duchy · France and the Low Countries

Duchy of Bourbon

1327 CE – 1527 CE · capital Moulins

The central French duchy of a Capetian branch whose last great duke betrayed Francis I and whose cousins later became kings of France.

Origins

The lords of Bourbon had held the Bourbonnais since the 10th century. In 1272 the heiress Beatrice of Bourbon married Robert of Clermont, son of Louis IX, and in 1327 Charles IV raised the barony to a duchy for their son Louis I, creating the Capetian house of Bourbon.

Rule and society

The dukes ruled from Moulins and gathered Forez, Beaujolais, Auvergne and La Marche through marriage and inheritance, making their lands one of France's largest princely blocs. Louis II, called the Good Duke, was a model crusading prince. Anne of France and her husband Peter II governed the kingdom during the minority of Charles VIII.

Decline and legacy

Charles III, constable of France, fell out with Francis I, who claimed his lands; he joined Charles V in 1523 and was killed leading the sack of Rome in 1527. His lands were confiscated and joined to the Kingdom of France, but a younger Bourbon line gave France Henry IV.

Lineage

Lordship of Beaujeu 950 CE – 1400 CEDuchy of BourbonKingdom of France 987 CE – 1792 CE

Connections (1)

More states of France and the Low Countries →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Duchy of Bourbon. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bourbon
MLA
“Duchy of Bourbon.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bourbon. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Duchy of Bourbon.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bourbon.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Duchy of Bourbon’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/duchy-of-bourbon (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻