Charles de Valois, Duke de Berry

For other people of the same name, see Charles, Duke of Berry (disambiguation).
Charles de Valois
Duke of Berry
Duke of Normandy
Duke of Aquitaine
Born (1446-12-26)26 December 1446
Tours, France
Died 24 May 1472(1472-05-24) (aged 25)
House Valois
Father Charles VII of France
Mother Marie of Anjou
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, Duke of Berry, later Duke of Normandy and then Duke of Aquitaine (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.

Early 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.

Duke of Normandy

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. 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 Aquitaine.

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 unsuccessful in this endeavour, as the Pope granted the dispensation.

Still, the marriage plan 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 apanage returned to the crown.

His daughter by the viscountess, Anne bâtarde de Valois, died childless not long after her marriage in 1490 to François de Volvire, Baron of Russec.[2]

Ancestry

Coats of arms

References

  1. "Nicole de Chambes". Genealogical database. Gene Web. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
  2. "Anne de Valois". Genealogical database. Gene Web. Retrieved 9 July 2008.
French royalty
Preceded by
Louis, Dauphin of France
Heir to the Throne
as Heir presumptive
22 July 1461 – 4 December 1466
Succeeded by
Francis, Dauphin of France
Preceded by
Francis, Dauphin of France
Heir to the Throne
as Heir presumptive
4 December 1466 – 30 June 1470
Succeeded by
Charles, Dauphin of France
French nobility
Preceded by:
New creations
Duke of Berry
14611465
Succeeded by:
to Royal domain
Duke of Normandy
14651466
Duke of Guyenne
14691472
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