House of Palatinate-Simmern
The House of Palatinate-Simmern was a German-Bavarian cadet branch of the House of Wittelsbach. The house was one of the collateral lineages of the Palatinate.
The Palatinate line of the House of Wittelsbach was divided into four lines after the death of Rupert III in 1410, including the line of Palatinate-Simmern with its capital in Simmern. This line became extinct in 1685 with the death of Charles II. The Palatinate-Neuburg line inherited the estate.
The founder of the line Simmern, Stephen, Count Palatine of Simmern-Zweibrücken is also the founder of the cadet branch House of Palatinate-Zweibrücken and its cadet branches. The rights over the County of Veldenz and a share of the County of Sponheim, transmitted by Stephen's wife Anna of Veldenz, were held by these lineages.
Currently, those in the line of succession to the British throne are Protestant descendants of Sophia, who was born into the house as Princess palatine of the Rhine, later becoming Electress consort of Hanover
