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Count of Hainaut

Ruler of the county of Hainaut From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Count of Hainaut
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The Count of Hainaut (French: Comte de Hainaut; Dutch: Graaf van Henegouwen; German: Graf von Hennegau) was the ruler of the county of Hainaut, a historical region in the Low Countries (including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany). In English-language historical sources, the title is often given the older spelling Hainault.

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Coat of arms of the county of Hainaut
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List of counts of Hainaut

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10th century

Throughout the 10th century, it is uncertain whether the region of Hainaut was ever united under one count. Separate counties may for example have existed based at the forts of Mons and Valenciennes.

Counts of Mons

Counts and Margraves of Valenciennes

Under Herman and Richilde Hainaut was united in a single consolidated County of Hainaut.

House of Flanders

The Counties of Flanders and Hainaut were claimed by Margaret's sons, the half-brothers John I of Avesnes and William III of Dampierre in the War of the Flemish Succession. In 1246, King Louis IX of France awarded Hainaut to John. Margaret refused to hand over the government, but was forced to do so in 1254 by John and the German anti-king William II, Count of Holland.

House of Avesnes

House of Flanders

  • Margaret I (r. 1257–1280), resumed control after John I's death

House of Avesnes

House of Bavaria

Jacqueline was opposed by her uncle John, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing, son of Count Albert I in a war of succession. John's claims devolved upon Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, a nephew of William IV, whose mother had been the sister of William. In April 1433 he forced Jacqueline to abdicate from Hainaut and Holland in his favour.

House of Burgundy

House of Habsburg

Charles II proclaimed the Pragmatic Sanction of 1549 eternally uniting Hainaut with the other lordships of the Low Countries in a personal union. When the Habsburg empire was divided among the heirs of Charles V, the Low Countries, including Hainaut, went to Philip II of Spain, of the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg.

Between 1706 and 1714 the Low Countries were invaded by the English and the Dutch during the War of the Spanish Succession. The fief was claimed by the House of Habsburg and the House of Bourbon. In 1714, the Treaty of Rastatt settled the succession and the County of Hainaut went to the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg.

  • Charles IV (r. 1714–1740), great grandson of Philip III, als Holy Roman Emperor (elect)
  • Mary Theresa (r. 1740–1780), daughter of Charles IV, married Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
  • Joseph I (r. 1780–1790), son of Maria Theresa and Francis I, also Holy Roman Emperor
  • Leopold I (r. 1790–1792), son of Maria Theresa and Francis I, also Holy Roman Emperor
  • Francis I (r. 1792–1835), son of Leopold I, also Holy Roman Emperor

The title was factually abolished in the aftermath of the French Revolution and the annexation of Flanders by France in 1795. Although, the title remained officially claimed by the descendants of Leopold I until the reign of Charles I of Austria.

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Family tree (1055–1433)

ThumbIda of LouvainJoanna of FlandersRaoul of ClermontMargaret of Cleves

Modern usage

House of Belgium

In the Kingdom of Belgium, the title of Count of Hainaut was traditionally given to the eldest son of the Belgian crown prince, who was himself styled as Duke of Brabant. In 2001, with the birth of Princess Elisabeth of Belgium (now Duchess of Brabant), heir and elder daughter of Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant (now Philippe, King of the Belgians), it was decided not to feminize and award her the title of Countess of Hainaut, but to abolish the title.

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