Rival Dynasty: the Capets of France

The Plantagenets weren't the only ruling family who struggled to keep their legends flourishing and their empire growing.  Their rivals on the Continent were the Capets, who would rule France for centuries, and continue under their cadet branches the Valois and Bourbons, until the French Revolution and through until 1848. 

The founder of the dynasty was named Hugh (941-996), the first Capetian to be King of the Franks, succeeding the last king of Charlemagne's line.  Various etymologies exist for the name Capet, which was likely a sobriquet or a nickname and not a surname.  Whether it came from cape, a Latin derivative of head, or meant someone who was a headman or ruler will never be known for certain.  Capet soon became a common name for the rulers of the dynasty, not just one man.  And, it would remain a name, sometimes insulting, for French kings and queens, e.g, the Widow Capet.  The Capetians traced their origins to Robert the Strong, who originated in what is now Belgium in the 9th century.  Upon the death of the last member of Charlemagne's descendants, the Carolingians, Hugh Capet was elected King of the Franks in 987.  And they lost no time in acquiring more territory to rule.  The early Plantagenets dealt with Capetian rulers from Louis VII (1137-1180) to Phillip IV (1285-1314).  Phillip IV died without heirs, so power transferred to the cadet branch of the Valois, beginning with Louis X (1314-1316) and continuing until Charles VIII (1483-1498). 

The two dynasties would be rivals in power, the main issue being land and who owed who homage for what piece of real estate.  Sometimes allies, but most of the time enemies, the ultimate winners in the power game on the Continent would be the Capets and Valois, who would slowly but surely wrest all of Continental France away from the Plantagenet kings with the exception of the Calais and the Pale, which would remain under English control until the time of the Tudors (1558).