- Charles de Valois, Duc de Berry
-
For other people of the same name, see Charles, Duke of Berry (disambiguation).
French Monarchy
Capetian Dynasty
(House of Valois)
Philip VI Children John II John II Children Charles V Louis I of Anjou John, Duke of Berry Philip the Bold Charles V Children Charles VI Louis, Duke of Orléans Charles VI Children Isabella of Valois Michelle of Valois Catherine of Valois Charles VII Charles VII Children Louis XI Charles, Duke of Berry Louis XI Children Charles VIII Charles VIII Charles de Valois, Duke of Berry (26 December 1446 – 24 May 1472) was a son of Charles VII, King of France. He spent most of his life in conflict with his elder brother, King Louis XI of France.
Life
Charles was born at Tours, last child and fourth son of Charles VII and Marie of Anjou. As his elder brother, the Dauphin Louis, had repeatedly run into conflict with his father and since 1456 was living in exile at the court of Burgundy, some expected the crown to pass to Charles. When Charles VII died in 1461, however, Louis XI succeeded nonetheless.
After his accession, Louis XI granted his younger brother the Duchy of Berry as an appanage. Dissatisfied with this, Charles joined with Charles, Count of Charolais, the Burgundian heir, and other powerful nobles such as Francis II, Duke of Brittany in the League of the Public Weal in May 1465. This started the Guerre folle (Mad War), which ended in October with the Treaty of Conflans between Louis XI and the Count of Charolais.
Under the treaty, Charles was granted the Duchy of Normandy as an additional appanage. He proved unable to control his new possession and ran into conflict with his former ally Francis II of Brittany. Louis dispatched the royal army to Normandy and assumed direct royal control of the Duchy. Charles, now reconciled with Duke Francis, fled to Brittany, where he remained until September 1468, when he and Francis signed the Treaty of Ancenis with Louis, promising to abandon the former Count of Charolais, now Duke of Burgundy.
In October 1468 Louis was imprisoned by Charles of Burgundy during a conference at Péronne.[disambiguation needed
] In order to obtain his release, Louis agreed to grant Champagne to his brother as compensation for Normandy. Once free, Louis reneged on the promises made under duress but in April 1469, he finally reconciled with his brother, granting him the Duchy of Guyenne.At the time, Charles also agreed with the Duke of Burgundy to marry the latter's only child and heir, Mary of Burgundy. Louis had no intention of allowing a union between his brother and his enemy's daughter and dispatched envoys to Pope Paul II to ensure that the necessary dispensation, required on grounds of consanguinity, was not granted. Louis was unsucessful in this endeavour, as the Pope granted the dispensation.
Still, the marriage plan still came to nothing as Charles died at Bordeaux in May 1472, probably from a combination of tuberculosis and a venereal disease contracted from his mistress, Colette de Chambes. According to legend, Colette had been fed poisoned fish by her aged but jealous husband, Louis d'Amboise, viscount of Thouars.[1]
Since Charles left no legitimate issue, his lands returned to the crown.
His daughter by the viscountess, Anne batarde de Valois, died childless not long after her marriage in 1490 to François de Volvire, Baron of Russec.[2]
French royalty Preceded by
Louis, Dauphin of FranceHeir to the Throne
as Heir presumptive
22 July 1461 – 4 December 1466Succeeded by
Francis, Dauphin of FrancePreceded by
Francis, Dauphin of FranceHeir to the Throne
as Heir presumptive
4 December 1466 – 30 June 1470Succeeded by
Charles, Dauphin of FranceFrench nobility Preceded by:
new creationsDuke of Berry
1461–1465Succeeded by:
to royal domainDuke of Normandy
1465–1466Duke of Guyenne
1469–1472Ancestors of Charles de Valois, Duc de Berry 16. John II of France 8. Charles V of France 17. Bonne of Bohemia 4. Charles VI of France 18. Peter I, Duke of Bourbon 9. Joanna of Bourbon 19. Isabella of Valois 2. Charles VII of France 20. Stephen II, Duke of Bavaria 10. Stephen III, Duke of Bavaria 21. Elizabeth of Sicily 5. Isabeau of Bavaria 22. Bernabò Visconti 11. Taddaea Visconti 23. Beatrice della Scala 1. Charles of Valois, Duke of Berry 24. John II of France (= 16) 12. Louis I of Naples 25. Bonne of Bohemia (= 17) 6. Louis II of Naples 26. Charles of Châtillon, Count of Blois 13. Marie of Châtillon 27. Jeanne of Penthièvre 3. Marie of Anjou 28. Peter IV of Aragon 14. John I of Aragon 29. Eleanor of Sicily 7. Yolande of Aragon 30. Robert I, Duke of Bar 15. Violante de Bar 31. Marie of Valois References
- ^ "Nicole de Chambes". Genealogical database. Gene Web. http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=en;i=263048. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
- ^ "Anne de Valois". Genealogical database. Gene Web. http://geneweb.inria.fr/roglo?lang=en;i=67928. Retrieved 2008-07-09.
Dukes of Normandy House of Normandy
911–1135Rollo · William I · Richard I · Richard II · Richard III · Robert I · William II · Robert II · Henry I · William III
House of Blois
1135–1144House of Plantagenet
1144–1259Categories:- 1446 births
- 1472 deaths
- People from Tours
- House of Valois
- Dukes of Berry
- Order of Saint Michael
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
