Counts of Zollern (1061–1204)

• until 1061: Burkhard I^[6]
• before 1125: Frederick I^[6]
• between c. 1125 and 1142: Frederick II, eldest son of Frederick I^[8]: XLI
• between c. 1143 and 1150–1155: Burkhard II, 2nd oldest son of Frederick I^[8]: XLI
• between c. 1150–1155 and 1160: Gotfried of Zimmern, 4th oldest son of Frederick I^[8]: XLI
• before 1171 – c. 1200: Frederick III/I (son of Frederick II, also Burgrave of Nuremberg)

After Frederick's death, his sons partitioned the family lands between themselves:

• Conrad I received the county of Zollern and exchanged it for the Burgraviate of Nuremberg with his younger brother Frederick IV in 1218, thereby founding the Franconian branch of the House of Hohenzollern. Members of the Franconian line eventually became the Brandenburg-Prussia branch and later converted to Protestantism.
• Frederick IV received the burgraviate of Nuremberg in 1200 from his father and exchanged it for the county of Zollern in 1218 with his brother, thereby founding the Swabian branch of the House of Hohenzollern, which remains Catholic.^[6]

Burgraves of Nuremberg (1192–1427)

Region of Nuremberg, Ansbach, Kulmbach and Bayreuth (Franconia)

• 1192–1200/1204: Frederick I (also count of Zollern as Frederick III)
• 1204–1218: Frederick II (son of, also count of Zollern as Frederick IV)
• 1218–1261/1262: Conrad I/III (brother of, also count of Zollern)
• 1262–1297: Frederick III (c. 1220–1297), son of
• 1297–1300: John I (c. 1279–1300), son of
• 1300–1332: Frederick IV (1287–1332), brother of
• 1332–1357: John II (c. 1309–1357), son of
• 1357–1397: Frederick V (before 1333–1398), son of

At Frederick V's death on 21 January 1398, his lands were partitioned between his two sons:

• 1397–1420: John III/I (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
• 1397–1427: Frederick VI/I/I, (brother of, also Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach)

After John III/I's death on 11 June 1420, the margraviates of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach were briefly reunited under Frederick VI/I/I. He ruled the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach after 1398. From 1420, he became Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach. From 1411 Frederick VI became governor of Brandenburg and later Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg as Frederick I. Upon his death on 21 September 1440, his territories were divided among his sons:

• Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg
• Albert III, Elector of Brandenburg and Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
• John II, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach

In 1427 Frederick, Elector of Brandenburg sold Nuremberg Castle and his rights as burgrave to the Imperial City of Nuremberg. The territories of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Brandenburg-Kulmbach remained possessions of the family, once parts of the Burgraviate of Nuremberg.

• 
  Nuremberg Castle (the Emperor's castle, left, and the Burgrave's castle, right)
• 
  Cadolzburg Castle near Nuremberg (from 1260 seat of the Burgraves)
• 
  Heilsbronn Abbey, which the Hohenzollerns used as the family burial place

Margraves of Brandenburg-Ansbach (1398–1791)

• 1398–1440: Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
• 1440–1486: Albert I/I/III Achilles (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Elector of Brandenburg)
• 1486–1515: Frederick II/II (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
• 1515–1543: George I/I the Pious (son of, also Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf)
• 1543–1603: George Frederick I/I/I/I (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach, Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Regent of Prussia)
• 1603–1625: Joachim Ernst (1583–1625), son of John George of Brandenburg
• 1625–1634: Frederick III (1616–1634), son of
• 1634–1667: Albert II, brother of
• 1667–1686: John Frederick (1654–1686), son of
• 1686–1692: Christian I Albrecht, son of
• 1692–1703: George Frederick II/II (brother of, later Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)
• 1703–1723: William Frederick (before 1686–1723), brother of
• 1723–1757: Charles William (1712–1757), son of
• 1757–1791: Christian II Frederick (1736–1806) (son of, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach)

On 2 December 1791, Christian II Frederick sold the sovereignty of his principalities to King Frederick William II of Prussia.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1398–1604), later Brandenburg-Bayreuth (1604–1791)

• 1398–1420: John I (c. 1369–1420), son of Frederick V of Nuremberg
• 1420–1440: Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
• 1440–1457: John II (1406–1464), son of
• 1457–1486: Albert I/I/III Achilles (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach and Elector of Brandenburg)
• 1486–1495: Siegmund (1468–1495), son of
• 1495–1515: Frederick II/II (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
• 1515–1527: Casimir (1481–1527), son of
• 1527–1553: Albert II Alcibiades (1522–1557), son of
• 1553–1603: George Frederick I/I/I/I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Regent of Prussia)
• 1603–1655: Christian I (1581–1655), son of John George, of Brandenburg
• 1655–1712: Christian II Ernst (1644–1712), son of Erdmann August
• 1712–1726: George I William (1678–1726), son of
• 1726–1735: George Frederick II/II (previously Margrave of Kulmbach)
• 1735–1763: Frederick IV (1711–1763), son of
• 1763–1769: Frederick V Christian (1708–1769), son of Christian Heinrich
• 1769–1791: Charles Alexander (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)

On 2 December 1791, Charles Alexander sold the sovereignty of his principalities to King Frederick William II of Prussia.

Dukes of Jägerndorf (1523–1622)

The Duchy of Jägerndorf (Krnov) was purchased in 1523.

• 1541–1543: George I the Pious (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach)
• 1543–1603: George Frederick I (also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Regent of Prussia)
• 1603–1606: Joachim I (also Regent of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg)
• 1606–1621: Johann Georg von Brandenburg

The duchy of Jägerndorf was confiscated by Emperor Ferdinand III in 1622.

Margraves of Brandenburg (1415–1619)

Frederick VI became Margrave of Brandenburg in 1415.

In 1411, Frederick VI, Burgrave of the small but wealthy Nuremberg, was appointed governor of Brandenburg in order to restore order and stability. At the Council of Constance in 1415, King Sigismund elevated Frederick to the rank of Elector and Margrave of Brandenburg as Frederick I. In 1417, Elector Frederick purchased Brandenburg from its then-sovereign, Emperor Sigismund, for 400,000 Hungarian guilders.

Portrait	Name	Dynastic Status	Reign	Birth	Death	Marriages
	Frederick I	also as Frederick VI Burgrave of Nuremberg	1415–1440	1371	1440	Elisabeth of Bavaria
	Frederick II	Son of	1440–1471	1413	1471	Catherine of Saxony
	Albrecht III Achilles	Brother of	1471–1486	1414	1486	Margaret of Baden Anna of Saxony
	John Cicero	Son of	1486–1499	1455	1499	Margaret of Thuringia
	Joachim I Nestor	Son of	1499–1535	1484	1535	Elizabeth of Denmark
	Joachim II Hector	Son of	1535–1571	1505	1571	Magdalena of Saxony Hedwig of Poland
	John George	Son of	1571–1598	1525	1598	Sophie of Legnica Sabina of Brandenburg-Ansbach Elisabeth of Anhalt-Zerbst
	Joachim Frederick	Son of	1598–1608	1546	1608	Catherine of Brandenburg-Küstrin Eleanor of Prussia
	John Sigismund	Son of personal union with Prussia after 1618 called Brandenburg-Prussia.	1608–1619	1572	1619	Anna, Duchess of Prussia

Margraves of Brandenburg-Küstrin (1535–1571)

The short-lived Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin was set up as a secundogeniture of the House of Hohenzollern.

• 1535–1571: John the Wise, Margrave of Brandenburg-Küstrin (son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg). He died without issue. The Margraviate of Brandenburg-Küstrin was absorbed in 1571 into Brandenburg.

Margraves of Brandenburg-Schwedt (1688–1788)

Although recognized as a branch of the dynasty since 1688, the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Schwedt remained subordinate to the electors, and was never an independent principality.

• 1688–1711: Philip William, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (son of Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg)
• 1731–1771: Frederick William, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt (son of)
• 1771–1788: Frederick Henry, Prince in Prussia, Margrave of Brandenburg Schwedt (brother of)

Dukes of Prussia (1525–1701)

Growth of Brandenburg-Prussia, 1600–1795

In 1525, the Duchy of Prussia was established as a fief of the King of Poland. Albert of Prussia was the last Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights and the first Duke of Prussia. He belonged to the Ansbach branch of the dynasty. The Duchy of Prussia adopted Protestantism as the official state religion.

• 1525–1568: Albert I
• 1568–1618: Albert II Frederick co-heir (son of)
• 1568–1571: Joachim I/II Hector co-heir (also Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1578–1603: George Frederick I/I/I/I (Regent, also Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, Margrave of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf)
  • 1603–1608: Joachim I/I/III Frederick (Regent, also Duke of Brandenburg-Jägerndorf and Elector of Brandenburg)
  • 1608–1618: John Sigismund (Regent, also Elector of Brandenburg)
• 1618–1619: John Sigismund (Regent, also Elector of Brandenburg, after 1618 Brandenburg-Prussia)
• 1619–1640: George William I/I (son of, also Elector of Brandenburg)
• 1640–1688: Frederick I/III William the Great Elector (son of, also Elector of Brandenburg)
• 1688–1701: Frederick II/IV/I (also Elector of Brandenburg and King in Prussia)

From 1701, the title of Duke of Prussia was attached to the title of King in and of Prussia.

Kings in Prussia (1701–1772)

Coronation of Frederick I in Königsberg

In 1701, the title of King in Prussia was granted, without the Duchy of Prussia being elevated to a Kingdom within Poland but recognized as a kingdom by the Holy Roman Emperor, theoretically the highest sovereign in the West. From 1701 onwards the titles of Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title of King in Prussia. The Duke of Prussia adopted the title of king as Frederick I, establishing his status as a monarch whose royal territory lay outside the boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire, with the assent of Emperor Leopold I: Frederick could not be "King of Prussia" because part of Prussia's lands were under the suzerainty of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland. In Brandenburg and the other Hohenzollern domains within the borders of the empire, he was legally still an elector under the ultimate overlordship of the emperor. By this time, however, the emperor's authority had become purely nominal over the other German prices outside the immediate hereditary lands of the emperor. Brandenburg was still legally part of the empire and ruled in personal union with Prussia, though the two states came to be treated as one de facto. The king was officially Margrave of Brandenburg within the Empire until the Empire's dissolution in 1806. In the age of absolutism, most monarchs were obsessed with the desire to emulate Louis XIV of France with his luxurious palace at Versailles.

In 1772, the Duchy of Prussia was elevated to a kingdom.

Portrait	Name	Dynastic Status	Reign	Birth	Death	Marriages
	Frederick I	Son of	1701–1713 Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg since 1688	1657	1713	Elisabeth Henriette of Hesse-Kassel Sophia Charlotte of Hanover Sophia Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
	Frederick William I	Son of	1713–1740	1688	1740	Sophia Dorothea of Hanover
	Frederick II the Great	Son of	1740–1772 King of Prussia from 1772	1712	1786	Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern

Kings of Prussia (1772–1918)

Expansion of Prussia, 1807–1871

Frederick William's successor, Frederick the Great gained Silesia in the Silesian Wars so that Prussia emerged as a great power. The king was strongly influenced by French culture and civilization and preferred the French language.

In the 1772 First Partition of Poland, the Prussian king Frederick the Great annexed neighboring Royal Prussia, i.e., the Polish voivodeships of Pomerania (Gdańsk Pomerania or Pomerelia), Malbork, Chełmno and the Prince-Bishopric of Warmia, thereby connecting his Prussian and Farther Pomeranian lands and cutting the rest of Poland from the Baltic coast. The territory of Warmia was incorporated into the lands of former Ducal Prussia, which, by administrative deed of 31 January 1772 were named East Prussia. The former Polish Pomerelian lands beyond the Vistula River together with Malbork and Chełmno Land formed the Province of West Prussia with its capital at Marienwerder (Kwidzyn) in 1773. The Polish Partition Sejm ratified the cession on 30 September 1772, whereafter Frederick officially went on to call himself King "of" Prussia. From 1772 onwards the titles of Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title King of Prussia.

In 1871, the Kingdom of Prussia became a constituent member of the German Empire, and the King of Prussia gained the additional title of German Emperor.

Portrait	Name	Dynastic Status	Reign	Birth	Death	Marriages
	Frederick II the Great	Son of	1772–1786 King in Prussia since 1740	1712	1786	Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern
	Frederick William II	Nephew of	1786–1797	1744	1797	Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Lüneburg Frederika Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt
	Frederick William III	Son of	1797–1840	1770	1840	Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Auguste von Harrach
	Frederick William IV	Son of	1840–1861	1795	1861	Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria
	William I	Brother of	1861–1888 German Emperor from 1871	1797	1888	Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
	Frederick III	Son of	1888 German Emperor	1831	1888	Victoria, Princess Royal
	Wilhelm II	Son of	1888–1918 German Emperor	1859	1941	Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein Hermine Reuss of Greiz

German Emperors (1871–1918)

Prussia in the German Empire, 1871–1918

In 1871, the German Empire was proclaimed. With the accession of William I to the newly established imperial German throne, the titles of King of Prussia, Duke of Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg were always attached to the title of German Emperor.

Prussia's Minister President Otto von Bismarck convinced William that German Emperor instead of Emperor of Germany would be appropriate. He became primus inter pares among other German sovereigns.

William II intended to develop a German navy capable of challenging Britain's Royal Navy. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on 28 June 1914 set off the chain of events that led to World War I. As a result of the war, the German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman empires ceased to exist.

In 1918, the German empire was abolished and replaced by the Weimar Republic. After the outbreak of the German revolution in 1918, both Emperor William II and Crown Prince William signed the document of abdication.

• 
  William I (1871–1888)
• 
  Frederick III (1888)
• 
  William II (1888–1918)

Prussian Hohenzollern religion and religious policy

The official religion of the state was "bi-confessional". John Sigismund's most significant action was his conversion from Lutheranism to Calvinism, after he had earlier equalized the rights of Catholics and Protestants in the Duchy of Prussia under pressure from the King of Poland. He was probably won over to Calvinism during a visit to Heidelberg in 1606, but it was not until 25 December 1613 that he publicly took communion according to the Calvinist rite. The vast majority of his subjects in Brandenburg, including his wife Anna of Prussia, remained deeply Lutheran, however. After the Elector and his Calvinist court officials drew up plans for mass conversion of the population to the new faith in February 1614, as provided for by the rule of Cuius regio, eius religio within the Holy Roman Empire, there were serious protests, with his wife backing the Lutherans. This was doubly important as Anna brought with her the duchy of Prussia into the Brandenburg line of the house and the nascent Brandenburg-Prussian state. Resistance was so strong that in 1615, John Sigismund backed down and relinquished all attempts at forcible conversion. Instead, he allowed his subjects to be either Lutheran or Calvinist according to the dictates of their own consciences. Henceforward, Brandenburg-Prussia would be a bi-confessional state, with the ruling Hohenzollern house staying Calvinist.^[9]

This situation persisted until Frederick William III of Prussia. Frederick William was determined to unify the Protestant churches to homogenize their liturgy, organization, and architecture. The long-term goal was to have fully centralized royal control of all the Protestant churches in the Prussian Union of churches. The merging of the Lutheran and Calvinist (Reformed) confessions to form the United Church of Prussia was highly controversial. Angry responses included a large and well-organized opposition. The crown's aggressive efforts to restructure religion were unprecedented in Prussian history. In a series of proclamations over several years, the Church of the Prussian Union was formed, bringing together the majority group of Lutherans and the minority group of Reformed Protestants. The main effect was that the government of Prussia had full control over church affairs, with the king himself recognized as the leading bishop.^[10]

Order of succession

• 
  Wilhelm II, the last incumbent of the throne
• 
  Crown Prinz Wilhelm
• 
  Louis Ferdinand
• 
  Georg Friedrich

The head of the house is the titular King of Prussia and German Emperor. He also bears a historical claim to the title of Prince of Orange. Members of this line style themselves princes of Prussia.

Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia, the current head of the royal Prussian House of Hohenzollern, was married to Princess Sophie of Isenburg on 27 August 2011. On 20 January 2013, she gave birth to twin sons, Carl Friedrich Franz Alexander and Louis Ferdinand Christian Albrecht, in Bremen. Carl Friedrich, the elder of the two, is the heir apparent.^[11]

Counts of Hohenzollern (1204–1575)

Hohenzollern region, in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany (red color) and their Prussian cousins' kingdom (light beige)

In 1204, the County of Hohenzollern was established out of the fusion of the County of Zollern and the Burgraviate of Nuremberg. The Swabian branch inherited the county of Zollern and, being descended from Frederick I of Nuremberg, were all named "Friedrich" down through the 11th generation.^[13] Each one's numeral is counted from the first Friedrich to rule his branch's appanage.^[13]

The most senior of these in the 14th century, Count Frederick VIII (d. 1333), had two sons, the elder of whom became Frederick IX (d. 1379), first Count of Hohenzollern, and fathered Friedrich X who left no sons when he died in 1412.^[13]

But the younger son of Friedrich VIII, called Friedrich of Strassburg, uniquely, took no numeral of his own, retaining the old title "Count of Zollern" and pre-deceased his brother in 1364/65.^[13] Prince Wilhelm Karl zu Isenburg's 1957 genealogical series, Europäische Stammtafeln, says Friedrich of Strassburg shared, rather, in the rule of Zollern with his elder brother until his premature death.^[13]

It appears, but is not stated, that Strassburg's son became the recognized co-ruler of his cousin Friedrich X (as compensation for having received no appanage and/or because of incapacity on the part of Friedrich X) and, as such, assumed (or is, historically, attributed) the designation Frederick XI although he actually pre-deceased Friedrich X, dying in 1401.

Friedrich XI, however, left two sons who jointly succeeded their cousin-once-removed, being Count Frederick XII (d. childless 1443) and Count Eitel Friedrich I (d. 1439), the latter becoming the ancestor of all subsequent branches of the Princes of Hohenzollern.^[13]

• 1204–1251/1255: Frederick IV, also Burgrave of Nuremberg as Frederick II until 1218
• 1251/1255–1289: Frederick V
• 1289–1298: Frederick VI (d. 1298), son of
• 1298–1309: Frederick VII (d. after 1309), son of
• 1309–1333: Frederick VIII (d. 1333), brother of
• 1333–1377: Frederick IX
• 1377–1401: Frederick XI
• 1401–1426: Frederick XII
• 1426–1439: Eitel Frederick I, brother of
• 1433–1488: Jobst Nicholas I (1433–1488), son of
• 1488–1512: Eitel Frederick II (c. 1452–1512), son of
• 1512–1525: Eitel Frederick III (1494–1525), son of
• 1525–1575: Charles I (1516–1576), son of

In the 12th century, a son of Frederick I secured the county of Hohenberg. The county remained in the possession of the family until 1486.

The influence of the Swabian line was weakened by several partitions of its lands. In the 16th century, the situation changed completely when Eitel Frederick II, a friend and adviser of the emperor Maximilian I, received the district of Haigerloch. His grandson Charles I was granted the counties of Sigmaringen and Vehringen by Charles V.

Counts, later Princes of Hohenzollern-Hechingen (1576–1849)

Stetten Abbey church in Hechingen, the burial place of the Swabian line

The County of Hohenzollern-Hechingen was established in 1576 with allodial rights. It included the original County of Zollern, with the Hohenzollern Castle and the monastery at Stetten.

In December 1849, the ruling princes of both Hohenzollern-Hechingen and Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen abdicated their thrones, and their principalities were incorporated as the Prussian province of Hohenzollern.^[6] The Hechingen branch became extinct in dynastic line with Konstantin's death in 1869.

Portrait	Name	Dynastic Status	Reign	Birth	Death	Marriages
	Eitel Friedrich IV	Son of Charles I	1576–1605	1545	1605	Veronica of Ortenburg Sibylle of Zimmern Johanna of Eberstein
	Johann Georg	Son of raised to Prince in 1623	1605–1623	1577	1623	Franziska of Salm-Neufville
	Eitel Frederick V	Son of also count of Hohenzollern-Hechingen	1623–1661	1601	1661	Maria Elisabeth van Bergh ’s-Heerenberg
	Philipp	Brother of	1661–1671	1616	1671	Marie Sidonie of Baden-Rodemachern
	Friedrich Wilhelm	Son of	1671–1735	1663	1735	Maria Leopoldina of Sinzendorf Maximiliane Magdalena of Lützau
	Friedrich Ludwig	Son of	1735–1750	1688	1750	unmarried
	Josef Friedrich Wilhelm	Son of Herman Frederick of Hohenzollern-Hechingen	1750–1798	1717	1798	Maria Theresia Folch de Cardona y Silva Maria Theresia of Waldburg-Zeil
	Hermann	Son of Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen	1798–1810	1751	1810	Louise of Merode-Westerloo Maximiliane of Gavre Maria Antonia of Waldburg-Zeil-Wurzach
	Friedrich Hermann Otto	Son of	1810–1838	1776	1838	Pauline, Duchess of Sagan
	Constantine	Son of	1838–1849	1801	1869	Eugénie de Beauharnais Amalie Schenk von Geyern

Counts of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch (1576–1634 and 1681–1767)

The County of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch was established in 1576 without allodial rights.

• 1576–1601 : Christopher (1552–1592), son of Charles I of Hohenzollern
• 1601–1623 : John Christopher (1586–1620), son of
• 1601–1634 : Charles (1588–1634)

Between 1634 and 1681, the county was temporarily integrated into the principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

• 1681–1702: Francis Anthony, Count of Hohenzollern-Haigerloch
• 1702–1750: Ferdinand Leopold, Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
• 1750–1767: Francis Christopher Anton, Count of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen

Upon the death of Francis Christopher Anton in 1767, the Haigerloch territory was incorporated into the principality of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.

Counts, later Princes of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1576–1849)

Sigmaringen Castle

The County of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was established in 1576 with allodial rights and a seat at Sigmaringen Castle.

In December 1849, sovereignty over the principality was yielded to the Franconian branch of the family and incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia, which accorded status as cadets of the Prussian Royal Family to the Swabian Hohenzollerns. The last ruling Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, Karl Anton, would later serve as Minister President of Prussia between 1858 and 1862.

Portrait	Name	Dynastic Status	Reign	Birth	Death	Marriages
	Charles II	Son of Charles I	1576–1606	1547	1606	Euphrosyne of Oettingen-Wallerstein Elisabeth of Palant
	Johann	Son of elevated to Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1623	1606–1638	1578	1638	Johanna of Hohenzollern-Hechingen
	Meinrad I	Son of	1638–1681	1605	1681	Anna Marie of Törring at Seefeld
	Maximilian I	Son of	1681–1689	1636	1689	Maria Clara of Berg-'s-Heerenberg
	Meinrad II	Son of	1689–1715	1673	1715	Johanna Catharina of Montfort
	Joseph Friedrich Ernst	Son of	1715–1769	1702	1769	Marie Franziska of Oettingen-Spielberg Judith of Closen-Arnstorf Maria Theresa of Waldburg-Trauchburg
	Karl Friedrich	Son of	1769–1785	1724	1785	Johanna of Hohenzollern-Bergh
	Anton Aloys	Son of	1785–1831	1762	1831	Amalie Zephyrine of Salm-Kyrburg
	Karl	Son of	1831–1848	1785	1853	Marie Antoinette Murat Katharina of Hohenlohe-Waldenburg-Schillingsfürst
	Karl Anton	Son of	1848–1849	1811	1885	Josephine of Baden

House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen after 1849

Map of the Prussian Province of Hohenzollern after 1850

Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern, head of the Swabian branch

The family continued to use the title of Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. After the Hechingen branch became extinct in 1869, the Sigmaringen branch adopted title of Prince of Hohenzollern.

• 1849–1885: Karl Anton I (1811–1885)
• 1885–1905: Leopold I (1835–1905), son of
• 1905–1927: William I (1864–1927), son of
• 1927–1965: Frederick I (1891–1965), son of
• 1965–2010: Friedrich Wilhelm I (1924–2010), son of
• 2010–present: Karl Friedrich I (1952–), son of
• heir apparent: Alexander

In 1866, Prince Charles of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was chosen prince of Romania, becoming King Carol I of Romania in 1881.

Charles's elder brother, Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern, was offered the Spanish throne in 1870 after a revolt exiled Isabella II in 1868. Although encouraged by Bismarck to accept, Leopold declined in the face of French opposition. Nonetheless, Bismarck altered and then published the Ems telegram to create a casus belli: France declared war, but Bismarck's Germany won the Franco-Prussian War.

The head of the Sigmaringen branch (the only extant line of the Swabian branch of the dynasty) is Karl Friedrich, styled His Highness The Prince of Hohenzollern. His official seat is Sigmaringen Castle.^[6]

Reigning (1866–1947)

Coronation of Carol I in Bucharest

Evolution of Romania

The Principality of Romania was established in 1862, after the Ottoman vassal states of Wallachia and Moldavia had been united in 1859 under Alexandru Ioan Cuza as Prince of Romania in a personal union. He was deposed in 1866 by the Romanian parliament.

Prince Charles of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was invited to become reigning Prince of Romania in 1866. In 1881 he became Carol I, King of Romania. Carol I had an only daughter who died young, so the younger son of his brother Leopold, Prince Ferdinand of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, would succeed his uncle as King of Romania in 1914, and his descendants, having converted to the Orthodox Church, continued to reign there until the end of the monarchy in 1947.

Portrait	Name	Dynastic Status	Reign	Birth	Death	Marriages
	Carol I	Son of Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern titled as Prince until 1881	1866–1914	1839	1914	Elisabeth of Wied
	Ferdinand I	Nephew of Carol I	1914–1927	1865	1927	Marie of Edinburgh
	Michael I	Grandson of Ferdinand I 1st reign	1927–1930 (regency)	1921	2017	Anne of Bourbon-Parma
	Carol II	Son of Ferdinand I	1930–1940	1893	1953	Zizi Lambrino Helen of Greece and Denmark Magda Lupescu
	Michael I	Son of Carol II 2nd reign	1940–1947	1921	2017	Anne of Bourbon-Parma

Succession since 1947

In 1947, the King Michael I abdicated and the country was proclaimed a People's Republic. Michael did not press his claim to the defunct Romanian throne, but he was welcomed back to the country after half a century in exile as a private citizen, with substantial former royal properties being placed at his disposal. However, his dynastic claim was not recognized by post-Communist Romanians.

On 10 May 2011, King Michael I severed the dynastic ties between the Romanian Royal Family and the House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.^[14] After that the branch of the Hohenzollerns was dynastically represented only by the last king Michael, and his daughters. Having no sons, he declared that his dynastic heir, instead of being a male member of the Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen princely family to which he formerly belonged patrilineally and in accordance with the last Romanian monarchical constitution, should be his eldest daughter Margareta.^[15]

The royal house remains popular in Romania^[16] and in 2014 Prime Minister Victor Ponta promised a referendum on whether or not to reinstate the monarchy if he were re-elected.

Palaces of the Prussian Hohenzollerns

• 
  Hohenzollern Castle
• 
  Berlin Palace
• 
  Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin
• 
  Königsberg Castle, Prussia
• 
  City Palace, Potsdam
• 
  New Palace, Potsdam
• 
  Sanssouci, Potsdam
• 
  Marmorpalais, Potsdam
• 
  Babelsberg Palace, Potsdam
• 
  Cecilienhof Palace, Potsdam
• 
  Oranienburg Palace
• 
  Rheinsberg Palace
• 
  Wrocław Palace, Silesia
• 
  Oels Castle, Silesia
• 
  Stolzenfels Castle, Koblenz

Palaces of the Franconian branches

• 
  Plassenburg Castle at Kulmbach
• 
  The New Castle at Bayreuth
• 
  Residenz Ansbach
• 
  Erlangen Castle

Palaces of the Swabian Hohenzollerns

• 
  The New Castle at Hechingen

Royal Brandenburg-Prussian branch

• Prince Franz Wilhelm of Prussia (1943–)
• Prince Frederick of Prussia (1911–1966)
• Georg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia (1976–)
• Prince Hubertus of Prussia (1909–1950)
• Princess Kira of Prussia (1943–2004)
• Louis Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia (1907–1994)
• Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia (1944–1977)
• Prince Michael of Prussia (1940–2014)
• Prince Oskar of Prussia (1959–)
• Wilhelm, Prince of Prussia (1882–1951)
• Prince Wilhelm of Prussia (1906–1940)
• Prince Wilhelm-Karl of Prussia (1922–2007)
• Prince Wilhelm-Karl of Prussia (b. 1955) (2007-present)

Princely Swabian branch

• Princess Augusta Victoria of Hohenzollern (1890–1966)
• Prince Ferfried of Hohenzollern (1943–2022)
• Frederick, Prince of Hohenzollern (1891–1965)
• Friedrich Wilhelm, Prince of Hohenzollern (1924–2010)
• Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern (1932–2016)
• Karl Friedrich, Prince of Hohenzollern (1952–)