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Andorra is the last independent survivor of the Marcher states, a series of buffer states created by Charlemagne to keep the Moors from advancing further into Christian Europe. According to tradition, Charlemagne granted a charter to the Andorran people in return for their fighting the Moors. In the 800s, Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, nominated the Count of Urgell as Overlord of Andorra. A descendant of the Count later gave the lands to the Bishop of Urgell. In the 11th century, fearing military action by neighboring lords, the bishop placed himself under the protection of the Lord of Caboet, a Spanish nobleman. Later, the Count of Foix became heir to Lord Caboet through marriage, and a dispute arose between the French Count and the Spanish bishop over Andorra. |
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In 1278, the conflict was resolved by the signing of a
pareage, a feudal contract recognizing the principle of
equality of rights shared by two rulers. The pareage gave
the small state its present territory and political form.
In the thirteenth century Roger Bernard III Count of Foix
married Marguerite de Moncade, heir to Gaston VII, Viscount
of Béarn. Their son Gaston I of Foix, was therefore
Viscount of Béarn as well as Count of Foix during
his reign (1302-1315). His arms were those of Foix
quartered with the those of Béarn (see right).
The Counts of Foix still shared sovereignty of Andorra with
the bishop of Urgel. The arms of Andorra were created
by replacing the first quarter of the arms of Foix and Béarn
with those of the Bishop of Urgel (as shown below right).
When a later Count of Foix acquired the kindom of Navarre
in 1481 by marriage, he became King as well as Viscount
of Béarn. Now the remote maintain territory was ruled
jointly by the King and the bishop. 
From the time when Henry III of Navarre became king of France,
the territory was ruled jointly by the French Kings and
the bishops of Urgel. During the the reign of the
French king Henry IV, an edict in 1607 confirmed the head
of the French state and the Bishop of Seu d'Urgell as Co-princes
of Andorra.
Today
the Principality of Andorra is still run as an independent
country, its joint sovereigns are the President of France
(as legal successor to the Counts of Foix and Kings of Navarre)
and the bishop of Urgel. A variant of the arms of
Andorra are shown on the left.
Back to the Counts of Foix
