III Spindleshanks |
c. 1167 | 1032 | 3 November 1231 | |
| High Duke
Henry I the Bearded |
c. 1165/1188 | 1232 | 19 March 1238 | Usurper |
| High Duke
Henry II the Pious |
c. 1196 | 1238 | 9 April 1241 | Killed at the Battle of Legnica |
| High Duke
Konrad I of Masovia |
c. 1187/1188 | 1241 | 31 August 1247 | Deposed in 1243, Usurper |
| High Duke
Bolesław V the Chaste |
21 June 1226 | 1243 | 7 December 1279 | Restored as rightful Duke |
| High Duke
Leszek II the Black |
c. 1241 | 1279 | 30 September 1288 | Succeeded brother after his exile |
| High Duke
Henryk IV Probus |
c. 1257/1258 | 1288 | 23 June 1290 |
Attempt at Restoration[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King
Przemysł II |
14 October 1257 | 1290 (as Duke),
1295 (as King) |
8 February 1296 | Crowned king in 1295
Granted Poland its coat of arms Assassinated |
House of Přemyslid[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King
Wenceslaus II of Bohemia |
27 September 1271 | 1296 (as High Duke),
1300 (as King) |
21 June 1305 | Crowned himself King of Poland in 1300 |
| Wenceslaus II of Bohemia | 6 October 1289 | 1305 | 4 August 1306 | Uncrowned and assassinated |
House of Piast Restored[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King
Ladislaus the Short |
c. 1260 | 1306 (as High Duke)
20 January 1320 (as King) |
2 March 1333 | Crowned King in 1320
Reunited the Kingdom of Poland after fragmentation |
| King
Casimir III the Great |
30 April 1310 | 25 April 1333 | 5 November 1370 | Strengthened Poland's position in Europe
Died without a male heir Last monarch from the Piast Dynasty |
House of Anjou[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King
Louis |
5 March 1326 | 17 November 1370 | 10 September 1382 | Succeeded his uncle, Casimir III, to the Polish throne |
| King
Hedwig |
3 October 1374–18 February 1374 | 16 October 1384 | 17 July 1399 | Succeeded her father in Poland
Her husband was crowned jure uxoris on 4 March 1386 |
House of Jagiellon[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King
Władysław II Jagiełło |
c. 1352/1362 | 4 March 1386 | 1 June 1434 | Previously Grand Duke of Lithuania
Crowned co-ruler with wife Hedwig Longest-reigning Polish monarch |
| King
Władysław III |
25 July 1434 | 25 July 1434 | 10 November 1444 | Killed at the Battle of Varna
Interregnum until 1447 |
| King
Casimir IV |
30 November 1427 | 25 June 1447 | 7 June 1492 | Divided the Polish-Lithuanian realm between John and Alexander |
| King
John I Albert |
27 December 1459 | 23 September 1492 | 17 June 1501 | Laid foundation for the Sejm and Senate (Polish Parliament),
Unmaried and Childless |
| King
Alexander |
5 August 1461 | 12 December 1501 | 19 August 1506 | Succeeded his brother in Poland |
| King
Sigismund I the Old |
1 January 1467 | 8 December 1506 | 1 April 1548 | Succeeded his brother in Poland and Lithuania |
| King | 1 August 1520 | 1 April 1548 | 7 July 1572 | Formation of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
Kings of Poland-Lithuania[]
| Name | Born | Crowned | Death | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | 2 May 1549 | 1 August 1572 | 1 September 1610 | |
| King
Stephan II |
25 June 1574 | 5 September 1610 | 10 August 1650 | Son died in 1634,
succeeded by his grandson |
| King
Stephan III |
30 November 1630 | 10 September 1650 | 7 June 1685 | grandson of Stephan II |
| King
Sigismund III |
27 December 1648 | 15 June 1685 | 17 June 1730 | |
| King
Ladislaus IV |
5 August 1668 | 22 June 1730 | 19 August 1755 | |
| King
John II |
1 January 1741 | 8 December 1755 (regency)
8 December 1757 (coronation) |
1 April 1770 | Succeeded his grand-grandfather,
aged of 14 |
| King
Michael I |
1 January 1761 | 10 April 1770 | 1 April 1790 | Initiated the Great Sejm in 1789 |
| King
Michael II |
1 January 1782 | 10 April 1790 | 1 June 1821 | Ended the Great Sejm in 1789
first constitutional monarch |
| King
John III |
10 June 1801 | 10 June 1821 | 12 August 1850 | |
| King
John IV |
10 June 1823 | 27 August 1850 | 12 October 1880 | |
| King
Michael III |
10 June 1845 | 23 October 1880 | 12 October 1910 | |
| King
John V |
10 June 1865 | 25 October 1910 | 5 January 1950 | Ruled during World War I and World War II |
| King | 20 January 1890 | 22 March 1950 | 15 January 1980 | Son died in 1975,
Succeeded by grandson |
| King | 20 February 1960 | 25 January 1980 | Grandson of Michael IV |