Andorra History

Andorra is an independent country, but the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell, Spain are the joint head of state of the country.  This is an unusual political structure whose origin dated back to over 1000 years ago when Charlemagne (Charles the Great), who ruled France and much of the surrounding areas, granted a charter to Andorra as a political entity with the Count of Urgell as its overlord.

In 988 AD, the Count gave Andorra to the Bishop of Urgell.  Later, the Bishop of Urgell, who did not have any means to protect Andorra, sought protection from the Lord of Cobeot, a Spanish nobleman.  In the next 100 years, the Lord of Cobeot (and descents) arranged alliances either through diplomacy or by marriage with various bishops, other lords, viscounts and counts, including the Count of Foix of France.  

What has happened up to this point is that the Bishop of Urgell has owned Andorra since 988 AD, whereas the Count of Foix of France has, 100 years later by marriage to a descendent of Lord of Cobeot (protector of Andorra), got “connected” to Andorra.  Then a dispute erupted between the bishop of Urgell and Count of Foix.  It was eventually resolved in 1278, with the result that sovereignty of Andorra would from then on be shared betweem the Bishop of Urgell and the Count of Foix.

Over the years, the title was passed between French and Spanish rule until in 1607, the French King Henry IV passed an edict and established the head of the French state and the Bishop of Urgell as co-princes of Andorra.

This arrangement has since remained largely unchanged, except that Andorra was annxed or occupied by France a few times, in 1812, 1933 and from 1936 to 1940.  In 1993, it joined the United Nations and the Council of Europe.