Monarchs of Arendaal

The Monarchs of Arendaal have ruled the country since 710, when the Aren lands were forged into a single kingdom by King Gustav I. Gustav established the illustrious Kapétien Dynasty, one of the oldest and most prestigious in all of Europe. Though the original House of Kapét came to an end in 916 (the direct male line ending in 975), the ruling Houses of Arendaal are all descended from it, and thus all belong to the Kapétien Dynasty. Many European Royals have sought legitimacy by marrying into the Aren Royal Family. The House of Nareath has been on the throne since 1715, and the current reigning monarch is King Edvard V of Arendaal.

From 810 to 955, only males inherited the Crown. After 955, with the ascent of Svea I, women inherited the throne if they had no living male siblings. Since 1497, thanks to Harald III, the eldest child of a monarch has succeeded them, whatever their gender. The Covenant of Kronstad is the document which details the line of succession.

For a list of the spouses of these Monarchs, see: Royal Consorts of Arendaal

For information on marriage alliances, see Royal Marriages of Arendaal

For information on Royal Trivia, see Aristocracy and Royalty of Arendaal

For information on Arendaal's past, see: History of Arendaal

Royalty of Arendaal
The Kapétien Dynasty, which has ruled Arendaal since 710, was established by the first Aren King, Gustav I and his wife Alienore of Neustria. Together, they are descended from the Royal Houses which ruled the four Kingdoms of Ancient Arendaal, Norskland, Neustria, Norsk-Austrasia and Fjordmark. This makes the Kapétiens one of the oldest established dynasties in Europe, and certainly one of the most prestigious. Many European Houses have even sought legitimacy by marrying into the Royal family of Arendaal. For their part, the Arend have used Royal Marriage Alliances as a key tool by which to forge alliances with other realms. They have been intimately linked with virtually every major Royal House in Europe at some point in history. Aren Princesses are particularly famous as paragons of beauty and gentility. Such is the prolific nature of Aren Royal Marriages that they have given rise to the much quoted phrase: Let others make war; you, fortunate Arendaal, marry.

Traditionally each Royal House of Arendaal has assumed the suffix "Kapét", although it is rarely used in practice. For instance, the current Monarch King Edvard V of Arendaal is from the "House of Nareath-Kapét", but the House is more commonly known simply as the "House of Nareath". The naming traditions of the Aren Monarchy are notoriously inconsistent. While it is traditional for a child to be categorized as belonging to their father's "House", the children of Aren Queens have sometimes (but not always) opted to use the name of their mothers "House" instead of their fathers. This is especially common when the Queen in question has a foreign spouse.