Counts and dukes of Anjou

County/Dukedom of Anjou
Coat of arms of the Dukes of Anjou.
Creation date	861 (county) 1360 (dukedom)
Peerage	Peerage of France
First holder	Robert the Strong (county) Louis I (dukedom)
Last holder	John the Good (county) Louis Stanislas Xavier of France (dukedom)
Status	Extinct
Extinction date	1795

The count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of count. The Robertians and the Capetian kings were distracted by wars with the Vikings and other concerns and were unable to recover the county until the reign of Philip II Augustus, more than 270 years later.

Ingelger's male line ended with Geoffrey II. Subsequent counts of Anjou were descended from Geoffrey's sister Ermengarde and Count Geoffrey II of Gâtinais. Their agnatic descendants, who included the Angevin kings of England, continued to hold these titles and property until the French monarchy gained control of the area. In 1360, the count was raised to a dukedom becoming known as duke of Anjou, subsequently leading the Duchy of Anjou.

The title was held by Philip V of Spain before his accession in 1700. Since then, some Spanish Legitimist claimants to the French throne have borne the title even to the present day, as does a nephew of the Orléanist pretender.