This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crowned king in 1253. Other Lithuanian rulers, such as Vytautas the Great, also attempted to secure a royal coronation, but these efforts were unsuccessful.
Until 1569, the Lithuanian monarchy was hereditary. In 1386, Grand Duke Jogaila was elected King of Poland. From that point onward, with some interruptions, the two states were united in a personal union, sharing a common ruler until 1569, when they were formally merged by the Union of Lublin to form the PolishâÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth. The monarch of this new state was elected in a free election by the entire nobility.
From the Christianization of Lithuania until 1569, the inauguration of the Grand Duke took place in Vilnius Cathedral, where the Bishop of Vilnius placed Gediminas' Cap on the rulerâÂÂs head. After the Union of Lublin, the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania was assumed during the coronation in Kraków.
In 1918, there was an attempt to establish the Kingdom of Lithuania under German auspices, but the plan ultimately failed.
The first Lithuanian rulers did not leave behind any written documents, so we do not know their native titles, but only those given to them by their neighbors. In Kievan Rus', they were called knyaz (kniazâÂÂ) or grand knyas (velikii kniazâÂÂ), while in the German sphere they were referred to as elder (senior), leader (), and sometimes prince ().
After the coronation Mindaugas adopted royal title: "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 ('King of Lithuanians') while his successor Gediminas was known by the title, in ('King of Lithuanians and many Ruthenians'). Some German sources also titled Gediminas as ('King of Aukà ¡taitija'). Gediminas' right to use the Latin rex, which the papacy had been claiming the right to grant from the 13th century onwards, was not universally recognized in Catholic sources. Thus, he was called rex sive dux ("King or Duke") in one source; Pope John XXII, in a letter to the King of France, referred to Gediminas as "the one who calls himself rex". However, the Pope did call Gediminas rex when addressing him (regem sive ducem, "king or duke").
Teutonic knights referred to Algirdas and his wife Uliana (Julijona) as "Grand King of Lithuania" and "Grand Queen of Lithuania". In early 2000s a plaque with a mysterious script, dating to the 13thâÂÂ14th centuries, which was nailed to a wooden base, was found during an archeological research in the Courtyard of the Old Arsenal of the Vilnius Castle Complex, part of which is translatable from the Ancient Greek as Algirdos Basileus (a Greek term Basileus means a 'king' or an 'emperor'). In 1370, Algirdas wrote a letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople where he titled himself as Basileus, showcasing his status as an equal sovereign ruler to the Byzantine Emperor.
Algirdas' son Jogaila since 1377 titled himself as 'King 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.
Officially, the title of Grand Duke of Lithuania (Magnus Dux Lithuaniae) was introduced after the Pact of Horodà Âo 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.
Following the Act of KrÃÂva with the Kingdom of Poland in 1385, the full Latin title was changed to ('By the Grace of God, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania').
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 (). 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 1429, the crowning was sanctioned by Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor. However, Vytautas died before the crown arrived.
Jogaila's son Wà Âadysà Âaw 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 1544âÂÂ1548, 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.
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 Dà Âugosz. Casimir IV was sent by his older brother King of Poland and Hungary, Supreme Duke of Lithuania Wà Âadysà Âaw 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 PolishâÂÂLithuanian union. It manifested Lithuania as a sovereign state and its ruler Casimir IV Jagiellon stressed himself as a "free lord" (pan â dominus). According to historian Edvardas GudaviÃÂius, Bishop of Vilnius put a Gediminas' Cap in the Vilnius Cathedral on his head, despite the Polish nobility's opposition.
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 PolishâÂÂLithuanian 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".
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 PolishâÂÂLithuanian 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 for a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikoà Âaj "the Red" Radziwià Âà Â, Eustachy Woà Âà Âowicz, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Konstanty Ostrogski) during negotiations for the Union of Lublin. It was not officially included in it, however. Nevertheless, before the 1576 PolishâÂÂLithuanian royal election a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held on 20 April 1576 in Grodno which adopted a Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which stipulated that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were pressured by the Poles in the Election sejm, the Lithuanians would not be obliged by any oath to the Union of Lublin and would 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 the Union of Lublin, the rulers of the PolishâÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth were elected in joint PolishâÂÂLithuanian 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 PolishâÂÂLithuanian monarchs, the Polish crown was also announced as a property of both the Polish and Lithuanian nobles.
|- |Grand Duke/King<br /><br /> 1236<br/>âÂÂ<br/>17 July 1251 <br /> as Grand Duke<br /> <hr /> 17 July 1251<br/>âÂÂ<br/>12 September 1263 <br />(crowned 1253)<br>as King|| || <hr/>Son of mythological Ringaudas || NN,<br/> 2 children <hr/> Morta <br/> 2 or 4 children <hr/> NN, sister of Morta,<br>no children|| 1263 <br /> Aglona <br /> Assassinated by Treniota <br /> and Daumantas <br /> Aged about 60 || Right of conquest <hr/> Son of mythological Ringaudas |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1263<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1264|| || Unknown <hr/>Son of NN, <br/> Mindaugas' sister <br/> and Vykintas || Unknown <br/> 1 child || 1264 <br /> Murdered by servants <br /> loyal to Mindaugas' son Vaià ¡vilkas || Right of conquest <hr/> Nephew of Mindaugas |- |Grand Duke<br /><br/>Lauruà ¡as<br /> 1264<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1267|| || Unknown <hr/>Son of Mindaugas<br/>and NN, Mindaugas' first wife || Unmarried and <br/> childless|| 1268 <br /> Was murdered <br /> by Leo I of Galicia || Right of conquest <hr/> Son of Mindaugas |-
|- |Grand Duke<br /><br /><small></small><br /> 1267<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1269|||| <br/> Halych <hr/>Son of Daniel of Galicia || NN, daughter of Mindaugas <br/> No children || <br/> Kholm <br/> Aged about 39 || Offered by Vaià ¡vilkas <hr/> Brother-in-law <br/> of Vaià ¡vilkas |-
|- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1270<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1282|||| 1220 || Ona of Masovia <br/> 1 child|| 1282 <br/> Kernavà<br/> Aged 62 || Right of conquest <hr/> Possibly a relative <br/> of Mindaugas |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1282<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1285|| || Unknown ||Unknown || 3 March 1285 <br /> Died in a battle by Tver || Possibly a son <br/> of Mindaugas |-
|- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1285<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1291|| || None known || Unknown <hr/> Son of <br/> Skalmantas (?) || Unknown ||1291 || Possibly a relative <br/> of Daumantas |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1291<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1295|| || None known || Unknown <hr/> Son of <br/> Skalmantas (?) || Unknown || || Brother of Butigeidis |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1295<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1316|||| None known || 1260 <hr/>Son of Butvydas || Vikinda <br/> 1 child|| 1316 <br /> Aged 56 || Son of Butvydas |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1316<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1341|||| None known || <hr/>Son of Butvydas || Jaunà<br/>13 children || <br /> Raudonà<br /> Aged about 66 || Son of Butvydas |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> 1341<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1345|||| None known || <hr/>Son of Gediminas<br/>and JaunÃÂ|| Unknown <br/> 3 children || <br /> Aged 57âÂÂ60 || Son of Gediminas |- |Grand Duke <br /> <br /> 1345<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1377 |||| || <hr/>Son of Gediminas<br/>and JaunÃÂ|| Maria of Vitebsk <br /> 6 children <hr/> Uliana of Tver <br/> 8 children|| <br /> Maià ¡iagala <br /> Aged about 81 || Right of conquest <hr/> Son of Gediminas |- |Grand Duke <br /><br /> May 1377<br/>âÂÂ<br/>August 1381|||| || <br/> Vilnius <hr/>Son of Algirdas<br/>and Uliana of Tver || Jadwiga of Poland <br /> 1 child <hr/> Anna of Cilli <br /> 1 child <hr/> Elizabeth Granowska <br /> No children <hr/> Sophia of Halshany <br/> 3 children || 1 June 1434 <br /> Gródek Jagielloà Âski <br /> Aged 72âÂÂ82 || Son of Algirdas |- |Grand Duke <br /><br /> probably 1345<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1382<br/>attested:<br/>1349<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1351<br/>1381<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1382 || || || <br/> Senieji Trakai <hr/>Son of Gediminas<br/>and JaunÃÂ|| Birutà<br/> 9 children|| 1382 <br /> Kreva <br /> Died in captivity<br/>possibly murdered by the order of Jogaila<br /> Aged 84âÂÂ85 || Right of conquest <hr/> Son of Gediminas |- |Grand Duke <br /><br /> 3 August 1382<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1 June 1434 <br/>()|||| || <br/> Vilnius <hr/>Son of Algirdas<br/>and Uliana of Tver || Jadwiga of Poland <br /> 1 child <hr/> Anna of Cilli <br /> 1 child <hr/> Elizabeth Granowska <br /> No children <hr/> Sophia of Halshany <br/> 3 children || 1 June 1434 <br /> Gródek Jagielloà Âski <br /> Aged 72âÂÂ82 || Right of conquest <hr/> Son of Algirdas |- |- ! colspan="7" |Act of Kreva signed in 1385<br/><small>Poland and Lithuania de jure are ruled by one monarch but remain to be separate states.</small> |- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><br /> 3 August 1382<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1 June 1434 <br/>()|||| || <br/> Vilnius <hr/>Son of Algirdas<br/>and Uliana of Tver || Jadwiga of Poland <br /> 1 child <hr/> Anna of Cilli <br /> 1 child <hr/> Elizabeth Granowska <br /> No children <hr/> Sophia of Halshany <br/> 3 children || 1 June 1434 <br /> Gródek Jagielloà Âski <br /> Aged 72âÂÂ82 || Son of Algirdas |- |- ! colspan="7" |Astrava Agreement signed in 1392<br/><small>Following the Lithuanian Civil War, Vytautas acts as regent de jure.<br> He is recognized as the Grand Duke after </small>Pact of Vilnius and Radom in 1401.<small> His successors rule as Grand Dukes alongside Polish monarchs until 1440.</small> |- |Grand Duke<br />King-elect of Lithuania<br /><br/>Vytautas the Great<br/>1401<br/>âÂÂ<br/>27 October 1430 <br/>|||| || <br/> Senieji Trakai <hr/>Son of KÃÂstutis<br/>and Birutà|| Anna <br /> 1 child <hr/> Uliana Olshanska <br/> No children || 27 October 1430 <br /> Trakai <br /> Aged about 80 || Offered by Jogaila <hr/> Son of KÃÂstutis |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /> October 1430<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1 August 1432|||| || Before 1370 <br/> Vilnius <hr/>Son of Algirdas<br/>and Uliana of Tver || Anna of Tver <br/> 1 child || 10 February 1452 <br /> Lutsk <br /> Aged about 82 || Son of Algirdas |- |Grand Duke<br /><br /><small></small><br /> 1432<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1440 |||| || 1365 <br/> Trakai <hr/>Son of KÃÂstutis<br/>and BirutÃÂ|| Unknown<br/> 1 child|| 20 March 1440 <br /> Trakai <br /> Murdered by supporters <br /> of à  vitrigaila <br /> Aged 75 || Son of KÃÂstutis |-
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><br /><br /> 1 June 1434<br/>âÂÂ<br/>10 November 1444<br/>()|||| || 31 October 1424 <br/> Kraków <hr/>Son of Jogaila Algirdaitis<br/>and Sophia of Halshany || Unmarried and childless|| 10 November 1444 (presumed) <br /> Varna <br /> Aged 20 || Son of Jogaila |- |- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><br /><small></small> <br /> 29 June 1440<br/>âÂÂ<br/>7 June 1492 <br/>()|||| || 30 November 1427 <br/> Kraków <hr/>Son of Jogaila Algirdaitis<br/>and Sophia of Halshany || Elisabeth of Austria <br/> 12 children || 7 June 1492 <br /> Old Grodno Castle <br /> Aged 64 || Son of Jogaila |- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><br /><small></small> <br /> 30 July 1492<br/>âÂÂ<br/>19 August 1506 <br/>()|||| || 5 August 1461 <br/> Kraków <hr/>Son of Kazimieras Jogailaitis and <br/>Elisabeth of Austria || Helena of Moscow <br/> No children|| 19 August 1506 <br /> Vilnius <br /> Aged 45 || Son of Casimir IV Jagiellon |- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><br/>Sigismund I the Old<br/><small></small><br /> 8 December 1506<br/>âÂÂ<br/>1 April 1548 <br/>()|||| || 1 January 1467 <br/> Kozienice <hr/>Son of Kazimieras Jogailaitis and <br/>Elisabeth of Austria || Barbara Zápolya <br /> 2 children <hr/> Bona Sforza <br/> 6 children|| 1 April 1548 <br /> Kraków <br /> Aged 81 || Son of Casimir IV Jagiellon |- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><br /><small></small><br />18 October 1529<br/>âÂÂ<br/>7 July 1572 <br/>() |||| || 1 August 1520 <br/> Kraków <hr/>Son of à ½ygimantas the Old<br/>and Bona Sforza || Elisabeth of Austria <br /> No children <hr/> Barbara Radziwià Âà  <br /> No children <hr/> Catherine of Austria <br/> No children|| 7 July 1572 <br /> Knyszyn <br /> Aged 51 || Son of Sigismund I |- ! colspan="7" |Union of Lublin signed in 1569<br/><small>Poland and Lithuania are united into a single Commonwealth.</small> |-
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Sigismund II Augustus</big><br /><small></small><br /><small><br />1 July 1569<br /><br />7 July 1572<br />()</small> | | | 1 August 1520<br />Kraków<hr />Son of à ½ygimantas the Old<br/>and Bona Sforza | Elisabeth of Austria <br /> Barbara Radziwià Âà  <br /> Catherine of Austria | 7 July 1572<br />Knyszyn<br />Aged 51 | Hereditary<hr /> First monarch to <br /> introduce elective <br /> monarchy | Jagiellon
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Henry</big><br /><small></small><br />16 May 1573<br /><br />12 May 1575<br />() | | | 19 September 1551<br />Fontainebleau<hr />Son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici | Louise of Lorraine, no children | 2 August 1589<br />Saint-Cloud<br />Aged 37 | Elected<hr />Left Poland in June 1574 to succeed his brother in France<hr />Interregnum until 1575 | Valois
|- |Queen of Poland<br /> and Grand Duchess <br /><big>Anna</big><br /><small></small><br />15 December 1575<br /><br />19 August 1587 <br />(de facto) <br/>() <br/><br />9 September 1596 <br />(de jure) <br/> () | | | 18 October 1523<br />Kraków<hr />Daughter of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza | Stephen Báthory, no children | 9 September 1596<br />Warsaw<br />Aged 72 | Elected co-monarch with Stephen Báthory<hr />Sole ruler until Báthory's arrival and coronation in May 1576<hr />Ruled after husband's death until her nephew was elected | Jagiellon
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Stephen Báthory</big><br /><small></small><br />1 May 1576<br /><br />12 December 1586<br />() | | | 27 September 1533<br />Szilágysomlyó (ÃÂimleu Silvaniei)<hr />Son of Stephen Báthory of Somlyó and Catherine Telegdi | Anna Jagiellon, no children | 12 December 1586<br />Grodno<br />Aged 53 | Elected as co-monarch with Anna Jagiellon<hr />Previously Prince of Transylvania | Báthory
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Sigismund III</big><br /><small></small><br />19 August 1587<br /><br />30 April 1632<br />() | | | 20 June 1566<br />Gripsholm<hr />Son of John III of Sweden and Catherine Jagiellon | Anne of Austria, 5 children<hr /> Constance of Austria, 7 children | 30 April 1632<br />Warsaw<br />Aged 65 | Elected, nephew of Anna Jagiellon<hr />Transferred capital from Kraków to Warsaw<hr />Hereditary King of Sweden until deposition in 1599 | Vasa
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Wà Âadysà Âaw IV</big><br />also Ladislaus IV<br /><small></small><br />8 November 1632<br /><br />20 May 1648<br />() | | | 9 June 1595<br />à Âobzów<hr />Son of Sigismund III and Anne of Austria | Cecilia Renata of Austria, 3 children<hr /> Marie Louise Gonzaga | 20 May 1648<br />MerkinÃÂ<br />Aged 52 | Elective succession<hr />Also titular King of Sweden and elected Tsar of Russia (1610âÂÂ1613) when the Polish army captured Moscow | Vasa
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>John II Casimir</big><br /><small></small><br />20 November 1648<br /><br />16 September 1668<br />() | | | 22 March 1609<br />Kraków<hr />Son of Sigismund III and Constance of Austria | Marie Louise Gonzaga, 2 children<hr /> Claudine Françoise Mignot (morganatic marriage) | 16 December 1672<br />Nevers<br />Aged 63 | Elective succession, succeeded half-brother<hr />Previously a cardinal<hr />Disputed with Charles X Gustav between 1655âÂÂ1657<hr />Titular King of Sweden<hr />Abdicated | Vasa
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Michael I</big><br /><small></small><br />19 June 1669<br /><br />10 November 1673<br />() | | | 31 May 1640<br />Biaà Ây Kamieà Â<hr />Son of Jeremi Wià Âniowiecki and Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska | Eleonora Maria of Austria, 1 child | 10 November 1673<br />Lwów<br />Aged 33 | Elected<hr />Born into nobility of mixed heritage, the son of a military commander and governor | Wià Âniowiecki
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>John III Sobieski</big><br /><small></small><br />19 May 1674<br /><br />17 June 1696<br />() | | | 17 August 1629<br />Olesko<hr />Son of Jakub Sobieski and Teofila Zofia | Marie Casimire d'Arquien, 13 children | 17 June 1696<br />Wilanów<br />Aged 66 | Elected<hr />Born into nobility<hr />A successful military commander | Sobieski
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Augustus II</big><br /><small></small><br />15 September 1697<br /><br />1706<br />(1st reign, 9 years) | | | 12 May 1670<br />Dresden<hr />Son of John George III and Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark | Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, 1 son by wife | 1 February 1733<br />Warsaw<br />Aged 62 | Elected<hr />Previously Elector and ruler of Saxony<hr />Dethroned by Stanislaus I in 1706 during the Great Northern War | Wettin
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Stanislaus I</big><br /><small></small><br />12 July 1704<br /><br />8 July 1709<br />(1st reign, ) | | | 20 October 1677<br />Lwów<hr />Son of Rafaà  Leszczyà Âski and Anna Jabà Âonowska | Catherine Opalià Âska, 2 children | 23 February 1766<br />Lunéville<br />Aged 88 | Usurped<hr />Nominated as ruler in 1704, crowned in 1705 and deposed predecessor in 1706<hr />Exiled in 1709 | Leszczyà Âski
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Augustus II</big><br /><small></small><br />8 July 1709<br /><br />1 February 1733<br />(2nd reign, ) | | | 12 May 1670<br />Dresden<hr />Son of John George III and Princess Anna Sophie of Denmark | Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth, 1 son by wife | 1 February 1733<br />Warsaw<br />Aged 62 | Restored | Wettin
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Stanislaus I</big><br /><small></small><br />12 September 1733<br /><br />26 January 1736<br />(2nd reign, ) | | | 20 October 1677<br />Lwów<hr />Son of Rafaà  Leszczyà Âski and Anna Jabà Âonowska | Catherine Opalià Âska, 2 children | 23 February 1766<br />Lunéville<br />Aged 88 | Elected<hr />His election sparked the War of the Polish Succession<hr />Deposed by Augustus III in 1736 | Leszczyà Âski
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Augustus III</big><br /><small></small><br />5 October 1733<br /><br />5 October 1763<br />(30 years) | | | 17 October 1696<br />Dresden<hr />Son of Augustus II the Strong and Christiane Eberhardine | Maria Josepha of Austria, 16 children | 5 October 1763<br />Dresden<br />Aged 66 | Usurped<hr />Proclaimed King of Poland in 1733, crowned in 1734<hr />Dethroned elected predecessor in 1736 | Wettin
|- |King of Poland<br /> and Grand Duke <br /><big>Stanislaus II Augustus</big><br /><small></small><br />7 September 1764<br /><br />25 November 1795<br />() | | | 17 January 1732<br />Woà Âczyn<hr />Son of Stanisà Âaw Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska | Unmarried | 1 February 1798<br />Saint Petersburg<br />Aged 66 | Elected<hr />Born into nobility<hr />Last King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, his reign ended in the Partitions of Poland | Poniatowski
|- |Grand Duke<br /> Lithuanian: Frydrichas Augustas I<br /> <br /> â <br /> <br />()|||| || 23 December 1750 <br/> Dresden <hr/>Grandson of Augustus III of Poland and <br/>Maria Josepha of Austria || Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld <br /> Princess Maria Augusta of Saxony <hr/> || 5 May 1827 <br/> Dresden <br/> Aged 76 || De jure restoration <hr/> Offered by the Lithuanian Provisional Governing Commission |-
|- |King-elect<br /><br /> <br /> â <br /> <br />()|||| || 30 May 1864 <br/> Monaco <hr/>Son of Wilhelm, 1st Duke of Urach and <br/>Princess Florestine of Monaco || Duchess Amalie in Bavaria <br /> 9 children <hr/> Princess Wiltrud of Bavaria <br/> No children|| 24 March 1928 <br/> Rapallo <br/> Aged 63 || De jure restoration <hr/> Offered by the Lithuanian Council <hr/> Offer withdrawn |-
In 1564, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus renounced his rights to the hereditary Lithuanian throneâÂÂthe 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 PolishâÂÂLithuanian Commonwealth, which existed for the next 226 years. The Union included constitutional changes such as creating a formal elective monarchy, to simultaneously reign over both parties.
Following the death of Sigismund II in 1572, a joint PolishâÂÂLithuanian monarch was to be elected as in the Union of Lublin it was agreed that the title "Grand Duke of Lithuania" was to be held 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" would be preserved. The demand for a separate inauguration ceremony of the Grand Duke of Lithuania was raised by the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (e.g. Mikoà Âaj "the Red" Radziwià Âà Â, Eustachy Woà Âà Âowicz, Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, Konstanty Ostrogski) during negotiations. It was not officially included in it, however. Nevertheless, before the 1576 PolishâÂÂLithuanian royal election a congress of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's nobles was held on 20 April 1576 in Grodno which adopted a Universal, signed by the participating Lithuanian nobles, which announced that if the delegates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were pressured by the Poles in the Election sejm, the Lithuanians would not be obliged by any oath to the Union of Lublin and would 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 ignored 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 KÃÂdainiai with the Swedish Empire and became its protectorate (Swedish Lithuania), 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 dividedâÂÂLithuania proper became a part of the Russian Empire while Sudovia became a part of the Kingdom of Prussia.
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. On 17 July 1251 Pope oficially recognized Mindaugas as the King, thus establishing Christian Kingdom of Lithuania, and in 1253 probably in Vilnius or Novogrudok, he and his wife Morta were crowned King and Queen. Those events established a short-lived alliance with the Livonian Order and laid the basis for the international recognition of the newly created Kingdom of Lithuania as a Western country.
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 complicatedâÂÂby 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 (Wà Âadysà Âaw II Jagieà Âà Âo) 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.
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 a part of the Russian Empire following the Third Partition of the PolishâÂÂLithuanian 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 in Verkiai Palace. According to the twelve-point document resembling the rudiments of a Constitution, the Kingdom of Lithuania was supposed to have a bicameral legislature with a representative role for the monarch. Wilhelm von Urach was also presented with conditions such as: adopting the title of Mindaugas II; letting his children attend a Lithuanian school; only appointing courtiers, ministers and other high-ranking public officials who were Lithuanian citizens and speakers of Lithuanian, the country's official language; and who would not leave 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 to become independent countries. Soon afterwards, Germany expressed its official support for the independence of Lithuania. 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.
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 à  vedarauskas:
Political commentator ÃÂeslovas Ià ¡kauskas responded:
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 Lithuanian National Radio and Television (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 promiseâÂÂif 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.