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Monarchy of Lithuania
Coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.svg
Mendog 1578.png
Details
Style His/Her Majesty
First monarch Mindaugas I
Last monarch Stanisław II August
Formation 1236
Abolition 1795
Residence Mindaugas' Castle, Voruta (1253−1263)
Gediminas' Castle, Vilnius (late 13th century−late 15th century)
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, Vilnius (late 15th century−1665)
New Grodno Castle, Grodno (second half of the 18th century)
Appointer Hereditary (1253–1574)
Szlachta (1574–1795)
Hereditary (1918)
Pretender(s) Prince Inigo of Urach (disputed)

The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Lithuania, which was established as an absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three ducal dynasties—the House of Mindaugas, the House of Gediminas, and the House of Jagiellon. Despite this, the one and only crowned king of Lithuania was King Mindaugas I. In two more instances, royal nobles were not crowned due to political circumstances, but held de jure recognition abroad —Vytautas the Great by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, and Mindaugas II by Pope Benedict XV.

Others were seen as kings of Lithuania even though they had only considered it and never took further action to claim the throne, as in the case of Gediminas who was recognised as king of Lithuania by Pope John XXII. The hereditary monarchy in Lithuania was first established in the 13th century during the reign of Mindaugas I and officially re-established as a constitutional monarchy on 11 July 1918, only to be abandoned soon afterwards on 2 November 1918.

During the inaugurations of Lithuanian monarchs until 1569, Gediminas' Cap was placed on the monarch's head by the Bishop of Vilnius in Vilnius Cathedral.

Lithuania in the present day is a representative democracy in a semi-presidential system based on popular sovereignty, as defined in the current Constitution of Lithuania, and has no monarchy.

Titles

King

The full title held by king of Lithuania from 1253 to 1263 was:

In Lithuanian: Dievo malonės, Lietuvos karalius

In Latin: Dei Gratia Rex Lettowiae

In English: By the Grace of God, King of the Lithuania

The first mention of a Lithuanian king predates the establishment of the Christian kingdom itself: according to the Livonian Rhymed Chronicle, Mindaugas' father was a great king who "had no equal in his time." As the territory of Lithuania expanded eastwards, other king-titled grand dukes who ruled the country adopted similar titles for introducing themselves abroad. For instance, Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytenis was sometimes regarded as Rex Lethowinorum (King of Lithuanians) while his successor Gediminas took the Latin title of Rex Lithuanorum et Multorum Ruthenorum (King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians). Teutonic Knights referred to Algirdas and his wife Uliana (Julijona) as "Grand King of Lithuania" and "Grand Queen of Lithuania". Even though it is traditionally accepted that Mindaugas was the only true king, all historical records, with the exception of Slavic annals, mention Lithuanian rulers as kings until 1386.

Grand Duke

Officially, the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was introduced after the Pact of Horodło in 1413. Until then, previous monarchs were called by different titles, including kings. This was because in Lithuania, unlike in the majority of other European monarchies, the Grand Duke was a sovereign monarch who was accountable to no one, thus de facto king. The full title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was:

In Lithuanian: Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis

In Latin: Magnus Dux Lithuaniae

In English: Grand Duke of the Lithuania

Following the Act of Krėva with Poland in 1385, the full Latin title was changed to Dei Gratia Rex Poloniae Magnus Dux Lithuaniae (By the Grace of God, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania).

Supreme Duke

The title of the Grand Duke of Lithuania mostly came into force during the reign of Grand Duke Vytautas the Great, who concluded the Ostrów Agreement with his cousin Jogaila in 1392 and the agreement was confirmed in the Pact of Vilnius and Radom in 1401. Since then Jogaila was titled the Supreme Duke of Lithuania (supremus dux Lithuaniae). Vytautas the Great gained the factual rule of Lithuania, which was recognized by the treaties. In 1398, the Lithuanian nobility declared Vytautas the Great as the King of Lithuania and, following the Congress of Lutsk in 1430, the crowning was sanctioned by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor. However, Vytautas died before the crown arrived.

Jogaila's son Władysław III also titled himself as the Supreme Duke of Lithuania. John I Albert unilaterally declared himself as the Supreme Duke of Lithuania in 1492, but this title was rejected by the Lithuanian Council of Lords.

In 1544–1548, Sigismund I the Old expressed his supreme monarchical authority in Lithuania by again using the Supreme Duke of Lithuania title when his son Sigismund II Augustus was his vicegerent in Lithuania.

Inaugurations of Lithuanian monarchs

Lithuanian Heraldry. The Genealogical Tree (stemming from Palemonas) of Alexander Hilarius Polubinski, Grand Marshall of the Grand Duchy Lithuania, 1675
The Genealogical Tree of the Lithuanian Monarchs (stemming from Palemonas) of Alexander Hilarius Polubinski, Grand Marshall of the Grand Duchy Lithuania, 1675
Gothic Vilnius Cathedral
Vilnius Cathedral, built in 1407, served as a venue for the ceremonies of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Seal of Vytautas the Great
Vytautas' majestic seal of 1407, where he is seen wearing Gediminas' Cap

The inaugurations of the Lithuanian monarchs were held in Vilnius Cathedral and consisted of the placement of Gediminas' Cap on the Lithuanian monarch's head and the presentation of a sword. The cap was placed on the head by the Bishop of Vilnius and the sword was presented by the Grand Marshal of Lithuania. The regalia of Vytautas the Great consisted of Gediminas' Cap, sword, ring, flag, and seal.

The first inauguration ceremony of a Lithuanian Grand Duke about which there is reliable information is that of Casimir IV Jagiellon, as reported by Jan Długosz. Casimir IV was sent by his older brother King of Poland and Hungary, Supreme Duke of Lithuania Władysław III, to Lithuania to rule in his name. But instead he was elected as Grand Duke upon his arrival to Vilnius on 29 June 1440, with the ringing of church bells and the singing of the Te Deum laudamus. This was breaching the agreements of the Union of Grodno (1432) and terminating the Polish–Lithuanian union. It manifested Lithuania as a sovereign state and its ruler Casimir IV Jagiellon stressed himself as a "free lord" (pan – dominus). According to historian Edvardas Gudavičius, Bishop of Vilnius put a Gediminas' Cap in the Vilnius Cathedral on his head, despite the Polish nobility's opposition.

Heraldic tapestry of Žygimantas Augustas with Lithuanian coat of arms Vytis, Polish eagle and coats of arms of Volhynia, Smolensk, Kyiv voivodeships, circa 1548
Tapestry with the coat of arms of Grand Duke Sigismund II Augustus, decorated with Gediminas' Cap, circa 1548

Another documented inauguration is the enthronement of Alexander Jagiellon in 1492. Alexander was appointed Grand Duke by his father, nevertheless, a formal election of the ruler was held as part of a general assembly, which was attended for the first time by representatives from all the lands of the Grand Duchy. The course of the ceremony was documented by Maciej Stryjkowski, who reported that after the election lords elevated Alexander in the cathedral. The newly elected ruler was dressed "in a ducal cap with pearls and precious stones set in it, also the usual robe that today the princes of the Reich wear at the imperial coronation." Then Bishop of Vilnius Wojciech Tabor blessed him and held a pastoral exhortation over him. Then the Grand Marshal of Lithuania Petras Jonaitis Mantigirdaitis handed Alexander a bare sword and a sceptre. Subsequently, the Poles considered electing Alexander Jagiellon as the King of Poland, however instead of him John I Albert was elected as the King of Poland in August 1492 and this led to another termination of the Polish–Lithuanian union.

Stryjkowski also relayed the election and inauguration of Sigismund I as Grand Duke of Lithuania on 20 October 1509. The ceremony was again attended by Bishop Wojciech Tabor, who this time not only blessed but also placed a cap on the ruler's head. In turn, Grand Marshal Michael Glinski presented him with a sword. Sigismund received the oath of the Lithuanian lords while sitting on the throne. According to Stryjkowski, the cap was: "of red velvet with gold spheres set with precious stones".

Valdovu by Augustas Didzgalvis
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, where the ceremony of Sigismund II Augustus was held

The last ceremony to elevate a grand duke took place on 18 October 1529, when Sigismund Augustus was elevated to this dignity during his father's lifetime. The ceremony occurred in the great hall of the newly built lower castle, as the cathedral burned down that same year. The young Sigismund Augustus sat on the throne between his parents, surrounded by members of the council of lords. The cap was placed on the ruler's head by the Bishop of Vilnius, while the Grand Marshal presented him with a sword. Following the Union of Lublin, which formed the federative Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1569, and the death of the last Gediminid ruler Sigismund II Augustus in 1572, separate inaugurations in Vilnius Cathedral were abolished, therefore Gediminas' Cap lost its ceremonial significance. The insignias of the Lithuanian rulers were not preserved and following the Union of Lublin only the seal (kept by the Grand Chancellor of Lithuania) and the flag (carried near the ruler by the Grand Flag Bearer of Lithuania) remained.

The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł, Eustachy Wołłowicz, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Konstanty Ostrogski) during the negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. On 20 April 1576 a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from the Poles in the Election sejm, the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of the Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, bishop Merkelis Giedraitis in the Vilnius Cathedral presented Grand Duke Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576) a luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had the meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. Nevertheless, per Union of Lublin the rulers of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth were elected in joint Polish–Lithuanian election sejms until the Third Partition in 1795 and received separate titles of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania. During the coronations of joint Polish–Lithuanian monarchs, the Polish crown was also announced as a property of both the Polish and Lithuanian nobles.

List

House of Mindaugas (1236–1267)

Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Claim
King
Mindaugas
1236

1253
(as Grand Duke)

1253

1263
(as king)
Mendog 1578.png c. 1203
Son of mythological Ringaudas
(1) NN, sister of Morta
2 children
(2) Morta
2 children
1263
Aglona
Assassinated by Treniota
and Daumantas
Aged about 60
Right of conquest
Son of mythological Ringaudas
Grand Duke
Treniota
1263

1264
Treniota.jpg Unknown
Son of NN,
Mindaugas' sister
and Vykintas
Unknown
1 child
1264
Murdered by servants
loyal to Mindaugas' son Vaišvilkas
Right of conquest
Nephew of Mindaugas
Grand Duke
Vaišvilkas
Laurušas
1264

1267
Vojshalk.png Unknown
Son of Mindaugas
and NN, Mindaugas' firat wife
Unmarried and
childless
1268
Was murdered
by Leo I of Galicia
Right of conquest
Son of Mindaugas

House of Monomakh (1267–1269)

Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Claim
Grand Duke
Shvarn
Lithuanian: Švarnas
1267

1269
Князь Шварн.jpg c. 1230
Halych
Son of Daniel of Galicia
NN, daughter of Mindaugas
No children
c. 1269
Kholm
Aged about 39
Offered by Vaišvilkas
Brother-in-law
of Vaišvilkas

House of Mindaugas (1269–1285)

Name Portrait Birth Marriages Death Claim
Grand Duke
Traidenis
1270

1282
Lithuanian Grand Duke Traidenis.JPG 1220 Ona of Masovia
1 child
1282
Kernavė
Aged 62
Right of conquest
Possibly a relative
of Mindaugas
Grand Duke
Daumantas
1282

1285
Unknown Unknown 3 March 1285
Died in a battle by Tver
Possibly a son
of Mindaugas

House of Gediminas (1285–1440)

Name Portrait Arms Birth Marriages Death Claim
Grand Duke
Butigeidis
1285

1291
Budzikid. Будзікід (M. Barvicki, 1908).jpg None known Unknown
Son of
Skalmantas (?)
Unknown 1291 Possibly a relative
of Daumantas
Grand Duke
Butvydas
1291

1295
Пукувер Будивид.jpg None known Unknown
Son of
Skalmantas (?)
Unknown c. 1294–1295 Brother of Butigeidis
Grand Duke
Vytenis
1295

1316
Witenes.PNG None known 1260
Son of Butvydas
Vikinda
1 child
1316
Aged 56
Son of Butvydas
Grand Duke
Gediminas
1316

1341
Gediminas, the Grand Duke of Lithuania, painted in 1709.png None known c. 1275
Son of Butvydas
Jaunė
13 children
c. 1341
Raudonė
Aged about 66
Son of Butvydas
Grand Duke
Jaunutis
1341

1345
Князь Евнутий.jpg None known c. 1306−1309
Son of Gediminas
and Jaunė
Unknown
3 children
c. 1366
Aged 57−60
Son of Gediminas
Grand Duke
(Diarchy with Kęstutis)
Algirdas
1345

1377
Algirdas kunigaikštis.jpg COA of Gediminaičiai dynasty Lithuania.svg c. 1296
Son of Gediminas
and Jaunė
(1) Maria of Vitebsk
6 children
(2) Uliana of Tver
8 children
c. 1377
Maišiagala
Aged about 81
Right of conquest
Son of Gediminas
Grand Duke
(Diarchy with Kęstutis)
Jogaila Algirdaitis
May 1377

August 1381
Žygimont Aŭgust-Jagajła. Жыгімонт Аўгуст-Ягайла (K. Aleksandrovič, 1790).jpg COA Jagiellon.svg c. 1352−1362
Vilnius
Son of Algirdas
and Uliana of Tver
(1) Jadwiga of Poland
No children
(2) Anna of Cilli
1 child
(3) Elizabeth Granowska
No children
(4) Sophia of Halshany
2 children
1 June 1434
Gródek Jagielloński
Aged 72−82
Son of Algirdas
Grand Duke
Kęstutis
1381

1382
Kiejstut.JPG COA of Gediminaičiai dynasty Lithuania.svg c. 1297
Senieji Trakai
Son of Gediminas
and Jaunė
Birutė
3 children
1382
Kreva
Murdered by the
order of Jogaila while imprisoned
Aged 84–85
Right of conquest
Son of Gediminas
Grand Duke
Jogaila Algirdaitis
3 August 1382

1 June 1434
(51 years, 302 days)
Žygimont Aŭgust-Jagajła. Жыгімонт Аўгуст-Ягайла (K. Aleksandrovič, 1790).jpg COA Jagiellon.svg c. 1352−1362
Vilnius
Son of Algirdas
and Uliana of Tver
(1) Jadwiga of Poland
No children
(2) Anna of Cilli
1 child
(3) Elizabeth Granowska
No children
(4) Sophia of Halshany
2 children
1 June 1434
Gródek Jagielloński
Aged 72−82
Right of conquest
Son of Algirdas
Act of Kreva signed in 1385
Poland and Lithuania de jure are ruled by one monarch but remain to be separate states.
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Jogaila Algirdaitis
3 August 1382

1 June 1434
(51 years, 302 days)
Žygimont Aŭgust-Jagajła. Жыгімонт Аўгуст-Ягайла (K. Aleksandrovič, 1790).jpg COA Jagiellon.svg c. 1352−1362
Vilnius
Son of Algirdas
and Uliana of Tver
(1) Jadwiga of Poland
No children
(2) Anna of Cilli
1 child
(3) Elizabeth Granowska
No children
(4) Sophia of Halshany
2 children
1 June 1434
Gródek Jagielloński
Aged 72−82
Son of Algirdas
Grand Duke
Skirgaila
1386

1392
Skirgajła. Скіргайла (A. Guagnini, 1578).jpg COA of Gediminaičiai dynasty Lithuania.svg c. 1353–1354
Vilnius
Son of Algirdas
and Uliana of Tver
Unmarried
and childless
11 January 1397
Kyiv
Possibly poisoned
by the order of the
Russian Orthodox priests
Aged 42−44
Offered by Jogaila
Son of Algirdas
Removed by Jogaila
Astrava Agreement signed in 1392
Following the Lithuanian Civil War, Vytautas and his successors de jure
act as regents of the king of Poland until 1440.
Grand Duke
King-elect of Lithuania
Vytautas
Vytautas the Great
4 August 1392

27 October 1430
(38 years, 84 days)
Vitaŭt Vialiki. Вітаўт Вялікі (XVIII).jpg COA of Gediminaičiai dynasty Lithuania.svg c. 1350
Senieji Trakai
Son of Kęstutis
and Birutė
(1) Anna
1 child
(2) Uliana Olshanska
No children
27 October 1430
Trakai
Aged about 80
Offered by Jogaila
Son of Kęstutis
Grand Duke
Švitrigaila
October 1430

1 August 1432
Lithuanian Grand Duke Švitrigaila.jpg COA of Gediminaičiai dynasty Lithuania.svg Before 1370
Vilnius
Son of Algirdas
and Uliana of Tver
Anna of Tver
1 child
10 February 1452
Lutsk
Aged about 82
Son of Algirdas
Grand Duke
Sigismund Kęstutaitis
Lithuanian: Žygimantas Kęstutaitis
1432

1440
Žygimont Kiejstutavič. Жыгімонт Кейстутавіч (XIX).jpg COA of Gediminaičiai dynasty Lithuania.svg 1365
Trakai
Son of Kęstutis
and Birutė
Unknown
1 child
20 March 1440
Trakai
Murdered by supporters
of Švitrigaila
Aged 75
Son of Kęstutis

House of Jagiellon (1440–1569)

Name Portrait Arms Birth Marriages Death Claim
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Lithuanian: Kazimieras Jogailaitis
29 June 1440

7 June 1492
(51 years, 344 days)
Kazimier Jagajłavič. Казімер Ягайлавіч (1645).jpg COA Jagiellon.svg 30 November 1427
Kraków
Son of Jogaila Algirdaitis
and Sophia of Halshany
Elisabeth of Austria
12 children
7 June 1492
Old Grodno Castle
Aged 64
Son of Jogaila
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Alexander Jagiellon
Lithuanian: Aleksandras Jogailaitis
30 July 1492

19 August 1506
(14 years, 20 days)
Aleksander Jagiellonczyk.jpg COA Jagiellon.svg 5 August 1461
Kraków
Son of Kazimieras Jogailaitis and
Elisabeth of Austria
Helena of Moscow
No children
19 August 1506
Vilnius
Aged 45
Son of Casimir IV Jagiellon
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Sigismund I
Sigismund I the Old
Lithuanian: Žygimantas Senasis
8 December 1506

1 April 1548
(41 years, 115 days)
Kulmbach Sigismund I the Old.jpg COA Jagiellon.svg 1 January 1467
Kozienice
Son of Kazimieras Jogailaitis and
Elisabeth of Austria
(1) Barbara Zápolya
2 children
(2) Bona Sforza
6 children
1 April 1548
Kraków
Aged 81
Son of Casimir IV Jagiellon
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Sigismund II Augustus
Lithuanian: Žygimantas Augustas
1 April 1548

7 July 1572
(24 years, 97 days)
Cranach the Younger Sigismund II Augustus.jpg COA Jagiellon.svg 1 August 1520
Kraków
Son of Žygimantas the Old
and Bona Sforza
(1) Elisabeth of Austria
No children
(2) Barbara Radziwiłł
No children
(3) Catherine of Austria
No children
7 July 1572
Knyszyn
Aged 51
Son of Sigismund I
Union of Lublin signed in 1569
Poland and Lithuania are united into a single Commonwealth.

Grand Dukes of Lithuania within the Commonwealth (1569–1795)

Name Portrait Arms Birth Marriages Death Claim House
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Sigismund II Augustus
Lithuanian: Žygimantas Augustas

1 July 1569

7 July 1572
(24 years, 98 days)
Cranach the Younger Sigismund II Augustus.jpg COA Jagiellon.svg 1 August 1520
Kraków
Son of Žygimantas the Old
and Bona Sforza
(3) Elisabeth of Austria
Barbara Radziwiłł
Catherine of Austria
7 July 1572
Knyszyn
Aged 51
Hereditary
First monarch to
introduce elective
monarchy
Jagiellon
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Henry
Lithuanian: Henrikas Valua
16 May 1573

12 May 1575
(1 year, 362 days)
Henri III - portrait after Jean Decourt - Musée Condé.jpg Coat of Arms of Henri de Valois as lifelong king of Poland.svg 19 September 1551
Fontainebleau
Son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici
(1) Louise of Lorraine, no children 2 August 1589
Saint-Cloud
Aged 37
Elected
Left Poland in June 1574 to succeed his brother in France
Interregnum until 1575
Valois
Queen of Poland
and Grand Duchess
Anna
Lithuanian: Ona Jogailaitė
15 December 1575

19 August 1587
(de facto)
(11 years, 248 days)

9 September 1596
(de jure)
(20 years, 270 days)
Kober Anna Jagiellon as a widow.jpg COA Jagiellon.svg 18 October 1523
Kraków
Daughter of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza
(1) Stephen Báthory, no children 9 September 1596
Warsaw
Aged 72
Elected co-monarch with Stephen Báthory
Sole ruler until Báthory's arrival and coronation in May 1576
Ruled after husband's death until her nephew was elected
Jagiellon
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Stephen Báthory
Lithuanian: Steponas Batoras
1 May 1576

12 December 1586
(10 years, 226 days)
Riehl Portrait of Stephen Bathory.jpg Bathory coat of arms.svg 27 September 1533
Szilágysomlyó (Șimleu Silvaniei)
Son of Stephen Báthory of Somlyó and Catherine Telegdi
(1) Anna Jagiellon, no children 12 December 1586
Grodno
Aged 53
Elected as co-monarch with Anna Jagiellon
Previously Prince of Transylvania
Báthory
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Sigismund III
Lithuanian: Zigmantas Vaza
19 August 1587

30 April 1632
(44 years, 256 days)
Rubens Sigismund III Vasa.jpg Polish House of Vasa Coa.svg 20 June 1566
Gripsholm
Son of John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon
(1) Anne of Austria
(2) Constance of Austria
30 April 1632
Warsaw
Aged 65
Elected, nephew of Anna Jagiellon
Transferred capital from Kraków to Warsaw
Hereditary King of Sweden until deposition in 1599
Vasa
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Władysław IV
also Ladislaus IV
Lithuanian: Vladislovas Vaza
8 November 1632

20 May 1648
(15 years, 195 days)
Rubens Władysław Vasa.jpg Polish House of Vasa Coa.svg 9 June 1595
Łobzów
Son of Sigismund III and Anne of Austria
(1) Cecilia Renata of Austria
(2) Marie Louise Gonzaga
20 May 1648
Merkinė
Aged 52
Elective succession
Also titular King of Sweden and elected Tsar of Russia (1610–1613) when the Polish army captured Moscow
Vasa
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
John II Casimir
Lithuanian: Jonas Kazimieras Vaza
20 November 1648

16 September 1668
(19 years, 302 days)
Schultz John II Casimir Vasa.jpg Polish House of Vasa Coa.svg 22 March 1609
Kraków
Son of Sigismund III and Constance of Austria
(1) Marie Louise Gonzaga
(2) Claudine Françoise Mignot (morganatic marriage)
16 December 1672
Nevers
Aged 63
Elective succession, succeeded half-brother
Previously a cardinal
Titular King of Sweden
Abdicated
Vasa
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Michael I
Lithuanian: Mykolas Kaributas Višnioveckis
19 June 1669

10 November 1673
(4 years, 145 days)
King Michael Korybut Wisniowiecki.jpg Coat of Arms of Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki as king of Poland.svg 31 May 1640
Biały Kamień
Son of Jeremi Wiśniowiecki and Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska
(1) Eleonora Maria of Austria, no children 10 November 1673
Lwów
Aged 33
Elected
Born into nobility of mixed heritage, the son of a military commander and governor
Wiśniowiecki
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
John III Sobieski
Lithuanian: Jonas Sobieskis
19 May 1674

17 June 1696
(22 years, 30 days)
Schultz John III Sobieski.jpg Coat of Arms of Jan Sobieski as king of Poland.svg 17 August 1629
Olesko
Son of Jakub Sobieski and Teofila Zofia
(1) Marie Casimire d'Arquien, 13 children 17 June 1696
Wilanów
Aged 66
Elected
Born into nobility
A successful military commander
Sobieski
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Augustus II
Lithuanian: Augustas II Stiprusis
15 September 1697

1706
(1st reign, 9 years)
August II the Strong.PNG Coat of Arms of Wettin kings of Poland.svg 12 May 1670
Dresden
Son of John George III and Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark
(1) Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, 1 son by wife 1 February 1733
Warsaw
Aged 62
Elected
Previously Elector and ruler of Saxony
Dethroned by Stanislaus I in 1706 during the Great Northern War
Wettin
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Stanislaus I
Lithuanian: Stanislovas I Leščinskis
12 July 1704

8 July 1709
(1st reign, 4 years, 362 days)
Mányoki Stanislaus Leszczyński.png Coat of Arms of Stanislaus Leszczynski as king of Poland.svg 20 October 1677
Lwów
Son of Rafał Leszczyński and Anna Jabłonowska
(1) Catherine Opalińska, 2 children 23 February 1766
Lunéville
Aged 88
Usurped
Nominated as ruler in 1704, crowned in 1705 and deposed predecessor in 1706
Exiled in 1709
Leszczyński
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Augustus II
Lithuanian: Augustas II Stiprusis
8 July 1709

1 February 1733
(2nd reign, 23 years, 209 days)
August II (1670-1733).jpg Coat of Arms of Wettin kings of Poland.svg 12 May 1670
Dresden
Son of John George III and Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark
(1) Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, 1 son by wife 1 February 1733
Warsaw
Aged 62
Restored Wettin
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Stanislaus I
Lithuanian: Stanislovas I Leščinskis
12 September 1733

26 January 1736
(2nd reign, 2 years, 137 days)
Portrait of Stanisław I Leszczyński.jpg Coat of Arms of Stanislaus Leszczynski as king of Poland.svg 20 October 1677
Lwów
Son of Rafał Leszczyński and Anna Jabłonowska
(1) Catherine Opalińska, 2 children 23 February 1766
Lunéville
Aged 88
Elected
His election sparked the War of the Polish Succession
Deposed by Augustus III in 1736
Leszczyński
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Augustus III
Lithuanian: Augustas III Saksas
5 October 1733

5 October 1763
(30 years)
Louis de Silvestre - Portrait of Augustus III of Poland (after 1733) - Google Art Project.jpg Coat of Arms of Wettin kings of Poland.svg 17 October 1696
Dresden
Son of Augustus II the Strong and Christiane Eberhardine
(1) Maria Josepha of Austria, 16 children 5 October 1763
Dresden
Aged 66
Usurped
Proclaimed King of Poland in 1733, crowned in 1734
Dethroned elected predecessor in 1736
Wettin
King of Poland
and Grand Duke
Stanislaus II Augustus
Lithuanian: Stanislovas Augustas II Poniatovskis
7 September 1764

25 November 1795
(31 years, 80 days)
Vigee Stanislaw Augustus.jpg Coat of Arms of Stanislaus Augustus as king of Poland.svg 17 January 1732
Wołczyn
Son of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska
Unmarried 1 February 1798
Saint Petersburg
Aged 66
Elected
Born into nobility
Last King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, his reign ended in the Partitions of Poland
Poniatowski

House of Urach (1918)

Name Portrait Arms Birth Marriages Death Claim
King-elect
Mindaugas II
11 July 1918

2 November 1918
(115 days)
WilhelofUrach.jpg Wappen des Herzogs von Urach.svg 30 May 1864
Monaco
Son of Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach and
Princess Florestine of Monaco
(1) Duchess Amalie in Bavaria
9 children
(2) Princess Wiltrud of Bavaria
No children
24 March 1928
Rapallo
Aged 63
De jure restoration
Offered by the Lithuanian Council
Offer withdrawn

Timeline

Comparative reigns of Lithuanian monarchs
Sigismund II Augustus Sigismund I the Old Alexander Jagiellon Casimir IV Jagiellon Sigismund Kęstutaitis Švitrigaila Vytautas Skirgaila Jogaila Kęstutis Jogaila Algirdas Jaunutis Gediminas Vytenis Butvydas Butigeidis Traidenis Shvarn Vaišvilkas Treniota Mindaugas House of Jagiellon House of Gediminas House of Mindaugas House of Monomakh House of Mindaugas

Union of Lublin

In 1564, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus renounced his rights to the hereditary Lithuanian throne—the separate inauguration ceremony and insignia for Grand Duke of Lithuania were abolished. On 1 July 1569, Sigismund II Augustus united both of the countries into a single bi-federation, known as the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, which had existed for the next 226 years. The Union included constitutional changes such as creating a formal elective monarchy, which would simultaneously reign over both parties. Following the death of Sigismund II in 1572, a joint Polish–Lithuanian monarch was to be elected as in the Union of Lublin it was agreed that the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be received by a jointly elected monarch in the Election sejm on his accession to the throne, thus losing its former institutional significance, however the Union of Lublin guaranteed that the institution and the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" will be preserved. The demand of a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł, Eustachy Wołłowicz, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Konstanty Ostrogski) during the negotiations of the Union of Lublin, however it was not officially included into it. Nevertheless, before the 1576 Polish–Lithuanian royal election a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held on 20 April 1576 in Grodno which adopted an Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will feel pressure from the Poles in the Election sejm, the Lithuanians will not be obliged by an oath of the Union of Lublin and will have the right to select a separate monarch. On 29 May 1580, a ceremony was held in the Vilnius Cathedral during which bishop Merkelis Giedraitis presented Stephen Báthory (King of Poland since 1 May 1576) a luxuriously decorated sword and a hat adorned with pearls (both were sanctified by Pope Gregory XIII himself), while this ceremony manifested the sovereignty of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and had the meaning of elevation of the new Grand Duke of Lithuania, this way ignoring the stipulations of the Union of Lublin. During the Deluge of the Second Northern War, the Commonwealth temporarily disintegrated in 1655 when the magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania signed the Union of Kėdainiai with the Swedish Empire and became its protectorate with Charles X Gustav serving as Grand Duke of Lithuania. It was short-lived because Sweden lost the war. The Commonwealth permanently ceased to exist in 1795, following its third partition by the neighbouring powers, Prussia, Russia and Austria. Following the partitions, the lands of ethnic Lithuania were divided—Lithuania proper became a part of the Russian Empire while Sudovia became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia.

History

Kingdom of Lithuania under Mindaugas I

As the conquests of Prussia by the Teutonic Order and of Livonia by the Livonian Brothers were coming to an end, both Catholic religious orders began posing an existential threat to then-pagan Lithuania. In response, Duke Mindaugas, who by then had managed to strengthen his grip in various Baltic and Slavic lands, sought to consolidate power and unite Lithuania into one political entity, convert to Christianity, and become king. In 1250 or 1251, he was baptised as a Roman Catholic. In 1253, probably in Vilnius or Novogrudok, he and his wife Morta were crowned King and Queen, thus establishing a short-lived alliance with the Livonian Order. This laid the basis for the international recongnition of the newly created Kingdom of Lithuania as a Western country.

Attempts of coronation in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

Some historical documents suggest that at the time of signing the Treaty of Salynas in 1398, Lithuanian nobles had acknowledged Vytautas as their King as a symbolic declaration of allegiance. Vytautas himself sought to officially establish his reign by coronation at least three times. All three attempts were unsuccessful because the political situation was much more complicated—by this point the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland were under a joint rule of Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło) with the Crown being in Kraków, Poland. As a consequence, the idea of a fully-fledged Lithuanian monarchy as well as Poland losing its influence over its neighbour was met with fierce resistance from the Polish nobles. The first time coronation was planned on 8 September 1430, but after one of the delegations that transported the crown learned that the first delegation was robbed on its way to Lithuania, they returned to Nuremberg. In the same year of October, Vytautas up until his death had planned his coronation at least two more times but with no success.

In 1526, the Lithuanian Council of Lords suggested King Sigismund I the Old to grant the Grand Duchy of Lithuania the status of a kingdom, but such a proposal was rejected by the ruling Jagiellonian dynasty.

Herzog Wilhelm II von Urach
Wilhelm Karl von Urach (Mindaugas II)

Kingdom of Lithuania (1918) de jure under Mindaugas II

During the First World War, the German Empire wanted Lithuania proper to be annexed and become a part of either Prussia or Saxony, which for 123 years remained to be a part of the Russian Empire following the Third Partition of the Polish−Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795. In an attempt to avoid becoming a province but remain on good terms with Germany, the Council of Lithuania decided to establish a separate constitutional monarchy with Wilhelm von Urach as King with his residence being in Verkiai Palace. According to the twelve-point document resembling the rudiments of a Constitution, the Kingdom of Lithuania was supposed to have had a bicameral legislature with a representative role of the monarch. Wilhelm von Urach was also presented with conditions such as adopting the title of Mindaugas II, letting his children to a Lithuanian school, only appointing courtiers, ministers and other high-ranking public officials who are Lithuanian citizens and speak the country's official language as well as not leaving the state for more than two months per year without the permission of the government. As the war ended, it became clear that Germany was losing. On 5 October 1918, in the Reichstag, the new Chancellor of Germany Maximilian of Baden announced that his state acknowledged the right of nations to self-determination and supported their efforts of becoming independent countries. Soon afterwards, Germany expressed its official support for the independence of Lithuania. Furthermore, the diplomats of France had also unambiguously proclaimed to the Council of Lithuania and the Parliament that having a monarch of German descent would be seen as unacceptable. On 2 November 1918, as it became apparent that King-elect Mindaugas himself was hesitant to arrive in Lithuania for his coronation due to political unrest, the Council decided to abandon the idea of being a satellite monarchy and establish a fully independent republic instead.

Modernity

Although there are no monarchist parties in modern Lithuania, there is a monarchist movement, which is in favor of re-establishing the short-lived monarchy of 1918. The movement alongside the Lithuanian Royal Union of Nobility believe that the current Lithuanian state did not undergo all of the complicated and necessary procedures to truly abolish the Lithuanian monarchy. According to the senate marshal of the organization "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania", Stanislovas Švedarauskas:

Can we present the specific date when the Kingdom of Lithuania of the Middle Ages ceased to exist and when did the Lithuanian 20th-century constitutional monarchy end? In the words of historians, when Mindaugas I died in 1263, the Kingdom had disappeared as well. However, after almost 100 years, in the 14th century, Gediminas would send his letters proclaiming to be "King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians." In November 1918, the State Council left the question of Mindaugas II to the Constituent Assembly. And while it is true that the latter declared Lithuania to be a democratic republic on 15 May 1920, I have never heard of the Constituent Assembly officially denouncing the State Council's declaration of 11 July 1918, which called to create a constitutional monarchy in Lithuania and invite Mindaugas II to take his throne.

Political commentator Česlovas Iškauskas responded:

In 1918, Germany exerted great influence. But now the idea of re-establishing the constitutional monarchy as well as the activities of the "Palace of the Kingdom of Lithuania" to me seems like a game when you have nothing better to do. At the moment Lithuania has much more important issues—it needs to think how to withstand current threats, not about a new monarchy.

Main entrance to the National Museum of Lithuania, King Mindaugas Monument and Gediminas' Tower in 2023
King Mindaugas Monument in front of the National Museum of Lithuania and Gediminas' Tower in Vilnius

Prince Inigo von Urach, the grandson of Wilhelm von Urach (Mindaugas II), claims that according to Almanach de Gotha he remains to be the rightful claimant to the Lithuanian throne and is willing to become King of Lithuania, if the nation wants him to. To quote him from an interview for LRT, "It's not my thing to decide it [the idea of officially being crowned King], that's the thing of the population here, of the citizens of Lithuania. It's not my thing [to decide]. But I promise—if they want me, I would be ready for this job." He also mentioned that Wilhelm von Urach expressed his will in his Testament of "keeping the claim of the throne" of Lithuania as well as Monaco.

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