Charles VII of France

Charles VII of France (Paris, February 22, 1403- Mehun-sur-Yèvre, July 22, 1461), called the Victorious (in French: le Victorieux) or Well Served (French: le Bien-Servi), was the fifth son of King Charles VI and Elizabeth of Bavaria, descendant of the Valois dynasty. He became heir to the throne and Dauphin of France in 1417, crowning himself as King of France on July 17, 1429, a title he held until his death in 1461, despite the fact that at the beginning of his life he had to dispute the throne with his nephew Henry VI of England, whose regent John of Lancaster, the Duke of Bedford, controlled much of the kingdom of France, including the capital, Paris.

He was the son of Charles VI, King of France, but his succession to the throne was questioned by the English who occupied northern France, and the Treaty of Troyes, signed by his father, Charles VI, which stipulated that the successor to the French throne would be Henry VI, the English monarch. Even so, he was crowned at Reims in 1429 thanks in part to Joan of Arc's efforts to free France from English occupation. The last phase of his reign was characterized by constant friction with his son, the future Louis XI.

Early Years

Born in Paris in 1403, Charles was the fifth son of Charles VI and Elizabeth of Bavaria; he had four older brothers, Charles (1386), Charles (1392-1401), Louis (1397-1415) and John (1398-1417), each holding the title of Dauphin of France, heir to the French throne. However, they all died as children, leaving Carlos an inheritance rich in titles.

Almost immediately after receiving the title Dauphin of France, Charles was forced to face the threat of his inheritance, forced to flee the Country (he was escorted by Tanngeuy du Chastel and his men) in May 1418 during the Cabochiena Revolt, a once the soldiers of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, tried to capture the city, which they did. Shortly after the fall of Paris into Burgundian hands, the young Dauphin was appointed regent of France to rule in the name of his father, who was in increasingly poor health.

Charles established his court further south, in the Loire Valley. In the summer of 1418, the Dauphin was busily consolidating his domain in a kingdom ruled by dubious loyalties. One of the key actions for this consolidation of his power was the siege of the city of Tours (August-September 1418), which in those days was under the control of the Duke of Burgundy. As part of this policy to reposition itself in France, the Dauphin hired many mercenaries and nobles from other neighboring nations, such as Castile, Scotland, Lombardy, Genoa, and Switzerland. The number of foreign captains in France registered at this time is enormous compared to other times.

The following year, after the capture of Tours, Charles attempted to reach a reconciliation with the Duke, meeting him on a bridge at Pouilly, near Melun, in July 1419. The meeting went as agreed, but In an effort to continue strengthening ties, the two gentlemen met again on September 10 on the Montereau bridge. The Duke, despite the above events, relied on the goodwill of his young cousin and, assuming that the meeting would be entirely peaceful and diplomatic, took only a small escort with him. Among the king's men was Tanneguy du Chastel, who interpreted a certain gesture by John the Fearless as an attempt to attack and, brandishing his ax, plunged it between the neck and shoulder, killing the Duke. the degree of Carlos' culpability in the act is unknown: despite the fact that the Dauphin said he had been unaware of his men's intentions, this was considered unlikely by those who heard about the murder and deepened the enmity between the Valois branch of France and the Valois branch of Burgundy. Carlos himself was later required by treaty with Felipe el Bueno, son of the assassinated Juan Fearless, to pay penance for the murder, but he never appeared; however, it is said, the event left him with a phobia of bridges for the rest of his life.

Scots fight for France

That same year, in 1419, the Dauphin sent several embassies to Castile, Scotland and Genoa to ask for military support, as the French army was still weakened by the crushing defeat at Agincourt. The ambassador sent to Scotland, one Sieur de Plusquallec, procured a large troop of Scots which reached the French shores of Bordeaux late in the year. The Dauphin announced his arrival to all the important cities of the kingdom, for the troop, he said, consisted of 6,000 men commanded by John Stewart, Earl of Buchan. The French captains were extremely mistrustful of these Scots, calling them "sheep eaters and wineskins". The Dauphin, who needed them badly, ignored this criticism and kept the Scots on his side by giving them land. and titles.

But the success of the Scots would come in 1421, at the Battle of Baugé, in which a Franco-Scottish force of 6,000 men defeated the English army led by Thomas of Lancaster, Duke of Clarence, brother of the King. The battle resulted in the death of the King's brother and the capture of many English captains and nobles. Following this victory, Buchan, captain of the Scots, was named Marshal of France by the Dauphin, the highest French military rank. Enthusiastic about this victory, Carlos VII also marched at the head of an army, attacking the County of Perche and taking Montmirail on the way. In this short campaign the king laid siege to Alençon and Gaillardon, where the men of the Burgundian party were killed. However, these days of easy victories would soon end with the arrival of the troops commanded by Henry V himself in Normandy.

In his adolescence, Carlos was characterized by his bravery and leadership style: on one occasion after becoming a Dauphin, he led an army against the English, dressed in red, white and blue, colors that represented France; his heraldic shield was a mailed fist holding a drawn sword. However, two events in 1421 broke his confidence: he was forced, much to his regret, to withdraw from the battle against Henry V of England and his parents disowned him as the legitimate heir to France, awarding the inheritance to Henry VI and arguing that he, Carlos, was the result of one of his mother's extramarital affairs (many of which were known to him). Humiliated and fearing for his life, the Dauphin sought the protection of Yolanda of Aragon, the so-called Queen of the Four Kingdoms, in southern France, where he was protected by the powerful and proud Queen Yolanda, and married her daughter, Maria..

On the death of his ailing father, Carlos VI, the succession was put in doubt: if the Dauphin was legitimate, then he was the heir to the throne. If not, then the heir was the Duke of Orléans, in English captivity. In addition, the Treaty of Troyes, signed by Charles VI in 1420, indicated that the throne would pass to Henry VI of England, the son of the recently deceased Henry V and Catherine of Valois. None of the three candidates could claim the French throne with any certainty; either way the English, who controlled the entire northern part of France, including Paris, could force their claim to the throne on those French parts they occupied. Northern France was ruled by an English regent (John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford) established in Normandy, while the young Henry VI reached the age required to be crowned.

Charles claimed the title of King of France for himself, as was to be expected; however, due to his indecision and hopelessness, he made no attempt to drive the English out of France. Instead, he stayed south of the Loire River, which was as far as his sphere of influence extended, maintaining a court that moved throughout the Loire Valley and settled in castles such as Chinon or Bourges, where his private Jacques Cœur lived. and for which he was called King of Bourges. Later, he considered fleeing to the Iberian Peninsula, but did not.

The Maid of Orleans

Philip III the Good, the new Duke of Burgundy (son of the murdered duke), his supporters, supporters and followers emphatically and severely accused the regent Carlos of having plotted, maneuvered, incited, prepared, directed and instigated the murder. They succeeded in having the regent disinherited in favor of his brother-in-law, King Henry V of England (married to Catherine of Valois, Charles's sister).

In 1422 he married his cousin Maria of Anjou (great-granddaughter of King John II the Good). From this union were born:

• Louis of France, Dolphin of France and King with the name of Louis XI (1423-1483).
• John of France (1424-1425).
• Radegunda de France (1428-1445).
• Catherine of France (1431-1446), duchess of Burgundy for her marriage to Charles the Temerario.
• Jaime de France (1432-1437).
• Yolanda de France (1434-1478), duchess of Saboya for her marriage to Amadeo IX
• Joan of France (1435-1482), Duchess of Bourbon for her marriage to John II.
• Margarita de France (1437-1438).
• Mary of France (1438-1439).
• Joan of France (1438-1446).
• Magdalena de France (1443-1486), (he was first engaged in marriage with Ladislao V of Hungary), princess of Viana for her marriage to Gastón de Foix, regent of Navarre.
• Charles de France (1446-1472), Duke of Berry

On the death of his father, Charles VI, and Henry V, the Armagnacs, enemies of the Burgundians, gathered and lined up around the regent Charles, who kept his court near Bourges. Meanwhile, the Duke of Bedford (Henry V's brother), ruling as regent in place of the boy King Henry VI of England, had somehow or other restored order to northern France and besieged Orleans.

It was then that the young Joan of Arc appeared before the Dauphin Carlos and convinced him to allow her to help the city of Orleans. With the help of her army, Joan of Arc managed to lift the siege, win many victories against the English on the way to Reims, and eventually take Reims. There, in 1429, the Dauphin Charles was officially crowned King of France under the name Charles VII of France in the Reims Cathedral, as French kings were always crowned. A year later, Juana was captured in May 1430, interrogated and tried the following year; she was burned at the Place du Vieux-Marché Rouen, but her death made her a martyr, further strengthening Charles VII.

Although Paris, Normandy and Aquitaine were still under the control and power of England, the situation definitely changed for them because of these events. In the year 1435 Duke Philip III of Burgundy, intimidated by Juana's martyrdom, allied himself with his cousin Charles VII against the English. That alliance materialized in the Treaty of Arras and, shortly after, they managed to expel the English invaders from Paris.

Charles VII assumed an energetic attitude and position. He shattered with great victories the revolutionary and seditious movement of the nobles called "La Praguería". He raised an army of the line and, between 1444 and 1453, managed to liberate and rescue his country from the English.

On July 7, 1438, he proclaimed the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges, according to which he gave autonomy to the Church of France, freeing it from the interference of Rome regarding the appointment of bishops and cardinals, and regarding the payment of taxes scent.

Charles VII was known as "Carlos the Well-Served." This monarch was very talented, it is also worth noting an important fact, that this monarch always knew how to choose skilled and suitable advisers and advisers, many of whom were from the middle class.

Personality and character

Contemporary sources suggest that King Charles VII had a weak character and changeable temperament: "In his circle there were frequent and diverse changes. He had the habit that when a member of his circle had achieved social promotion, he would become annoying to him and, taking advantage of anything resembling a justification, he would throw said member to the bottom.& # 34; The historian Georges Chastellain, to whom we owe this description, indicates that Carlos enjoyed the abusive treatment he gave his subjects and attributed it to three defects: "Changing character, defiant personality and envy." He took advantage of any opportunity to increase his fame: after recovering the kingdom from English hands, he had various medals made in which he called himself "Charles the Victorious."

In a letter from 1429, the inhabitants of Châlons expressed themselves about King Charles VII in the following terms: "affable and gentle, full of pity and mercy. A magnificent person, of excellent bearing and good understanding." His biographers emphasized his mercy and mercy. During her trial, Joan of Arc said: "Not a word from my king, since he is a good Christian." This generosity became a weakness with some of her favorites, Georges de La Trémoïlle was one of her many advisers who saw in her an easy opportunity to enrich themselves with titles and property. Jean Juvenal des Ursins, one of the great humanist bishops of the time, also left a description of the king: "His life and his government are just, honest and pleasing to God." Charles VII of France was also a cultured man, spoke Latin fluently, excelled in history and the sacred sciences. He could be charming and his voice had a pleasant timbre, he loved the arts and sometimes played the harp; although he had little interest in hunting, a highly esteemed sport among the medieval nobility.

Bust in marble of Carlos VII,
Sees 1463-1465, Basilica of Saint-Denis, probably sculpted as the king's funeral mask.

Charles VII lived in fear. The first years of his life left a deep negative mark on him; the strange mortality among his older brothers, the madness of his father, the rejection of his mother; the murder, before his very eyes, of his uncle Juan Fearless; and the loss of his titles after the signing of the Treaty of Troyes, provoked fits of terror in him when he remembered his childhood and youth. Charles had been afraid of wooden structures ever since an entire floor of such material collapsed under his feet at La Roche-Guyon in 1422. On that occasion the Dauphin saved his life, but from then on he would never step on structures again. of wood. The young Carlos was disconcerted by the sight of strangers, there is evidence that indicates that if he saw a strange man while he was eating, he could spend the whole time observing him without eating.

Charles VII was physically unattractive. According to Chastellain: "He was skinny and not very large, had a weak constitution and walked in a strange way, lacking all balance." He was of average height, his limbs were slightly proportioned and to hide his capriciousness he wore long robes that made him appear majestic. Existing portraits reflect his sad and worried characteristics that match descriptions of him by contemporaries: "He was a lonely person." It was enough for him to spend his life living." However, he was the first of the kings of France to have an officially recognized titled concubine, the skillful and faithful Agnès Sorel.

Death

Charles VII developed an abscess in his mouth and was left to starve. He died on July 22, 1461 and was buried in the Saint-Denis basilica, where, currently, only his bust remains, due to desecration in 1793.

He was succeeded to the French throne by his son Louis, as Louis XI of France.

Ancestors

Predecessor: Carlos VI

King of France 1422-1461

Successor: Louis XI