List of royal saints and martyrs


This list of royal saints and martyrs enumerates Christian monarchs, other royalty, and nobility who have been beatified or canonized, or who are otherwise venerated as or conventionally given the appellation of "saint" or "martyr". Their names are in English and, where known, in their own language. When the status of a nominee is dubious the whole entry is italicized. Popes are not included in this list, unless they came from nobility themselves. Although they may be considered sovereigns, a list of Papal Saints is enumerated elsewhere.

Monarchs

This section enumerates Christian sovereigns, as opposed to mere consorts, who are enumerated in "Other royalty and nobility" below.

Catholic Beati, Venerabili, and Servants of God

The Catholic Church classifies various holy persons who have not been canonized as saints in the lesser categories of beati, venerabili, and servants of God. These titles indicate grades on the path to canonization in that church.
ImageNameStatusSovereigntyNotes
Baudouin of BelgiumServant of GodKing of the BelgiansOn 17 December 2024, the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints officially launched the cause for the beatification and canonization of Baudouin.
CharlemagneBlessedKing of the Franks, King of the Romans, & Emperor of the RomansCultus fully permitted at Aachen
Francis II of the Two SiciliesServant of GodKing of the Two SiciliesIn December 2020, Cardinal Sepe of Naples announced the opening of the process of beatification and canonization in the case of Francis II.
Henry II the PiousServant of GodHigh Duke of PolandThe Roman Catholic Diocese of Legnica opened up his cause for beatification in October 2015.
Humbert III of SavoyPre-CongregationCount of SavoyHe was venerated right after his death, pre-congregation. In 1838, Charles Albert, King of Sardinia and his descendant, tried and failed to have him beatified by Pope Gregory XVI.
Isabella I of CastileServant of GodQueen of CastileDeclared Servant of God in March 1974 & cause initially stopped in 1991. In April 2020, Pope Francis requested that her cause be reopened.
James I of AragonBlessedKing of Aragon King of Majorca Lord of Montpellier Count of BarcelonaCult in the order mercedarian.
James VII of ScotlandServant of GodKing of England, King of Ireland, King of ScotlandIn 1734, spurred on by the English Benedictines of Paris, Archbishop Charles-Gaspard-Guillaume de Vintimille du Luc of Paris opened the Cause for the deposed and exiled James VII and II, who had died in France in 1701 after the Revolution of 1688; a 2019 article in the Catholic Herald provoked renewed interest in the possibility of the king's eventual canonization.
Henry VI of EnglandCause openedKing of England, Heir and Regent of France, Lord of IrelandHe has been declared martyr and wonderworker.
Karl I of AustriaBlessedEmperor of Austria, King of Hungary, King of Croatia, & King of BohemiaBeatified by Pope John Paul II in October 2004.
Charles I of EnglandCause partially openedKing of England, King of Scotland, King of Wales and King of IrelandA Catholic chapter of the Society of King Charles the Martyr was established by a group in the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter with the blessing of Bishop Steven J. Lopes

Other royalty and nobility

This section enumerates Christian royalty, including consorts but not sovereigns, and nobility. Christian sovereigns, while also "royalty", are exclusively enumerated in "Monarchs" above.

Saints

Bruno the Great - Son of Henry the Fowler and Brother of Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great

Catholic Beati, Venerabili, and Servants of God

The Roman Catholic Church classifies various holy persons who have not been canonized as saints in the inferior categories of beati, venerabili, and servants of God. These titles indicate grades on the path to canonization in that church.

Biblical royal saints

, the King of Salem, is venerated as a Saint and appears to be among the earliest Royalty in the Bible. Joseph is venerated as a Saint, within Christianity, with one apocryphal text suggesting he may have even become Pharaoh after his work as Vizier in Egypt. Moses is also considered to have been saved, and is sometimes thought to have been a member of the Egyptian Royal family. King David of the Biblical Kingdom of Israel and his successors Hezekiah and Josiah of the southern Kingdom of Judah are traditionally considered to be Saints by Catholic teaching.
In the New Testament genealogies, Jesus Christ is a descendant of King David and has been proclaimed by the Catholic Church as King of the Universe. His mother, Mary, is also celebrated within Catholic teaching as Queen of Heaven. Within tradition, she too is a descendant of King David, as were both her parents - Sts. Joachim and Anne. Medieval traditions would include within this number some of the Apostles, as part of a broader kinship to Christ.