- Charles I, Duke of Brittany
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Charles of Blois Duke of Brittany Duke of Brittany Reign 30 April 1341 – 29 September 1364 Predecessor John III Successor John V Spouse Joanna, Duchess of Brittany Issue John I of Blois-Châtillon
Prince Guy
Prince Henry
Princess Marie, Lady of Guise
Princess Marguerite, Countess of AngoulêmeHouse House of Blois Father Guy I of Blois-Châtillon Mother Margaret of Valois Born c. 1319 Died 29 September 1364 (aged 44-45) Charles of Blois (Blois, 1319 – 29 September 1364), claimed the title Duke of Brittany, from 1341 to his death.
Charles is the son of Guy I of Blois-Châtillon, count of Blois, by Margaret of Valois, a sister of king Philip VI of France. He was a devout man, who took piety to the extreme of mortifying his own flesh. It is said that he placed pebbles in his shoes, wore ropes tight with knots near his flesh and confessed every night in fear of sleeping in a state of sin. He was nevertheless an accomplished military leader, who inspired loyalty by his religious fervour.
On 4 June 1337 in Paris, he married Joanna the Lame, heiress and niece of duke John III. Together, Charles and Joanna fought the House of Montfort in the Breton War of Succession (1341–1364), with the support of the crown of France. Despite his piety, Charles did not hesitate in ordering the massacre of 2000 civilians after the siege of Quimper. After initial successes, Charles was taken prisoner by the English in 1347. Thomas Dagworth was the official captor of Charles of Blois.[1] He was released nine years afterwards against a ransom of about half a million ecús, and resumed the war against the Montforts.
Charles died in the Battle of Auray which determined the end of the war and the victory of the Montforts. He was canonized as saint for his devotion to religion, but the process was made null by Pope Gregory XI by request of Duke John V of Brittany. Subsequently, in 1904, he was beatified.
By his marriage to Joanna, he had five children:
- John I of Blois-Châtillon (1340–1404)
- Guy
- Henry (d. 1400)
- Marie (1345–1404), Lady of Guise, married in 1360 Louis I of Naples
- Marguerite, married in 1351 Charles de la Cerda (d. 1354)
See also
- Dukes of Brittany family tree
References
- ^ Historical Note Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell 2002 pg 405
Preceded by
John IIIDuke of Brittany
with Joanna
disputed with John IV
1341–1364Succeeded by
John VPreceded by
JoannaCount of Penthièvre
with Joanna
1337–1364Succeeded by
John IEarly monarchs House of Nantes 938–958House of Rennes 958–1072House of Cornouaille 1072–1156House of Penthièvre 1156–1194Conan IV (1156–1171) · Constance (1171–1194) · with Geoffrey II (1181–1186), · later Ranulph (1188–1194)House of Plantagenet 1194–1203Arthur I (1194–1203)House of Thouars 1203–1221House of Dreux 1221–1364House of Montfort 1341/65–1514John IV (1341-1345) · John V (1345/65-1399) · John VI (1399–1442) · Francis I (1442–1450) · Peter II (1450–1457) · Arthur III (1457–1458) · Francis II (1458–1488) · Anne (1488–1514) · with Charles II (1491–1498), · later Louis I (1499–1514)House of Valois 1514–1547Courtesy title 1547-presentThis Brittany-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.