Charles VI of France
Charles VI | |
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King of France | |
Reign | 16 September 1380 – 21 October 1422 |
Coronation | 4 November 1380 |
Predecessor | Charles V |
Successor | Charles VII[a] |
Regents | |
Born | 3 December 1368 Saint Denis Basilica |
Spouse | |
Issue among others... | |
House | Valois |
Father | Charles V of France |
Mother | Joanna of Bourbon |
Signature |
Charles VI (3 December 1368 – 21 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (
Charles ascended the throne at age 11, his father leaving behind a favorable military situation, marked by the reconquest of most of the English possessions in France. First placed under the regency of his uncles, the Dukes of Burgundy, Anjou, Berry and Bourbon, Charles decided in 1388, aged 20, to emancipate himself. In 1392, while leading a military expedition against the Duchy of Brittany, the king had his first attack of delirium, during which he attacked his own men in the forest of Le Mans. A few months later, following the Bal des Ardents (January 1393) where he narrowly escaped death from burning, Charles was again placed under the regency of his uncles, the dukes of Berry and Burgundy.
From then on, and until his death, Charles alternated between periods of mental instability and lucidity. Power was held by his influential uncles and by his wife, Queen Isabeau of Bavaria. His younger brother, Louis I, Duke of Orléans, also aspired to the regency and saw his influence grow. The enmity between Orléans and John the Fearless, successor of Philip the Bold as Duke of Burgundy, plunged France into the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War of 1407–1435, during which the king found himself successively controlled by one or the other of the two parties.
In 1415, Charles' army was crushed by the English at the Battle of Agincourt. The king subsequently signed the Treaty of Troyes, which entirely disinherited his son, the Dauphin and future Charles VII, in favour of his future son-in-law Henry V of England. Henry was thus made regent and heir to the throne of France, and Charles married him to his daughter Catherine de Valois. However, Henry died shortly before Charles, which gave the House of Valois the chance to continue the fight against the House of Lancaster, leading to eventual Valois victory and the end of the Hundred Years' War in 1453. Charles was succeeded in law by his grandson, the infant Henry VI of England, but Charles' own son was crowned first in Reims Cathedral and was widely regarded even before his coronation as the true heir by the French people.
Early life
Charles VI was born in Paris, in the royal residence of the Hôtel Saint-Pol, on 3 December 1368, the son of King Charles V of the House of Valois and of Joanna of Bourbon.[1] As the eldest son of the king, Charles was heir to the French throne and held the title Dauphin of France.
King of France
Regency
At his father's death on 16 September 1380, Charles inherited the throne of France. His
The regents were
During the rule of his uncles, the financial resources of the kingdom, painstakingly built up by Charles V, were squandered for the personal profit of the dukes, whose interests were frequently divergent or even opposing. During that time, the power of the royal administration was strengthened and taxes re-established. The latter policy represented a reversal of the deathbed decision by Charles V to repeal taxes, and led to tax revolts, known as the Harelle. Increased tax revenues were needed to support the self-serving policies of the king's uncles, whose interests were frequently in conflict with those of the crown and with each other. The Battle of Roosebeke (1382), for example, brilliantly won by the royal troops, was prosecuted solely for the benefit of Philip of Burgundy. The treasury surplus carefully accumulated by Charles V was quickly squandered.
Charles VI brought the regency to an end in 1388, taking up personal rule. He restored to power the highly competent advisors of Charles V, known as the Marmousets,[4] who ushered in a new period of high esteem for the crown. Charles VI was initially referred to as Charles the Beloved by his subjects.
Mental illness
Charles VI's early successes with the Marmousets as his counselors quickly dissipated as a result of the bouts of psychosis he experienced from his mid-twenties. Mental illness may have been passed on for several generations through his mother, Joanna of Bourbon.[5] Although still called by his subjects Charles the Beloved, he became known also as Charles the Mad.
Charles' first known episode occurred in 1392 when his friend and advisor,
Contemporaries reported that Charles appeared to be in a "fever" to begin the campaign and was disconnected in his speech. He set off with an army on 1 July 1392. The progress of the army was slow, driving Charles into a frenzy of impatience. As the king and his escort were traveling through the forest near
After the company emerged from the forest at noon, a page who was drowsy from the sun dropped the king's lance, which clanged loudly against a steel helmet carried by another page. Charles shuddered, drew his sword and yelled, "Forward against the traitors! They wish to deliver me to the enemy!" The king spurred his horse and began swinging his sword at his companions, fighting until one of his chamberlains and a group of soldiers were able to grab him from his mount and lay him on the ground. He lay still and did not react, but then fell into a coma; as a temporary measure, he was taken to the castle of Creil,[7] where it was hoped that good air and pleasant surroundings might bring him to his senses. The king had killed a knight known as "The Bastard of Polignac" and several other men during the attack.[8]
Periods of mental illness continued throughout Charles' life. During one episode in 1393, he could not remember his name and did not know he was king. When his wife came to visit, he asked his servants who she was and ordered them to take care of what she required so that she would leave him alone.[9] During another episode in 1395–96, the king claimed he was Saint George and that his coat of arms was a lion with a sword thrust through it.[10] At this time, he recognized all the officers of his household, but did not know his wife nor his children. Sometimes the king ran wildly through the corridors of the Hôtel Saint-Pol, and to keep him inside, the entrances were walled up. In 1405, he refused to bathe or change his clothes for five months.[11]
Charles' later psychotic episodes were not described in detail, perhaps because of the similarity of his behavior and delusions. Pope Pius II, who was born during the reign of Charles VI, wrote in his Commentaries that there were times when Charles thought that he was made of glass, and thus tried to protect himself in various ways so that he would not break. He reportedly had iron rods sewn into his clothes so that he would not shatter if he came into contact with another person.[12] This condition has come to be known as glass delusion.
Charles' secretary, Pierre Salmon, spent much time in discussions with the king while he was intermittently psychotic. In an effort to find a cure for his illness, stabilize the turbulent political situation and secure his own future, Salmon supervised the production of two distinct versions of the beautifully illuminated guidebooks to good kingship known as his Dialogues.[13]
Bal des Ardents
On 29 January 1393, a
At the suggestion of one Yvain de Foix, the king commanded that the torch-bearers were to stand at the side of the room. Nonetheless, the king's younger brother
Expulsion of the Jews, 1394
On 17 September 1394, Charles suddenly published an ordinance in which he declared, in substance, that for a long time he had been taking note of the many complaints provoked by the excesses and misdemeanors of the Jews against Christians, and that the prosecutors had made several investigations and discovered that the Jews broke the agreement with the king on many occasions.[citation needed] Therefore, the king decreed, as an irrevocable law and statute, that no Jew would dwell in his domains ("Ordonnances", vii. 675). According to the Monk of St. Denis, the king signed this decree at the insistence of Isabeau ("Chron. de Charles VI." ii. 119).[18] The decree was not immediately enforced, a respite being granted to the Jews in order that they have enough time to sell their property and pay their debts. Those indebted to them were enjoined to redeem their obligations within a set time; otherwise their pledges held in pawn were to be sold by the Jews. The provost was to escort the Jews to the frontier of the kingdom. Subsequently, the king released Christians from their debts.
Struggles for power
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Capetian dynasty (House of Valois) |
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Philip VI |
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John II |
Charles V |
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Charles VI |
Charles VII |
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Louis XI |
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Charles VIII |
With Charles mentally ill, from 1393 his wife Isabeau presided over a regency council, on which sat the grandees of the kingdom. Philip the Bold, who acted as regent during the king's minority (from 1380 to 1388), was initially a great influence on the queen. However, influence progressively shifted to Orléans, the king's brother, who was not only another contender for power, but, it was suspected, the queen's lover as well.[19] Charles' other uncles were less influential during the regency: Louis of Naples was still engaged managing the Kingdom of Naples, and John of Berry served as a mediator between the Orléans party (what would become the Armagnacs) and the Burgundy party (Bourguignons). The rivalry would increase bit by bit and eventually result in outright civil war.
The new regents dismissed the various advisers and officials Charles had appointed. On the death of Philip the Bold in April 1404, his son John the Fearless took over the political aims of his father, and the feud with Orléans escalated.
Wars with Burgundy and England
In 1407, Orléans was murdered in the rue Vieille du Temple in Paris. John the Fearless did not deny responsibility, claiming that Orléans was a tyrant who squandered money. Orléans' son
With the English taking over much of France, John the Fearless sought to end the feud with the royal family by negotiating with the Dauphin
English invasion and death
Charles VI's reign was marked by the continuing conflict with the English, known as the
In May 1420, Henry V and Charles VI signed the Treaty of Troyes, which named Henry as Charles' successor and stipulated that Henry's heirs would succeed him on the throne of France. It disinherited the Dauphin Charles, then only aged 17. (In 1421, it was implied in Burgundian propaganda that the young Charles was illegitimate.) The treaty also betrothed Charles VI's daughter, Catherine of Valois, to Henry. Disinheriting the Dauphin in favor of Henry was a blatant act against the interests of the French aristocracy, supported by the Duke of Burgundy. The Dauphin, who had declared himself regent for his father when the Duke of Burgundy invaded Paris and captured the king, had established a court at Bourges.[20]
Charles VI died on 21 October 1422 in Paris, at the Hôtel Saint-Pol.
Henry V died just a few weeks before Charles, in August 1422, leaving an infant son, who became King
The son disinherited by Charles VI, the Dauphin Charles, continued the fight to regain his kingdom. In 1429, Joan of Arc led his forces to victory against the English and took him to be crowned in Reims Cathedral as King Charles VII on 17 July 1429. He became known as "Charles the Victorious" and was able to restore the French line to the throne of France by defeating the English in 1450.[22]
Marriage and issue
Charles VI married Isabeau of Bavaria (c. 1371 – 24 September 1435) on 17 July 1385. They had:
Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
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Charles, Dauphin | 25 September 1386 | 28 December 1386 | Died young. First Dauphin. |
Jeanne | 14 June 1388 | 1390 | Died young. |
Isabella | 9 November 1389 | 13 September 1409 | Married (1) Charles, Duke of Orléans , in 1406. Had issue.
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Jeanne | 24 January 1391 | 27 September 1433 | Married John V, Duke of Brittany, in 1396. Had issue. |
Charles, Dauphin | 6 February 1392 | 13 January 1401 | Died young. Second Dauphin. Engaged to Margaret of Burgundy after his birth.
|
Marie | 22 August 1393 | 19 August 1438 | Never married – became an abbess. No issue. Died of the Plague |
Michelle | 11 January 1395 | 8 July 1422 | Married Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1409.[24] Had no surviving issue.
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Louis, Dauphin |
22 January 1397 | 18 December 1415 | Married Margaret of Burgundy . No issue. Third Dauphin.
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John, Dauphin |
31 August 1398 | 5 April 1417 | Married Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut, in 1415. No issue. Fourth Dauphin. |
Catherine | 27 October 1401 | 3 January 1437 | Married (1) Henry V, King of England, in 1420. Had issue. Married (?) (2) Owen Tudor. Had issue. |
Charles VII of France | 22 February 1403 | 21 July 1461 | The fifth Dauphin became Charles VII, King of France, after his father's death. Married Marie of Anjou in 1422. Had issue. |
Philip | 10 November 1407 | November 1407 | Died young. |
Charles had a mistress, Odette de Champdivers.[25] They had:
- Marguerite, bâtarde de France (d. c. 1458).[26]
Ancestry
Ancestors of Charles VI of France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Films and television
- Harcourt Williams in Henry V (1944)
- Paul Scofield in Henry V (1989)
- Lambert Wilson in The Hollow Crown (2012)
- Thibault de Montalembert in The King (2019)
- Alex Lawther in The Last Duel (2021)
See also
Notes
- ^ or Henry VI of England (disputed)
References
- ^ Roux 2009, p. 244.
- ^ Sumption 2009, p. 397.
- ^ Vaughan, 40–41
- ^ Vaughn, 42.
- ^ Earenfight 2013, p. 196.
- ^ W. H. Jervis, A History of France: from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Second Empire in 1870, (London: John Murray, 1884), 228, §5; Jean Juvenal des Ursins, Histoire de Charles VI, Roy de France, (Paris: A. Desrez, 1841), 377; Michaud, J. F and L. G., Biographie universelle, ancienne et moderne, 85 vols., (Paris: L. G. Michaud, 1813), 8:114 sub Charles VI.
- ^ Adams 2014, p. 36.
- ^ Denieul-Cormier 1980, p. 195.
- ^ R. C. Famiglietti, Royal Intrigue: Crisis at the Court of Charles VI, 1392–1420, New York, 1986, p. 4, citing the chronicle of the Religieux de Saint-Denis, ed. Bellaguet, II, pp. 86–88.
- ^ R. C. Famiglietti, Royal Intrigue: Crisis at the Court of Charles VI, 1392–1420, New York, 1986, p. 5, citing the chronicle of the Religieux de Saint-Denis, ed. Bellaguet, II, pp. 404–05.
- ^ R. C. Famiglietti, Royal Intrigue: Crisis at the Court of Charles VI, 1392–1420, New York, 1986, p. 6, citing the chronicle of the Religieux de Saint-Denis, ed. Bellaguet, III, p. 348
- ^ Enea Silvio Piccolomini (Papa Pio II), I Commentarii, ed. L. Totaro, Milano, 1984, I, p. 1056.
- ^ "Pierre Salmon's Dialogues – Wikicommons".
- ^ Froissart's Chronicles, ed. T. Johnes, II (1855), p. 550
- ^ Tuchman, Barbara (1978). A Distant Mirror. Alfred A Knopf. See the chronicle of the Religieux de Saint-Denis, ed. Bellaguet, II, pp. 64–71, where the squire's name is given correctly as "de Guisay".
- ^ Froissart's Chronicles, ed. T. Johnes, II (1855), pp. 550–52
- ^ Froissart's Chronicles, ed. T. Johnes, II (1855), p. 550. Note that Froissart and the Religieux de Saint-Denis differ as to when the four men died. Huguet de Guisay had held the office of cupbearer of the king.
- Latin, the work was translated to French in six volumes by L. Bellaguet between 1839 and 1852.
- ^ Alban Dignat, 23 novembre 1407: Assassinat dans la rue Vieille du Temple, herodote.net Archived 11 December 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ R.C. Famiglietti, Royal Intrigue: Crisis at the Court of Charles VI, 1392–1420, New York, 1986, Chapter X.
- ISBN 978-0-8240-4444-2.
- ^ Chartier, Jean, Chronique de Charles VII, Roi de France, publié avec notes par Vallet de Viriville, Paris 1858
- ^ Jeffrey Hamilton, The Plantagenets: History of a Dynasty, (Continuum, 2010), 205.
- ^ Jonathan Sumption, Cursed Kings: The Hundred Years War IV, (Faber and Faber Ltd., 2015), 103.
- ^ Gaude-Ferragu 2016, p. 34.
- ^ de Viriville 1859, p. 176.
- ^ a b c Autrand 1994, pp. 15.
- ^ a b Henneman 1971, p. xvii.
Sources
- Adams, Tracy (2014). Christine de Pizan and the Fight for France. Penn State University Press.
- Autrand, Françoise (1994). Charles V le Sage (in French). Paris: Fayard.
- Denieul-Cormier, Anne (1980). Wise and Foolish Kings: The First House of Valois, 1328–1498. Doubleday.
- Earenfight, Theresa (2013). Queenship in Medieval Europe. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Famiglietti, R.C. (1986). Royal Intrigue: Crisis at the Court of Charles VI, 1392–1420. AMS Press.
- —— (1992). Tales of the Marriage Bed from Medieval France (1300–1500). Picardy Press.
- Gaude-Ferragu, Murielle (2016). Queenship in Medieval France, 1300–1500. Translated by Krieger, Angela. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Henneman, John Bell (1971). Royal taxation in Fourteenth Century France, The Development of War Financing 1322–1356. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400869435.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: date and year (link - Roux, Simone (2009). Paris in the Middle Ages. Translated by McNamara, Jo Ann. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- Sumption, Jonathan (2009). The Hundred Years War: Divided Houses. Vol. III. University of Pennsylvania Press.
- de Viriville, Vallet (1859). "Odette ou Odinette de Champdivers Était-elle fille d'un Marchand de Chevaux? Notes historiques sur ce personnage". Bibliothèque de l'École des chartes. Quatrième Série (in French). 5. Librairie Droz: 171–81.
External links
- "Biography of Charles VI the mad of France (1368–1422)". guusbeltman.nl. Retrieved 6 November 2015.
- Britannica, ed. (20 July 1998). "Charles VI king of France". Encyclopædia Britannica.
- "Charles VI". Shakespeareandhistory.com.
- Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 919–920.