kingdom · Poland, Lithuania and Russia

Kingdom of Lithuania

1251 CE – 1263 CE

The only crowned kingdom in Lithuanian history, created when Mindaugas accepted Catholic baptism and a royal crown from the Pope.

Origins

Mindaugas had united the Lithuanian lands by the 1240s but faced a coalition of rivals backed by the Livonian Order. To split his enemies he accepted baptism in 1251, and Pope Innocent IV authorised his coronation, which took place in July 1253, probably in Vilnius.

Rule and society

As king, Mindaugas ruled a mainly pagan land with a small Catholic church and a bishop appointed for Lithuania. He granted lands, including parts of Samogitia, to the Livonian Order in return for its support. The kingdom brought Lithuania into the diplomatic world of Latin Europe while Mindaugas extended his power over Black Ruthenia.

Decline and legacy

After the Samogitians crushed the Livonian Order at Durbe in 1260, Mindaugas broke with the order and seems to have abandoned Christianity. He was murdered in 1263 by his nephew Treniota and Daumantas, and the royal title lapsed. The state continued as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania; his coronation is marked by a Lithuanian national holiday.

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻