other · Poland, Lithuania and Russia

Royal Prussia

1466 CE – 1772 CE

The western part of Prussia that rebelled against the Teutonic Knights and lived for three centuries under the Polish Crown, keeping its own diet and privileges.

Origins

In 1454 the towns and nobles of the Prussian Confederation rose against the State of the Teutonic Order and placed themselves under King Casimir IV of Poland. After the Thirteen Years' War, the Second Peace of Thorn in 1466 gave Poland Pomerelia, Chelmno Land, Malbork, Elblag and the Prince-Bishopric of Warmia, which together formed Royal Prussia.

Rule and society

Royal Prussia kept wide autonomy, with its own diet, council and laws, and its great cities of Gdansk, Torun and Elblag were largely German-speaking and Lutheran after the Reformation. Gdansk shipped Polish grain to Amsterdam and became the Commonwealth's richest city. Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Torun in 1473. After the Union of Lublin in 1569 the province was drawn more closely into the Crown.

Decline and legacy

The First Partition of Poland in 1772 gave most of Royal Prussia to the Kingdom of Prussia, which made it the province of West Prussia, and Gdansk and Torun followed in 1793. Gdansk later became the Free City of Danzig (1807-1814).

Lineage

State of the Teutonic Order 1226 CE – 1525 CERoyal Prussia

Connections (4)

Royal Prussia was part of Kingdom of Poland (1385-1569)1466 CE – 1569 CE
Prince-Bishopric of Warmia was part of Royal Prussia1466 CE – 1772 CE
Royal Prussia was part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth1569 CE – 1772 CE
Royal Prussia was conquered by Kingdom of Prussia1772 CE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Royal Prussia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/royal-prussia
MLA: “Royal Prussia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/royal-prussia. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Royal Prussia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/royal-prussia.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Royal Prussia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/royal-prussia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻