Guelfs
| House of Welf (Guelf or Guelph) | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Country | Germany, Italy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Parent house | House of Este |
| Titles |
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| Founded | 11th century |
| Founder | Welf I, Duke of Bavaria |
| Final ruler | Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick |
| Current head | Ernst August V, Prince of Hanover |
| Deposition | 1918 (in Germany); 1901 (in UK and India) |
| Cadet branches | House of Hanover |
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) was a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century.
The House of Welf is the older branch of the House of Este, a dynasty whose earliest known members lived in Lombardy in the late 9th/early 10th century, sometimes called Welf-Este. The first member was Welf IV; he inherited the property of the Elder House of Welf when his maternal uncle Welf III, Duke of Carinthia and Verona, the last male Welf of the Elder House, died in 1055. Welf IV was the son of Welf III's sister Kunigunde of Altdorf and her husband Albert Azzo II of Este, Margrave of Milan. In 1070, Welf IV became duke of Bavaria.
Welf V married Countess Matilda of Tuscany, who died childless and left him her possessions, including Tuscany, Ferrara, Modena, Mantua, and Reggio, which played a role in the Investiture controversy. Since the Welf dynasty sided with the Pope in this controversy, partisans of the Pope came to be known in Italy as Guelphs (Guelfi).
Kunigunde of Altdorf, sister of Welf III, wife of Albert Azzo II of Este, Margrave of Milan, parents of Welf IV
Welf IV, Duke of Bavaria (c. 1030/1040 – 1101)
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