House of Welf (Guelf, Guelph) | |
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Parent house | House of Este (agnatic) Elder House of Welf (cognatic) |
Country | Germany, Italy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Founded | 8th century |
Founder | Welf I, Duke of Bavaria |
Final ruler | Ernest Augustus, Duke of Brunswick |
Titles |
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Estate(s) | Brunswick & Hanover |
Deposition | 1918 (in Germany) |
Cadet branches | House of Hanover |
The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph[1]) is 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 originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Moselle area was closely related to the imperial family of the Carolingians.