House of Welf

For its maternal parent house, see Elder House of Welf. For its paternal parent house, see House of Este. For the faction supporting the pope in medieval Italy, see Guelphs and Ghibellines.

House of Welf (Guelf, Guelph)
Parent house	House of Este (agnatic) Elder House of Welf (cognatic)
Country	Germany, Italy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Founded	8th century
Founder	Welf I, Duke of Bavaria
Final ruler	Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick
Titles	Holy Roman Emperor Emperor of Russia Empress of India King of the Romans King of Great Britain King of Ireland King of Italy King of Burgundy King of Hanover King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg Duke of Brunswick Duke of Bavaria Duke of Saxony Duke of Spoleto Prince of Lüneburg Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Count Palatine of the Rhine Margrave of Tuscany Elector of Hanover Lord of Mann Count of Paris
Estate(s)	Brunswick & Hanover
Deposition	1918 (in Germany)
Cadet branches	House of Hanover

The possessions of the Welfs in the days of Henry the Lion

The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Moselle area was closely related to the imperial family of the Carolingians.

Origins

The (Younger) House of Welf is the older branch of the House of Este, a dynasty whose earliest known members lived in Veneto and Lombardy in the late 9th/early 10th century, sometimes called Welf-Este. The first member was Welf I, Duke of Bavaria, also known as Welf IV. He inherited the property of the Elder House of Welf when his maternal uncle Welf III, Duke of Carinthia and Verona, the last male Welf of the Elder House, died in 1055.

Welf IV was the son of Welf III's sister Kunigunde of Altdorf and her husband Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan. In 1070, Welf IV became Duke of Bavaria.

Welf II, Duke of Bavaria married Countess Matilda of Tuscany, who died childless and left him her possessions, including Tuscany, Ferrara, Modena, Mantua, and Reggio, which played a role in the Investiture Controversy. Since the Welf dynasty sided with the Pope in this controversy, partisans of the Pope came to be known in Italy as Guelphs (Guelfi).

The first genealogy of the Welfs is the Genealogia Welforum, composed shortly before 1126. A much more detailed history of the dynasty, the Historia Welforum, was composed around 1170. It is the earliest history of a noble house in Germany.

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  Kunigunde of Altdorf, sister of Welf III, wife of Albert Azzo II of Este, Margrave of Milan, parents of Welf IV
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  Welf I, Duke of Bavaria (c. 1030/1040 – 1101)
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  Welf II, Duke of Bavaria (1073–1120)

Bavaria and Saxony

Henry IX, Duke of Bavaria, from 1120 to 1126, was the first of the three dukes of the Welf dynasty called Henry. His wife Wulfhild was the heiress of the house of Billung, possessing the territory around Lüneburg in Lower Saxony. Their son, Henry the Proud, was the son-in-law and heir of Lothair II, Holy Roman Emperor and became also Duke of Saxony on Lothair's death.

Lothair left his territory around Brunswick, inherited from his mother of the Brunonids, to his daughter Gertrud. Her husband Henry the Proud became then the favoured candidate in the imperial election against Conrad III of the Hohenstaufen. Henry lost the election, as the other princes feared his power and temperament, and was dispossessed of his duchies by Conrad III.

Henry's brother Welf VI (1115–1191), Margrave of Tuscany, later left his Swabian territories around Ravensburg, the original possessions of the Elder House of Welf, to his nephew Emperor Frederick I, and thus to the House of Hohenstaufen.

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  Henry the Black, duke of Bavaria (1075–1126) and his wife Wulfhild of Billung
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  Henry the Proud (1102–1139), Duke of Bavaria and Saxony, and his wife Gertrud of Saxony, daughter of Lothair II, Holy Roman Emperor, Duke of Saxony
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  Welf VI (1115–1191), Margrave of Tuscany
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  Steingaden Abbey, Swabia, place of burial of its founder Welf VI (d. 1191)

The next duke of the Welf dynasty Henry the Lion (1129/1131–1195) recovered his father's two duchies, Saxony in 1142, Bavaria in 1156 and thus ruled vast parts of Germany. In 1168 he married Matilda (1156–1189), the daughter of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and sister of Richard I of England, gaining ever more influence. His first cousin, Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, tried to get along with him, but when Henry refused to assist him once more in an Italian war campaign, conflict became inevitable.

Dispossessed of his duchies after the Battle of Legnano in 1176 by Emperor Frederick I and the other princes of the German Empire eager to claim parts of his vast territories, he was exiled to the court of his father-in-law Henry II in Normandy in 1180. He returned to Germany three years later.

Henry made his peace with the Hohenstaufen Emperor in 1185 and returned to his much diminished lands around Brunswick without recovering his two duchies. Bavaria had been given to Otto I, Duke of Bavaria, and the Duchy of Saxony was divided between the Archbishop of Cologne, the House of Ascania and others. Diminished lands did not prevent him from imprisoning Richard I on his return from the Third Crusade, and demanding a huge ransom in 1193. Henry died at Brunswick in 1195.

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  Henry the Lion (1130–1195), Duke of Bavaria and Saxony
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  Matilda Plantagenet (1156–1189), wife of Henry the Lion, sister of Richard I of England
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  Henry's Dankwarderode Castle in Brunswick
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  Henry's Brunswick Lion
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  Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor, son of Henry the Lion and Matilda of England

Brunswick and Hanover

Henry the Lion's son, Otto of Brunswick, was elected King of the Romans and crowned Holy Roman Emperor Otto IV after years of further conflicts with the Hohenstaufen emperors. He incurred the wrath of Pope Innocent III and was excommunicated in 1215. Otto was forced to abdicate the imperial throne by the Hohenstaufen Frederick II. He was the only Welf to become Holy Roman Emperor.

Coat-of-arms of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Henry the Lion's grandson Otto the Child became duke of a part of Saxony in 1235, the new Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, and died there in 1252. The duchy was divided several times during the High Middle Ages amongst various lines of the House of Welf. The subordinate states had the legal status of principalities within the duchy, which remained as an undivided imperial fief. Each state was generally named after the ruler's residence, e.g., the rulers of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel originally lived in Wolfenbüttel.

Whenever a branch of the family died out in the male line, the territory was given to another line, as the duchy remained enfeoffed to the family as a whole rather than its individual members. All members of the House of Welf, male or female, bore the title Duke/Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg in addition to the style of the subordinate principality. By 1705, the subordinate principalities had taken their final form as the Electorate of Hanover and the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, and these would become the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick after the Congress of Vienna in 1815.

Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

In 1269 the Principality of Brunswick was formed following the first division of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. In 1432, as a result of increasing tensions with the townsfolk of Brunswick, the Brunswick Line moved their residence to Wolfenbüttel Castle, thus the name Wolfenbüttel became the unofficial name of this principality. With Ivan VI of Russia the Brunswick line even had a short intermezzo on the Russian imperial throne in 1740. Not until 1754 was the residence moved back to Brunswick, into the new Brunswick Palace. In 1814 the principality became the Duchy of Brunswick, ruled by the senior branch of the House of Welf.

Principality of Calenberg – later Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg

Coat of Arms of the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1708)

In 1432 the estates gained by the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel between the Deister and Leine split away as the Principality of Calenberg. In 1495 it was expanded around Göttingen and in 1584 went back to the Wolfenbüttel Line. In 1634, as a result of inheritance distributions, it went to the House of Luneburg residing at Celle Castle. In 1635 it was given to George, younger brother of Prince Ernest II of Lüneburg, who chose Hanover as his residence.

New territory was added in 1665, and in 1705 the Principality of Luneburg was taken over by the Hanoverians. In 1692 Duke Ernest Augustus from the Calenberg-Hanover Line acquired the right to be a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire as the Prince-Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg. Colloquially the Electorate was known as the Electorate of Hanover. In 1814 it was succeeded by the Kingdom of Hanover.

British succession

Religion-driven politics placed Ernest Augustus's wife Sophia of the Palatinate in the line of succession to the British crown by the Act of Settlement 1701, written to ensure a Protestant succession to the thrones of Scotland and England at a time when anti-Catholic sentiment ran high in much of Northern Europe and Great Britain. Sophia died shortly before her first cousin once removed, Anne, Queen of Great Britain, the last sovereign of the House of Stuart.

Sophia's son George I succeeded Queen Anne and formed a personal union from 1714 between the British crown and the Electorate of Hanover, which lasted until well after the end of the Napoleonic Wars more than a century later, through the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and the rise of a new successor kingdom. The British royal family became known as the House of Hanover.

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  Coat of arms of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain (1714–1801)
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  George I (1714–1727)
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  George II (1727–1760)
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  Frederick, Prince of Wales (b. 1707 d. 1751)
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  George III (1760–1820)
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  George IV (1820–1830)
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  William IV (1830–1837)
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  Victoria (1837–1901)

Kingdom of Hanover

The "Electorate of Hanover" (the core duchy) was enlarged with the addition of other lands and became the Kingdom of Hanover in 1814 at the Congress of Vienna. During the first half of the nineteenth century, the Kingdom was ruled as personal union by the British crown from its creation under George III of the United Kingdom, the last elector of Hanover until the death of William IV in 1837.

At that point, the crown of Hanover went to William's younger brother, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale under the Salic law requiring the next male heir to inherit, whereas the British throne was inherited by an elder brother's only daughter, Queen Victoria. Her offspring belong to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha: in 1917 the name was changed to the House of Windsor.

The Kingdom of Hanover was lost in 1866 by Ernest Augustus's son George V of Hanover, Austria's ally during the Austro-Prussian War, when it was annexed by Prussia after Austria's defeat and became the Prussian province of Hanover. The Welfs went into exile at Gmunden, Austria, where they built Cumberland Castle.

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  Coat of arms of the kingdom of Hanover 1837
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  Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover
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  King George V of Hanover

Brunswick succession

Coat-of-arms of the Duchy of Brunswick

The senior line of the dynasty had ruled the much smaller principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, created the sovereign Duchy of Brunswick in 1814. This line became extinct in 1884. Although the Duchy should have been inherited by the Duke of Cumberland, son of the last king of Hanover, Prussian suspicions of his loyalty led the duchy's throne to remain vacant until 1913, when the Duke of Cumberland's son, Ernst August, married the daughter of Kaiser Wilhelm II and was allowed to inherit it. His rule there was short-lived, as the monarchy came to an end following the First World War in 1918.

The Welf dynasty continues to exist. The last member sitting on a European throne was Frederica of Hanover, Queen of Greece († 1981), mother of Queen Sofia of Spain and King Constantine II of Greece. Frederica's brother Prince George William of Hanover married Princess Sophie of Greece and Denmark, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The House's head is Queen Frederica's nephew Ernst August, the third and present husband of Princess Caroline of Monaco.

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  The Leine Palace in Hanover
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  Herrenhausen Palace and Herrenhausen Gardens in Hanover
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  Celle Castle
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  Brunswick Palace
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  Wolfenbüttel Castle
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  Marienburg Castle (Hanover)

Rulers of the House of Welf

House of Welf

Partitions under Welf rule

County of Altdorf (820–1191)											County of Auxerre (866–888) Raised to: Kingdom of Upper Burgundy (888–1032)
Annexed to the Holy Roman Empire	County Palatine of the Rhine (1195–1214)	Lordship of Lüneburg (1126–1235) Raised to: Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1235–1269)
	Annexed to House of Wittelsbach
		Brunswick (1269–1291)						Lüneburg (1st creation) (1269–1369)
		Grubenhagen (1291–1596)				Wolfenbüttel (1st creation) (1291–1292)
				Göttingen (1291–1463)
						Wolfenbüttel (2nd creation) (1344–1400)		Lüneburg under Ascanian rule (1373–1388)
								Lüneburg (2nd creation) (1388–1705)
						Calenberg (1st creation) (1432–1584)	Wolfenbüttel (3rd creation) (1409–1485)
				Wolfenbüttel (4th creation) (1494–1807)
						(annexed Grubenhagen 1617)
				Calenberg (2nd creation) (1634–1692) Recalled Hanover in 1692
				Electorate of Hanover (1692–1866)
		Annexed by France
		Brunswick (1813–1918)
				Annexed by Prussia

Table of rulers

Ruler		Born	Reign	Death	Ruling part	Consort	Notes
Elder House of Welf
Welf (I)		760	c. 800-825	825	County of Altdorf	Hedwig of Bavaria four children	Eponymous founder of the family
Conrad I the Elder		?	825–864	864	County of Altdorf	Adelaide of Tours three children
Welf I		?	864–876	876	County of Altdorf	Unknown at least one child
Conrad II the Younger		?	864–876	876	County of Auxerre	Waldrada of Worms one child
Eticho		c. 850	876–911	c. 911	County of Altdorf	Egila three children
Rudolf I		859	876–911	25 October 911	County of Auxerre (until 888) Kingdom of Upper Burgundy (from 888)	Guilla of Provence c. 880 four children	First King of Burgundy, from 888.
Henry (I) of the Golden Chariot		c. 880	911–935	c. 935	County of Altdorf	Atha of Hohenwart three children
Rudolf II		11 July 880	911–937	11 July 937	Kingdom of Upper Burgundy	Bertha of Swabia 922 two children	Also King of Italy (922–926).
Rudolf I		c. 910	935–950	c. 950	County of Altdorf	Siburgis at least one child
Conrad III the Peaceful		925	937–993	19 October 993	Kingdom of Upper Burgundy	Adelaide of Bellay one child Matilda of France 866 four children
Rudolf II		c. 940	950–990	c. 990	County of Altdorf	Ita of Öhningen three children
Henry (II)		c. 960	990–1000	15 November 1000	County of Altdorf	Unmarried	Left no descendants. He was succeeded by his brother.
Rudolf III the Pious		970	993–1032	6 September 1032	Kingdom of Upper Burgundy	Agiltrude (d.1011) no children Ermengarde of Burgundy 28 June 1011 no children	After his childless death, the Kingdom was annexed by the Holy Roman Empire.
Welf II		c. 960	1000–1030	10 March 1030	County of Altdorf	Imiza of Luxembourg 1017 two children
Welf III		1007	1030–1055	13 November 1055	County of Altdorf	Unmarried	Also Duke of Carinthia. Left no descendants, and the lands passed to his nephews, sons of his sister Kunigunde.
Younger House of Welf
Welf IV		c. 1035/40	1055–1101	6 November 1101	County of Altdorf	Ethelinde of Northeim 1062 no children Judith of Flanders 1071 three children	Son of Kunigunde of Altdorf and Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, inherited his maternal family's possessions. Also Duke of Bavaria (1070–1077 and 1096–1101).
Welf V the Fat		1072	1101–1120	24 September 1120	County of Altdorf	Matilda of Tuscany 1088/89 no children	Left no children, and the county went to his brother. Also Duke of Bavaria.
Henry (III) the Black		1075	1120–1126	13 December 1126	County of Altdorf	Wulfhilde of Saxony 1095 eight children	Inherited by marriage possessions in the Luneburg, to the north.
Welf VI		1115	1126–1191	15 December 1191	County of Altdorf	Uta of Schauenburg c. 1130 two children	Children of Henry the Black, Welf VI and Henry the Proud divided their inheritance: Welf VI kept the original possessions to the south, and Henry the northern ones, besides inheriting his father's title of Duke of Bavaria (1136–38), and conquering also the title of Duke of Saxony (1137–1139) inherited from their mother. Welf VI would also go on to become Margrave of Tuscany and Duke of Spoleto (1152–1160 and 1167–1173). In 1129, after Henry the Proud's defeat against Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor, his sister Sophia was given a seat at Regensburg. From c. 1150 until his death in 1167, Welf VI's son, Welf VII, was associated to his father, but predeceased him. After Welf VI's death, Altdorf was annexed to the Holy Roman Empire.
Henry (I) the Proud		1108	1126–1139	20 October 1139	Lordship of Lüneburg	Gertrude of Süpplingenburg 1202 one child
Sophia		1105	1129–1145	1145	County of Altdorf (at Regensburg)	Berthold III, Duke of Zähringen c. 1120 no children Leopold, Margrave of Styria c. 1122 four children
Welf VII		1135	c. 1150-1167	12 September 1167	County of Altdorf	Unmarried
Regency of Gertrude of Süpplingenburg (1139–1142)							Inherited Brunswick from his mother after her death in 1143. Also Duke of Saxony (1142–1180) and Duke of Bavaria (1156–1180). When Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, became king of Germany, he restored Bavaria to the Welf line.
Henry (II) the Lion		1129/31	1139–1195	6 August 1195	Lordship of Lüneburg	Clementia of Zähringen 1147 three children Matilda of England 1168 five children
Henry (III) the Elder		1173	1195–1213 1195–1212	28 April 1227	Lordship of Lüneburg County Palatine of the Rhine	Agnes of Hohenstaufen 1193 three children Agnes of Landsberg 1209 no children	Inherited the land jointly until 1213, when after William's death, they resigned this possessions in favor that William's son, the inheritor of the Luneburg property. Henry was Count Palatine of the Rhine (1195–1213), and Otto was Holy Roman Emperor (1212–1218).
Otto		1175	1195–1213	19 May 1218	Lordship of Lüneburg	Beatrice of Swabia 1212 no children Maria of Brabant 19 May 1214 Maastricht no children
William Longsword		11 April 1184	1195–1213	12 December 1213	Lordship of Lüneburg	Helena of Denmark 1202 Hamburg one child
Henry (IV) the Younger		1196	1212–1214	26 April 1214	County Palatine of the Rhine	Unmarried	After his death the Palatinate was inherited by the House of Wittelsbach, to which his sister Agnes had married.
Regency of Otto IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1213–1218)							He was raised to Duke and recognised as such in 1235, by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto I the Child		1204	1213–1252	9 June 1252	Brunswick-Lüneburg	Matilda of Brandenburg 1228 ten children
Albert I the Tall		1236	1252–1279	15 August 1279	Brunswick (in Brunswick-Lüneburg until 1269)	Elisabeth of Brabant 1254 no children Alexia of Montferrat 1263 seven children	Children of Otto I, they shared rule of the land until 1269. Albert became Prince of Brunswick and John a Prince of Luneburg.
John		1242	1252–1277	13 December 1277	Lüneburg (in Brunswick-Lüneburg until 1269)	Liutgard of Holstein-Itzehoe 1265 five children
All Welf lines continued to bear the title "Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg" between the division of 1269 and the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806. This was an additional title to the representation of their actual territorial lordship. However, as this is a list of rulers, the list goes beyond the use of the title, going through all generations until the end of the noble family representation in the land, in 1918.
Regencies of Albert I, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1277–1279) and Conrad of Brunswick-Lüneburg, Prince-Bishop of Verden (1277–1282)							His rule was marked by several feuds, financed by pledges (Verpfändungen), involving border and property disputes with his neighbours. Otto restricted the rights of the knights and safeguarded public order.
Otto II the Strict		1266	1277–1330	10 April 1330	Lüneburg	Matilda of Bavaria 1288 five children
Henry I the Admirable		August 1267	1279–1322	7 September 1322	Grubenhagen (until 1291 in Brunswick)	Agnes of Meissen 1282 sixteen children	Children of Albert I, ruled jointly. In 1291 divided the land: Henry received Grubenhagen, William Wolfenbüttel and Albert Göttingen. William died without descendants, and Albert reunited his land with his brother's. Wolfenbüttel became part of Göttingen.
William I		1270	1279–1292	30 September 1292	Wolfenbüttel (until 1291 in Brunswick)	Elisabeth of Hesse 190 no children
Albert II the Fat		1268	1279–1318	22 September 1318	Göttingen (until 1291 in Brunswick)	Rixa of Werle 1284 ten children
Otto (I) the Mild		24 June 1292	1318–1344	30 August 1344	Göttingen	Judith of Hesse 1311 no children Agnes of Brandenburg-Salzwedel 1319 no children	Sons of Albert II, ruled jointly. After Otto's death Magnus and Ernest divided the land: Magnus received Wolfenbüttel and Ernest Göttingen.
Ernest I		1305	1318–1367	24 April 1367	Göttingen	Elizabeth of Hesse 1337 three children
Magnus I the Pious		1304	1318–1344	1369	Göttingen	Sophia of Brandenburg-Stendal 1327 eight children
			1344–1369		Wolfenbüttel
Henry II		Before 1296	1322–1351	After 1351	Grubenhagen	Jutta of Brandenburg-Stendal 1318 four children Helvis of Ibelin 1324 six children	Sons of Henry I, ruled jointly.
Ernest I		1297	1322–1361	9 March 1361	Grubenhagen	Adelheid of Everstein-Polle June 1335 nine children
William		1298	1322–1360	1360	Grubenhagen	Unmarried
John I		Before 1296	1322–1325	After 1367	Grubenhagen	Unmarried
Otto III		1296	1330–1352	19 August 1352	Lüneburg	Matilda of Mecklenburg 1311 three children	Sons of Otto II, ruled jointly. After Otto's death in 1352, William ruled alone. His death without descendants precipitated the Lüneburg War of Succession in 1370.
William II the Elder		c. 1300	1330–1369	23 November 1369	Lüneburg	Hedwig of Ravensberg 7 April 1328 one child Maria After 1387 one child Sophia of Anhalt-Bernburg 12 March 1346 no children Agnes of Saxe-Lauenburg 1363 no children
Albert I		c. 1339	1361–1383	1383	Grubenhagen	Agnes of Brunswick-Lüneburg c. 1380? one child	Sons of Ernest I, ruled jointly. John II abdicated 1364 to join the clergy and Albert became sole ruler.
John II		c. 1339	1361–1364	18 January 1401	Grubenhagen	Adelheid of Everstein-Polle June 1335 nine children
Frederick I		1350	1361–1421	1421	Grubenhagen (at Osterode)	Adelaide of Anhalt-Zerbst (d. before 1421) one child
Otto (II) the Evil		1330	1367–1394	13 November 1394	Göttingen	Margarethe of Jülich-Berg 1379 two children
Magnus II of the Necklace (Torquatus)		1304	1369–1373	25 July 1373	Wolfenbüttel (with Lüneburg)	Katherine of Anhalt-Bernburg 1327 eight children	Inherited Wolfenbüttel from his father. However, the Lüneburg War of Succession allowed his succession also in this duchy. However, the War of Succession brought, after his death, the dukes of Saxe-Wittenberg to the government.
After the death of Magnus II with the Necklace, a treaty (the Reconciliation of Hanover) was agreed between the widow of Magnus II and her sons and the claimers, Albert of Saxe-Wittenberg and his uncle Duke Wenceslaus I of Saxe-Wittenberg: the estates of the Principality were to pay homage both to the Welfs and to the Ascanians, and the two noble houses would govern the state alternately. Initially, the land would be given to the two Ascanians from Wittenberg, and after their death it would go to the sons of the fallen Duke Magnus II. After their death, rule of the Principality was to revert to the Ascanians. In order to underpin the agreement, in 1374 Albert of Saxe-Lüneburg married Catharina, the widow of Magnus II. The treaty also envisaged the creation of a statutory body representing the estates, which was to supervise the treaty. However, 1373–1388 would be the only period in which a Brunswick-Luneburg land was not ruled by a Welf: Albert of Saxe-Wittenberg (1373–1385) Wenceslaus I, Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg (1385–1388) In the wake of his death, Elector Wenceslas appointed Bernard, his brother-in-law, as co-regent involved him in the government. But his younger brother Henry did not agree with this ruling, and after vain attempts to reach an agreement, the fight flared up again in the spring of 1388. Elector Wenceslas had to assemble an army without the help of Bernard, supported by the town of Lüneburg. From Winsen an der Aller, he wanted to attack Celle, which was held by Henry and his mother. During the preparations Elector Wenceslas fell seriously ill and died shortly thereafter. According to legend, he was poisoned. Lüneburg continued the preparations, formed an alliance with the Bishop of Minden and Count of Schaumburg and set up his own army. On 28 May 1388, battle was joined at Winsen an der Aller; it ended in victory for Henry. According to the provisions of the Treaty of Hanover from the year 1373, after the death of Wensceslas, the Principality passed to the House of Welf. In 1389, an inheritance agreement between the Welfs and the Ascanians was concluded, the treaty of 1374 was abolished, and the Principality was secured for the Welfs.
Frederick I		1357	1373–1400	5 June 1400	Wolfenbüttel	Anna of Saxe-Wittenberg 1386 two children	Children of Magnus II. As the eldest, Frederick inherited Wolfenbuttel alone, while his younger brothers held Luneburg sinceits recovery in 1388. After Frederick I's childless death in 1400, the remaining brothers exchanged feuds until 1428.
Henry (I) the Mild		1355	1388–1416	14 October 1416	Lüneburg	Sophia of Pomerania 11 November 1388 two children Margaret of Hesse 30 January 1409 one child
			1400–1409		Wolfenbüttel
Bernard I		between 1358 and 1364	1388–1409 1428–1434	11 June 1434	Lüneburg	Margaret of Saxe-Wittenberg 1386 three children
			1409–1428		Wolfenbüttel
Regency of Frederick I, Duke of Brunswick-Osterode (1383–1401)
Eric I the Winner		c. 1383	1383–1427	28 May 1427	Grubenhagen	Elisabeth of Brunswick-Göttingen six children
Otto (III) the One-Eyed		1380	1394–1463	6 February 1463	Göttingen	Agnes of Hesse 1408 one child	With no male heirs, after his death Göttingen is absorbed by Calenberg.
William (III & I) the Victorious		1392	1416–1428	25 July 1482	Lüneburg	Cecilia of Brandenburg 30 May/6 June 1423 Berlin two children Matilda of Holstein-Pinneberg 1466 one child	Sons of Henry the Mild, ruled jointly. In 1428 they exchanged, with their uncle Bernard I, Lüneburg for Wolfenbüttel. In 1432 founded the Principality of Calenberg, a split-off from Lüneburg, and left the remaining Wolfenbüttel to his brother Henry IV. After the latter's death William took his lands. In 1463, attached the Principality of Göttingen to Calenberg. In 1473, William also annexed Wolfenbüttel.
			1428–1432		Wolfenbüttel
			1432–1482		Calenberg (with Göttingen from 1463, and Wolfenbüttel from 1473)
Henry (II) the Peaceful		1411	1416–1428	7 December 1473	Lüneburg	Helena of Clèves 1436 one child
			1428–1473		Wolfenbüttel
Otto II		1396	1421–1452	1452	Grubenhagen (at Osterode)	Schonetta of Nassau-Weilburg (d.1436) 1414 one child	After his death, Osterode returned to Grubenhagen.
Regency of Otto II, Duke of Brunswick-Osterode (1427–1440)							Sons of Eric I, were under regency until 1440, when they divided Grubenhagen. Henry kept Heldenburg Castle, and Albert Herzberg Castle, but kept the joint rule at Osterode am Harz and Einbeck. Ernest didn't participate in the division, and abdicated in 1464, to become a canon in Halberstadt.
Henry III		1416	1427–1464	20 December 1464	Grubenhagen (at Heldenburg from 1440)	Margaret of Żagań before 27 June 1457 two children
Albert II		1 November 1419	1427–1485	15 August 1485	Grubenhagen (at Herzberg)	Elisabeth of Waldeck 15 October 1471 two children
Ernest II		1418	1427–1466	1466	Grubenhagen	Unmarried
Otto IV the Lame		?	1434–1446	1446	Lüneburg	Elisabeth of Eberstein 1425 one child	Ruled jointly. Their rule was marked by major building work to Celle Castle and also by numerous reforms which improved the legal situation of farmers vis-a-vis their local lords. Frederick abdicated to his sons and went to a monastery, but after the death of his son Otto, he left the monastery and resumed his rule.
Frederick II the Pious		1418	1434–1457 1471–1478	19 March 1478	Lüneburg	Magdalene of Brandenburg 3 July 1429 Tangermünde three children
Otto V the Magnanimous		1439	1457–1471	9 January 1471	Lüneburg	Anne of Nassau-Siegen 25 September 1467 Celle two children	Children of Frederick II, ruled jointly. Bernard was also Prince-Bishop of Hildesheim.
Bernard II		1437	1457–1464	1464	Lüneburg	Matilda of Holstein-Pinneberg 1463 no children
Regency of Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen (1464–1479)							With his uncle Albert, officialized the division of Grubenhagen. However, his death without descendants allowed his cousins (sons of Albert) to reunite Grubenhagen.
Henry IV		1460	1464–1526	6 December 1526	Grubenhagen (at Heldenburg)	Elisabeth of Saxe-Lauenburg 26 August 1494 Einbeck no children
Regency of Anne of Nassau-Siegen (1478–1486)							Son of Otto V. As he opposed to the newly elected Emperor Charles V, the latter deposed him from the duchy and gave it to his sons.
Henry (III) the Middle		15 September 1468	1478–1520	19 February 1532	Lüneburg	Margaret of Saxony 27 February 1487 Celle seven children Anna von Camp c. 1528? no children
Frederick III the Turbulent		1424	1482–1485	7 July 1503	Calenberg	Anna of Brunswick-Grubenhagen-Einbeck After 1460 no children Margaret of Rietberg 10 May 1483 no children	Imprisoned by his brother William, who took his place.
William (IV & II) the Younger		1425	1482–1485	7 July 1503	Wolfenbüttel	Elizabeth of Stolberg-Wernigerode 1444 three children	Inherited Wolfenbüttel from his father. Joined Calenberg to his domains in 1485, when he imprisoned his brother. Abdicated to his sons in 1491.
			1485–1491		Calenberg (with Wolfenbüttel)
Philip I		1476	1485–1551	4 September 1551	Grubenhagen (at Herzberg; from 1526 all Grubenhagen)	Unknown before 1509 one child Catherine of Mansfeld-Vorderort c. 1510? nine children	Son of Albert V, in 1526 reunited Grubenhagen under his hands.
Eric I the Elder		16 February 1470	1491–1540	30 July 1540	Calenberg	Katharina of Saxony 1496/97 no children Elisabeth of Brandenburg 7 July 1525 Stettin four children	Sons of William V, ruled jointly. In 1494, they divided their lands. Henry retained Wolfenbüttel and Eric retained Calenberg.
Henry (IV) the Elder		14 June 1463	1491–1494	23 June 1514	Calenberg	Catherine of Pomerania-Wolgast 1486 nine children
			1494–1514		Wolfenbüttel
Henry (V) the Younger		10 November 1489	1514–1568	11 June 1568	Wolfenbüttel	Maria of Württemberg 1515 eight children Sophia of Poland 22/25 February 1556 no children	He was the last Catholic of his family. Under him the medieval fortress (Burg) was rebuilt into a castle (Schloss); he was a passionate opponent of the Lutherans, and driving force behind the Catholic alliance established against the Schmalkaldic League; the disinheritance of a third son could not be carried out.
Otto (VI & I)		24 August 1495	1520–1549	11 August 1549	Lüneburg (from 1527 in Harburg)	Meta von Camp 1527 no children	Sons of Henry VII, ruled jointly. Otto abdicated in 1527 and founded his own estate, the Lordship of Harburg, which passed to his own descendants. Ernest was a champion of the Protestant cause during the early years of the Protestant Reformation. Francis started his co-rulership in 1536, and abdicated three years later to rule in his own estate, the Principality of Gifhorn, which was reannexed to Lüneburg after his death as he left no descendants.
Ernest I the Confessor		27 June 1497	1520–1546	11 January 1546	Lüneburg	Sophia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin 2 June 1528 Schwerin seven children
Francis		23 November 1508	1536–1539	23 November 1549	Lüneburg	Clara of Saxe-Lauenburg 29 September 1547 Amt Neuhaus seven children
Regencies of Elisabeth of Brandenburg and Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse (1540–1545)							During his regency, his mother implemented the Reformation in Calenberg. She also wrote a "government manual" for Eric, with important advice that should serve him as a guide. Left no descendants, and Calenberg was annexed to Wolfenbüttel.
Eric II		10 August 1528	1540–1584	17 November 1584	Calenberg	Sidonie of Saxony 17 May 1545 Hann. Münden no children Dorothea of Lorraine 26 November 1575 Nancy no children
Council of Regency (1546–1555)							Left no descendants. The land passed to his brothers.
Francis Otto		20 June 1530	1546–1559	29 April 1559	Lüneburg	Elizabeth Magdalene of Brandenburg 1559 no children
Otto II		25 September 1528	1549–1603	26 October 1603	Lüneburg (in Harburg)	Margaret of Schwarzburg-Leutenberg 8 September 1551 four children Hedwig of East Frisia 8 October 1562 twelve children
Ernest III		17 December 1518	1551–1567	2 April 1567	Grubenhagen	Margaret of Pomerania-Wolgast 9 October 1547 Wolgast one child	Left no male descendants. The land passed to his brother Wolfgang.
Henry (VI)		1533	1559–1598	19 January 1598	Lüneburg (from 1569 in Dannenberg)	Ursula of Saxe-Lauenburg 1569 seven children	Brothers of Francis Otto, ruled jointly. In 1569 Henry founded the duchy of Dannenberg, which left to his own descendants. William ruled alone from 1569.
William V the Younger		4 July 1535	1559–1592	20 August 1592	Lüneburg	Dorothea of Denmark 12 October 1561 fifteen children
Wolfgang		6 April 1531	1567–1595	14 May 1595	Grubenhagen	Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg 10 December 1570 Osterode am Harz no children	Like most of his predecessors, he had financial problems, so he was often forced to sell or pledge major parts of his possession and he had to demand high taxes. As he left no male descendants, the land passed to his brother Philip.
Julius		29 June 1528	1568–1589	3 May 1589	Wolfenbüttel	Hedwig of Brandenburg 25 February 1560 Cölln eleven children	In 1584 absorbes the Principality of Calenberg. By embracing the Protestant Reformation, establishing the University of Helmstedt, and introducing a series of administrative reforms, Julius was one of the most important Brunswick dukes in the early modern era.
Ernest II		31 December 1564	1592–1611	2 March 1611	Lüneburg	Unmarried	Left no descendants. The land passed to his brother, Christian.
Henry Julius		15 October 1564	1589–1613	30 July 1613	Wolfenbüttel	Dorothea of Saxony 26 September 1585 Wolfenbüttel one child Elizabeth of Denmark 19 April 1590 Cölln ten children	In 1596 occupied Grubenhagen.
Philip II		2 May 1533	1595–1596	4 April 1596	Grubenhagen	Clara of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 1 July 1560 Wolfenbüttel no children	As he left no male descendants, the land had no heir and was occupied by the Principality of Wolfenbüttel.
Grubenhagen annexed to Wolfenbüttel, and then definitely to Lüneburg
Julius Ernest		11 March 1571	1598–1636	26 October 1636	Lüneburg (at Dannenberg)	Maria of East Frisia 1 September 1614 two children Sybille of Brunswick-Lüneburg 1616 two children	Left no descendants. The short-lived Dannenberg principality reverted to Lüneburg.
William Augustus		15 March 1564	1603–1642	30 March 1642	Lüneburg (in Harburg)	Unmarried	Sons of Otto II, ruled together in Harburg. After William Augustus' death, the lordship reunited with Lüneburg.
Otto III		20 March 1572	1603–1641	4 August 1641	Lüneburg (in Harburg)	Hedwig of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 14 April 1621 Wolfenbüttel no children
Christopher		21 August 1570	1603–1606	7 July 1606	Lüneburg (in Harburg)	Elisabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 28 October 1604 Harburg no children
Regency of Elizabeth of Denmark (1616–1622)							Children of Henry Julius. Frederick Ulirch inheriteed the major duchy, and Sophie Hedwig a seat at Spiegelberg. Because of his alcoholism, Frederick Ulrich was deposed by his own mother, with the help of her brother, Christian IV of Denmark. She took the regency in his name. During her regency, Elizabeth lost in 1617 the Principality of Grubenhagen and left the government business for Anton von Streithorst, who nearly ruined the state by minting coins from cheap metals and thus causing inflation. Because of the bad situation of the state, the king of Denmark had Frederick take control of the government again. Frederick didn't leave descendants, and his lands passed to collateral lines of the Lüneburg Welfs.
Frederick Ulrich		5 April 1591	1613–1634	11 August 1634	Wolfenbüttel	Anna Sophia of Brandenburg 4 September 1614 Wolfenbüttel no children
Sophia Hedwig		13 June 1592	1613–1642	13 January 1642	Wolfenbüttel (at Spiegelberg)	Ernest Casimir I, Count of Nassau-Dietz 8 June 1607 Dillenburg two children
Christian the Elder		9 November 1566	1611–1633	8 November 1633	Lüneburg (with Grubenhagen from 1617)	Unmarried	Absorbed Grubenhagen from Wolfenbüttel. As he left no descendants, the land passed to his brother, Augustus. Grubenhagen is definitively annexed to Lüneburg.
Augustus the Elder		18 November 1568	1633–1636	1 October 1636	Lüneburg (and Grubenhagen)	Unmarried	No legitimate issue. The land passed to his brother, Frederick IV.
George		17 February 1582	1634–1641	2 April 1641	Calenberg	Anne Eleonore of Hesse-Darmstadt 14 December 1617 Darmstadt eight children	Younger son of William VI. Inherited Calenberg from his cousin Frederick Ulrich, who had left no descendants. Abdicated to his son in 1641.
Augustus the Younger		10 April 1579	1634–1666	17 September 1666	Wolfenbüttel	Clara Maria of Pomerania-Barth 13 December 1607 Strelitz two children Dorothea of Anhalt-Zerbst 26 October 1623 Zerbst five children Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg 1635 two children	Younger son of Henry (VI). Inherited Wolfenbüttel from his cousin Frederick Ulrich, who had left no descendants. In 1643 he moved into the Residence at Wolfenbüttel, was the founder of a barock theatre and the Bibliotheca Augusta.
Frederick IV		28 August 1574	1636–1648	10 December 1648	Lüneburg	Unmarried	As he left no descendants, the land passed to a nephew, Christian Louis, son of Frederick's brother George.
Christian Louis		25 February 1622	1641–1648	15 March 1665	Calenberg	Sophia Dorothea of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 9 October 1653 no children	In 1648 inherited the Principality of Lüneburg from his uncle Frederick IV, he gave Calenberg to his younger brother George William, and instead ruled the larger territory of Lüneburg.
			1648–1665		Lüneburg
George William		26 January 1624	1648–1665	28 August 1705	Calenberg	Éléonore Desmier d'Olbreuse 1676 one child	When his brother, Christian Louis died childless in 1665, George William inherited Luneburg. He then gave Calenberg to his next brother, John Frederick. At his death without male descendants, the land passed to his son-in-law, the Elector of Hanover. Lüneburg is annexed to Hanover.
			1665–1705		Lüneburg
Lüneburg definitely annexed to Hanôver
Rudolf Augustus		16 May 1627	1666–1704	26 January 1704	Wolfenbüttel	Christiane Elizabeth of Barby-Mühlingen 1650 three children Rosine Elisabeth Menthe 1681 (morganatic) no children	Sons of Augustus II, the eldest two ruled jointly from 1685 to 1702. The youngest, Ferdinand Albert, ruled from the town of Bevern. According to reports dating to 1677, Rudolf Augustus slashed a way through the Lechlum Forest, the Alten Weg ("Old Way"), later the "Barock Road" between the Lustschloss of Antoinettenruh via the little barock castle [later the Sternhaus] to the Großes Weghaus at Stöckheim; in 1671 captured the town and fortress of Brunswick. After the death of Rudolf Augustus, Anthony Ulrich returned to the throne and ruled alone. A politician, art lover and poet, he founded a museum named after him in Brunswick; he had also Salzdahlum Castle built.
Anthony Ulrich		4 October 1633	1685–1702 1704–1714	27 March 1714	Wolfenbüttel	Elizabeth Juliana of Schleswig-Holstein-Sønderburg-Nordborg 17 August 1656 thirteen children
Ferdinand Albert I		22 May 1636	1666–1687	23 April 1687	Wolfenbüttel (at Bevern)	Christine of Hesse-Eschwege 25 November 1667 Eschwege six children
John Frederick		25 April 1625	1665–1679	18 December 1679	Calenberg	Benedicta Henrietta of the Palatinate 30 November 1668 Hanover three children	Brother of Christian Louis and George William. As he left no male heirs, the land passed to his younger brother, Ernest Augustus.
Ernest Augustus I		20 November 1629	1679–1692	23 January 1698	Calenberg	Sophia of the Palatinate 30 September 1658 Heidelberg seven children	Youngest son of George. Brother of Christian Louis, George William and John Frederick. In 1692, he was appointed Prince-elector by Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, thus raising the House of Welf to electoral dignity. The old Principality of Calenberg thus adopted the new name of Electorate of Hanover.
			1692–1698		Electorate of Hanover
George I Louis		28 May 1660	1698–1705	11 June 1727	Electorate of Hanover	Sophia Dorothea of Brunswick-Lüneburg 22 November 1682 Celle (annulled 1694) two children	The electorship became effective under his rule. In 1705 reunited his father-in-law's princedom of Lüneburg to the Electorate. In 1714 was chosen for King of Great Britain, starting a personal union between Hanover and this new country. Lüneburg was definitely annexed to the Electorate. Thus the Wolfenbüttel was the remaining old land of Brunswick-Lüneburg that remained separate.
Augustus William		8 March 1662	1714–1731	23 March 1731	Wolfenbüttel	Christine Sophie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 1681 no children Sophie Amalie of Holstein-Gottorp 1695 no children Elisabeth Sophie Marie of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderborg-Norburg 1710 no children	Son of Anthony Ulrich. Ruler of the only land that was still not in Hanoverian lands, to which it would never belong.
George II Augustus		30 October / 9 November 1683O.S./N.S.	1727–1760	25 October 1760	Electorate of Hanover	Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach 22 August / 2 September 1705O.S./N.S. Hanover ten children	In personal union with Great Britain.
Louis Rudolph		22 July 1671	1731–1735	1 March 1735	Wolfenbüttel	Christine Louise of Oettingen-Oettingen 22 April 1690 Aurich three children	Left no male heirs, and his land passed to a collateral line.
Ferdinand Albert II		29 May 1680	1687–1735 1735	2 September 1735	Wolfenbüttel (in Bevern) Wolfenbüttel	Antoinette Amalie of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 15 October 1712 Brunswick thirteen children	From the line of Brunswick-Bevern. Grandson of Augustus II.
Charles I		1 August 1713	1735–1773	26 March 1780	Wolfenbüttel	Philippine Charlotte of Prussia 2 June 1733 Berlin thirteen children	Founder of the Collegium Carolinum in Brunswick, the porcelain makers of Fürstenberg, the fire office; in 1753 the Residence was moved to Brunswick.
George III William Frederick		4 June 1738	1760–1811	29 January 1820	Electorate of Hanover	Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 8 September 1761 London fifteen children	In personal union with Great Britain.
Charles II William Ferdinand		9 October 1735	1773–1806	10 November 1806	Wolfenbüttel	Augusta of Great Britain 16 January 1764 London seven children	Due to financial problems, was obliged to replace his father. He was the head of the Prussian Army; died in the Battle of Jena; because his son and heir died young, and two other sons were not eligible, rule passed to his youngest son.
With the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, the title of Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg ceased to exist. However, its successor states continued.
Frederick William the Black Duke		9 October 1771	1806–1807 1813–1815	16 June 1815	Wolfenbüttel (1813–15) Brunswick (1806–07)	Marie Elisabeth Wilhelmine of Baden 1 November 1802 Karlsruhe three children	Duke of Oels/Silesia, the "Black Duke"; recruited a Freikorps (volunteer corps), the Black Brunswickers, at the outbreak of the War of the Fifth Coalition in Bohemia in 1809, and made his way via Brunswick to the North Sea and then on to Great Britain.
On the Eve of Napoleonic era, in 1807 the Duchy was briefly annexed to the Kingdom of France, to appear again in 1813 as Duchy of Brunswick.
George IV Augustus Frederick		12 August 1762	1811–1830	26 June 1830	Electorate of Hanover (until 1814) Kingdom of Hanover (from 1814)	Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel 8 April 1795 London one child	In personal union with the United Kingdom. Named regent of his father due to his illness, succeeding him after his death in 1820. Left no male descendants. The land passed to his brother.
Regency of George IV of the United Kingdom (1815–1823)							On the eve of the July Revolution of 1830, Charles was in Paris, and did not manage to keep the duchy for himself; his brother William took over with the agreement of the people and his international neighbours.
Charles II		30 October 1804	1815–1830	18 August 1873	Brunswick	Unmarried
William Henry		21 August 1765	1830–1837	20 June 1837	Kingdom of Hanover	Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen 13 July 1818 London four children	In personal union with the United Kingdom. Usually numbered IV as King of Hanover and the United Kingdom. As he left only illegitimate descendants, the land passed to his brother.
William		25 April 1806	1830–1884	18 October 1884	Brunswick	Unmarried	Brother of Charles II.
Victoria		24 May 1819	1837–1901	22 January 1901	United Kingdom	Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 10 February 1840 St James's Palace nine children	End of personal union with the United Kingdom, as in this country the successor in 1837 was Queen Victoria (in Hanover the Salic Law was still active).
Ernest Augustus		5 June 1771	1837–1851	18 November 1851	Kingdom of Hanover	Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 29 May 1815 Neustrelitz three children
George V Frederick		27 May 1819	1851–1866	12 June 1878	Kingdom of Hanover	Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (I) 18 February 1843 Hanover three children	He was the last king of Hanover, as his reign ended with the Unification of Germany.
Hanôver annexed to the German Empire
Regencies of Prince Albert of Prussia (1885–1906) and Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1906–1913)							His regency came to an end on 1 November 1913 when Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover's son, was permitted to ascend to Duchy following his marriage to Princess Victoria Louise of Prussia. In 1918, with the abolition of the monarchy, all nobles titles were equally abolished.
Ernest Augustus		17 November 1887	1913–1918	30 January 1953	Brunswick	Victoria Louise of Prussia 24 May 1913 Berlin five children

Family trees

Welf family tree 12th century

Welf family tree 18th century to present

Some direct ancestors (fathers and sons) of the present generation are:

• Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover (1771–1851), Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale from 1799, king from 1837
• George V of Hanover (1819–1878)
• Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover (1845–1923)
• Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick (1887–1953)
• Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover (1914–1987)
• Ernest Augustus, Prince of Hanover (born 1954)

See also

• Guelph
• Guelph Treasure
• Family tree of German monarchs

External links

• Die Welfen. Official site (in German)
• Succession laws in the House of Welf