List of last scions
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This is a list of last scions (individuals who were the last member of a ruling house (dynasty), or other prominent family, where heredity is the prime form of inheritance). This may be the last person to rule a realm, sometimes leading to a political crisis, or a change in government; other times power has already passed from the patrilineal family, leaving it in a less important position when it reaches its extinction. Illegitimacy was rarely considered acceptable to be part of a dynasty, even if recognized by the parent.
Those who were the last scions, whether male or female, are identified in bold.
Last scions of ruling houses
| Dynasty | Last member | Date of extinction | Notes | Ref. |
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| Aviz | Henrique, Cardinal-King of Portugal | 1580 | The dynasty was an illegitimate branch of its predecessor the House of Burgundy. The new dynasty ruled Portugal from 1385 to 1580. António, Prior of Crato would briefly rule Portugal shortly thereafter. His illegitimate birth contests his claim to be considered a member of the House of Aviz. | |
| Barcelona | Joanna de Urgell i Arago | 1455 | Martin of Aragón was the last legitimate member to rule over Aragón. The rule of the House of Barcelona itself came to an end after the death of James II, Count of Urgell, when the county was incorporated to Aragón. With James' death, his daughter, Joanna, wife to John I, Count of Foix and remarried as a widow to John Ramon III, Count of Cardona, became the last Barcelona. | |
| Bourbon (main line) | Henri, comte de Chambord
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1883 | The main line of the Grand Ducal Family of Luxembourg, and pretenders to the thrones of numerous other European thrones. They are all descendants of Henry IV of France, and ultimately descent from Hugh Capet of the House of Capet .
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| Bruce | David II of Scotland | 1371 | The King Robert Bruce in the female line.
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| Burgundy (Portuguese branch) | Beatrice of Portugal | 1408 | A branch of the queen of Castile and León by marriage. Instead Ferdinand's illegitimate half-brother John, Grand Master of the Order of Aviz became king, forming the House of Aviz .
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| Dunkeld | Alexander III of Scotland | 1286 | Alexander's death ended the family's rule over Scotland, which had persisted since 1058. He was the last male-line descendant of King Donnchad I (reigned 1034 to 1040). Alexander had outlived his own children, leaving only his granddaughter (though his daughter) Margaret, Maid of Norway as heir to the dynasty. Margaret's death a few years later plunged Scotland into an interregnum. | |
| Évreux | Blanche I of Navarre | 1441 | With Charles III's (1361–1425) death, the dynasty's agnatic line came to an end. The dynasty's last member was his daughter, Blanche I (1387–1441). | |
| Habsburg | Maria Theresa | 1780 | Male Habsburgs held many regnal titles in Europe between the twelfth and the eighteenth century. Their most important titles were those of the predecessor titles) and the King of Spain. The dynasty's last male scion was Charles VI (1685–1740). His daughter Maria Theresa (1717–1780) succeeded to some of her father's titles by inheritance. She gained power over the rest of her father's domains when her husband was elected Emperor. She was the last member of the royal house. Her descendants, the House of Lorraine, continued to hold this power and were styled the House of Habsburg-Lorraine .
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| Jagiellonian | Anna Jagiellon | 1596 | The last male ruler of the Jagiellonian dynasty was Sigismund II Augustus (r. 1548–1572). With his death, his sister, Anna Jagiellon (r. 1575–1587) became the last Jagiellonian to rule over Poland and Lithuania. With Anna's death in 1596, she is believed to be the last Jagiellonian. | [1] |
| Jiménez | Sancho VII of Navarre | 1234 | With the death of Kingdom of Aragón. When Sancho VII (c.1157–1234) died childless, the Jiménez line died out.
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| Lancaster | Henry VI of England | 1471 | The dynasty was also called the Lancaster branch of the House of Plantagenet. It ruled England from 1399 to 1461 and again briefly in 1470-1471. Its last scion was King Henry VI, who outlived his only son Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales. Henry VI also had claims to the French throne through the parentage of his mother Catherine of Valois and the conquests of his father King Henry V. | |
Luxembourg
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Elisabeth of Bohemia
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1442 | Long before the present Duchess of Luxembourg. Elizabeth died in 1451. A non-imperial branch of the House descended from Henry V, Count of Luxembourg ruled as French nobles until the death of Charles II, Duke of Brienne in 1608.
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| Medici | Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici | 1743 | Grand Duke of Tuscany. With his death in 1737, his sister, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, became the last lineal descendant of the main branch of the House of Medici . With her death at age 75 on 8 February 1743, the main Medici line came to an end.
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| Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt | Twosret | 1189 BC | The last member of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt (1292 BC-1189 BC), was Twosret. With her death, she became the last descendant of Ramesses II to rule Egypt. | |
Obrenović
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Anastasia Obrenović | 1933 | The Milos I .
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| Orange-Nassau | Wilhelmina of the Netherlands | 1962 | Members of this dynasty had ruled before the Grand Dukes of Luxembourg since 1815. William III (1817–1890) outlived his three sons. He was the last male member of the house and the last person to rule both countries. His daughter Wilhelmina (1880–1962) succeeded him as Queen, while Luxembourg passed to the House of Nassau-Weilburg . The house became totally extinct in the male line with Wilhelmina's death. The dynasty's name is still used by her descendants, who continue to rule.
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| Plantagenet and York | Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury | 1541 | The King Henry VIII .
As descendants of the earliest Dukes of York, Edward and Margaret may also be considered the last scions of the House of York or York branch of the House of Plantagenet, which ruled England specifically from 1461 to 1485 (with a brief pause in 1470-1471). |
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| Ptolemaic | Caesarion | 30 BC | Cleopatra co-ruled with her son, Caesarion, from 2 September 44 BC until her death by 12 August 30 BC. He was the last pharaoh of ancient Egypt, until his own death. His death was ordered by the future emperor Augustus, later in the month. | [3] |
| Romanov | Elizabeth | 1762 | Male Romanovs held the title of Tsar of Russia from 1612 until 1730. The last male scion of the original line was Peter II (1715–1730). His aunt Elizabeth (1709–1762) successfully succeeded to the Russian throne when her infant great-nephew was deposed in 1741. She was the last member of the royal house. The descendants of her sister Anna Petrovna, the House of Holstein-Gottorp, then rose to the throne. They were styled the House of Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov. | |
| Stuart | Henry Benedict Stuart | 1807 | The last member of the Henrietta Anna, Duchess of Orléans. Non-royal branches of the family still survive. The Earls of Galloway are the senior surviving line of the Stuarts, they descend from a line which originated from the second son of Alexander Stewart, 4th High Steward of Scotland .
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| Tudor | Elizabeth I | 1603 | This dynasty ruled England since 1485. The last male member of the King James VI of Scotland .
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| Vasa | Christina | 1689 | This dynasty ruled King Charles X Gustav .
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References
- ^ Dowell, Stuart (13 December 2020). "The woman that was known as King – on this day, Poland's last female monarch was crowned". The First News. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- doi:10.1038/nature.2013.12435. Archived from the originalon 30 November 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "Cleopatra was the Last Pharoah of Egypt, and the Last of the Ptolemy Dynasty of Egyptian Rulers" (PDF). Blenheim Partners. 2013. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 November 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2021.