Austria: The Hapsburgs were one of the European ruling families with the longest histories.
Bohemia: According to legend, the original Premysl was a plowman who married a Bohemian princess named Libuse or Libussa during the 8th century. Their descendants eventually united the warring tribes of Bohemia into one duchy. The first known Premysl ruler was Wenceslas's grandfather, Duke Borivoy I, who made Prague Castle the family seat. He married a Slav princess named Ludmila, and both eventually became Christians. Borivoy and Ludmila tried to convert all of Bohemia to Christianity, but failed. When Borivoy died he was succeeded by his sons, Ratislav and Spythinev. Ratislav was Wenceslas's father.
Denmark: The Danish royal family is the longest unbroken
history of rule in Europe.
The first royal house of Denmark was established in the 10th century by a Viking
king called Gorm the Old. He and his son, Harald I (Harald Bluetooth), unified
Denmark; their successors also came to rule England, Norway, and part of Sweden.
This empire fell apart after the death of King Canute in 1035, but descendants
of Gorm "the Old" continued to reign in Denmark.
France: The Bourbons dominated the history of France for and much of Europe for centuries.
German states: Germany until 1870 was composed of a pathwork quilt of independent principalities. They were united in 1870 by Prussia under the Hohenzollerns, but the various royal families were retained. Many of these German princes married into royal families throughout Europe, including the British royal family.
Hungary: Süleymân I known to history as Süleymân the Magnificent at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, killed the Jagiellan Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia and most of the Hungarian nobels. Louis' brother-in-law, Ferdinand of Austria, future Emperor and brother of the Emperor Charles V, pressed claims to both crowns for the Hapsburgs, ending an independent Hungarian crown. This was to lead in the 16th century to a separation of the Hapsburg's Spanish and Austrian possessions. After Austria's defeat by Prussia in 1866, the Austrian monarchy was converted into a dual crown for Austria and Hungary in the 1867 Ausgleich. Hungary was raised from the status of a Crownland to a joint partnership in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. After the fall of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I, Emperor Karl I made an unsuccessful effort to estanbish a new Hungarian monarchy.
Netherlands:
Norway: Norway's first king, Harald I -- also known as Harald Fairhair -- was born in the ninth century. His father, Halfdan the Black, ruler of Westfold (or Vestfold) in southeast Norway, was descended from Sweden's royal Yngling family. When Harald was 10, his father died and Harald succeeded him as king. Before he reached his mid-20s, Harald had defeated rival kings in battle and united Norway under his rule. After the death of King Haakon V in 1319, the Norwegian crown passed to his grandson Magnus, who was also king of Sweden. In 1397, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden formed the Kalmar Union under Margaret I, a Danish princess who had married King Magnus's son Haakon VI. Although her nephew Eric of Pomerania was the official king of all three countries, it was Margaret who ruled them until her death in 1412. Sweden left the Kalmar Union in 1523 and elected its own king, but Norway remained united with Denmark until 1814, when Denmark ceded Norway to Sweden.
Poland: Poland was in the early Medieval period a land without central control, racked by warring tribes. Prince Mieszko I was baptised in 966. Mieszko and Roman Catholic Christianity provided stability and cohesion for the first time. Poland had by the 17th century had become the largest state in Europe. An elected kingship and the power of the nobility significantly impaired the development of a strong national state. Despite important reforms in the late 18th century, Poland was partioned between Austria, Prussia, and Russia and the Polish monarchy ended.
Potugal: The Portuguese monarchy was founded by Hernry of Burgandy, son of the poweful French Duke of Burgandy. Portugal was born from the struggle to reconquer Iberia from the Moors. There have since been five dynasties of Portuguese ruling families. There was only a short period in which the Spanish seized control of Portugal.
Sweden: Some of the history of the early kings of Sweden can be found in the English poem Beowulf, which was probably written in the seventh or eighth century AD, and sagas such as the Heimskringla, by 13th century Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson.
Lists of Swedish monarchs often start with the 10th century royal House of Yngling's King Erik the Victorious and his son Olaf Skotkonung (Olaf the Tax King).
Sweden and Norway were united under the same monarch, King Magnus, in 1319. The son of a Swedish prince and a Norwegian princess, Magnus inherited both crowns when he was a small child. In 1397, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark formed the Kalmar Union under Margaret I, a Danish princess who had married King Magnus's son Haakon VI. Although her nephew Eric of Pomerania was the official king of all three countries, it was Margaret who ruled them until her death in 1412. Sweden dropped out of the Kalmar union in 1523 and elected its own king, Gustav I.
Scotland: Scotland has not had its own monarch since the 16th Century. The last Scottish king was James VI, son of Mary Queen of Scotts. He became James I of England.
Vikings: The nations of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden arose from Viking kingdoms. A Viking called Rurik of Jutland founded Russia's royal Rurik dynasty. The Normans (or Northmen), who conquered England in 1066, came from the French duchy of Normandy, which had been founded by the Viking leader Rollo. Even the elite palace guard of the Byzantine Empire was made up largely of Vikings called Varangians.
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