The original house of Welf descended from one Graf Welf, and ended in 1055, whereupon the heiress of the house married Azzo II d'Este, an Italian lord. From their marriage descended Dukes of Bavaria and Saxony, and the later Dukes of Braunschweig and Kings of Hanover and Great Britain. It also included one short-term tsar of Russia: Ivan VI. From Azzo's second marriage descended the family known as d'Este, which ruled Modena and Ferrara in Italy. Interestingly, when Pr Augustus, Duke of Sussex, had children in the 19th century by a marriage which was not apparently legal for dynastic purposes in Britain or in Germany, they took the surname of d'Este. The family name took on political significance during the battles between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines. Those who generally opposed the Hohenstaufen emperors were known as Guelphs, since that family usually led them, and the Hohenstaufen supporters were known as Ghibellines, from the Italian name of the Hohenstaufen castle, Waiblingen.

Part 1.

Welf, a Graf in Swabia, d.ca 825; by his wife, Heilwig, later Abbess of Chelles, he had issue:

1a) Rudolf I, Cte de Ponthieu, d.866; m. Hruodun N (d.after 867)

1b) Conrad, Ct of Paris and Sens, d.882

2b) Welf, Abbot of Sainte-Colombe-de-Sens, d.881

3b) Hugo, Rector of Saint-Saulve, Valenciennes, in 867

4b) Rudolf II Gf in Augstgau

2a) Conrad I Ct of Paris and Auxerre, d.after 862; m.Aelis, dau.of Ct Hugo of Tours

1b) Welf I Gf im Argengau und Linzgau, d.before 876; NOTE: probably son of Conrad, but possibly son of his brother Rudolf

1c) Conrad Gf im Linzgau

2c) Eticho Gf im Ammergau, d.after 911; bur Ammergau

1d) Gf Heinrich "with the Golden Wagon"; m.Atha von Hohenwart (d.after 975)

1e) Eticho Gf in Bavaria; bur Konstanz Cathedral

2e) [St.] Conrad, Bp of Constance, d.26 Nov 975

3e) Gf Rudolf, bur Altdorf; m.NN

1f) Rudolf II Gf von Altdorf; m.Ita, dau.of Kuno Gf von Öhningen

1g) Heinrich Gf von Altdorf, d.ca 1000

2g) Welf II Gf von Altdorf, d.10 Mar 1030, bur Altdorf; m.ca 1015 Irmtrud, dau.of Friedrich Gf von Luxemburg

1h) Welf III, Duke of Carinthia, Mgve of Verona, d.Burg Bdman 13 Nov 1055

2h) Kunigunde, b.ca 1020, d.before 1055; m.ca 1035 Azzo II, Marchese d'Este (d.1097); for their issue, see Part 2

3g) Richardis, d.Burg Persenbeug 12 Jun 1045, bur Ebersberg; m.Adalbero Gf von Ebersberg (d.27 Mar 1045)

2b) Conrad, Cte d'Auxerre, Margrave of Transjurania; m.Waldrada N

1c) Rudolf I, proclaimed as King of Burgundy 888, d.912; m.Willa, possibly dau.of King Boso of Burgundy

1d) King Rudolf II of Burgundy and Italy, d.11 Jul 937, bur St.Maurice; m.ca 922 Bertha, dau.of Duke Burchard II of Swabia

1e) King Conrad "the Peaceful" of Burgundy, d.19 Oct 993, bur Saint André-de Bas, Vienna; m.1^st Adelana N; m.2^nd ca 964 Matilda (d.981/2) dau.of King Louis IV of France

[by 1^st m.]:

1f) Kuno, d.after 966

2f) Gisela, d.21 Jul 1007; m.Duke Heinrich II of Bavaria

[by 2^nd m.]:

3f) King Rudolf III of Burgundy, d.5/6 Sep 1032, bur Lausanne Cathedral; m.1^st before 994 Agaltrudis N (d.1008/11); m.2^nd 1011 Ermengarde (d.after 1057) widow of Ct Rotbald of Provence

4f) Matilda; her marriage is unknown, but she was grandmother of Ct Gerold of Geneva

5f) Bertha, d.after 1016; m.1^st Cte Eudes de Blois (d.995/6); m.2^nd 997 King Robert II of France (d.1031)

6f) Gerberga; m.1^st Hermann Gf von Werl; m.2^nd ca 998 Duke Hermann II of Swabia (d.1003)

7f) [illegitimate by Aldiud N] Bouchard, Archbishop of Lyon, d.1030

2e) Rudolf, living 961/2

3e) Bouchard, Archbishop of Lyon, d.957/9

4e) Adelaide, d.16 Dec 999; m.1^st 947 Lothar d'Arles, King of Italy (d.Turin 22 Nov 950); m.2^nd 951 Emperor Otto I (d.7 May 973)

2d) Ludwig Gf im Thurgau; m.Edgifa, dau.of King Edward I of England

1e) Heinrich Gf in der Vaud

3d) Waldrada; m.923 Duke Bonifacius of Spoleto (d.953)

4d) Judith

2c) Adelaide; m.Richard le Justicier, Duke of Burgundy

3b) Hugo Abbas, Cte d'Auxerre, de Tours, et d'Angers, Margrave of Neustria, d.Orléans 12 May 886, bur St.Germain, Auxerre

4b) Rudolf, Abbot of St-Riquier

3a) Judith, d.843; m.819 Emperor Louis I (d.840)

4a) Hemma, d.876; m.827 Emperor Louis II (d.876)