Henry X, Duke of Bavaria

Born around 1108 into the House of Welf, Henry became Duke of Bavaria in 1126. By 1137 he had added the duchies of Saxony and Spoleto and the margravate of Tuscany, amassing a territorial weight that made him the natural successor when the throne opened. In 1138 he stood for election as King of the Romans. Conrad of Hohenstaufen won instead. Henry died the following October, his accumulation of titles intact but his claim to the crown foreclosed.