Charles II, Duke of Bourbon (
Château
A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions.
Now ...
de
Moulins, 1433–September 13, 1488,
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
), was
Archbishop of Lyon
The Archdiocese of Lyon (Latin: ''Archidiœcesis Lugdunensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Lyon''), formerly the Archdiocese of Lyon–Vienne–Embrun, is a Latin Church metropolitan archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. The Archbishops o ...
from an early age and a French
diplomat under the rule of
Louis XI of France. He had a 2-week tenure as
Duke of Bourbon in 1488, being ousted afterward by his younger brother and successor,
Peter II, Duke of Bourbon
Peter II, Duke of Bourbon (1 December 1438 – 10 October 1503 in Moulins), was the son of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon, and Agnes of Burgundy, and a member of the House of Bourbon. He and his wife Anne of France ruled as regents during the minor ...
.
Biography
Charles was the son of
Charles I, Duke of Bourbon, and
Agnes of Burgundy. Being a younger son, he was appointed
Canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
of
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
in 1443 and, on June 6, 1444, elected Archbishop of Lyon at the age of 11. This election followed the death of
Amedée de Talaru and the renunciation of
John III of Bourbon,
illegitimate
Legitimacy, in traditional Western common law, is the status of a child born to parents who are legally married to each other, and of a child conceived before the parents obtain a legal divorce. Conversely, ''illegitimacy'', also known as '' ...
offspring of his grandfather
John I, Duke of Bourbon
John of Bourbon (1381–1434) was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anne of Auvergne. Through his mother, John inherited the County of Forez.
During the Armagnac†...
. His office was confirmed by
Pope Eugene IV
Pope Eugene IV ( la, Eugenius IV; it, Eugenio IV; 1383 – 23 February 1447), born Gabriele Condulmer, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 3 March 1431 to his death in February 1447. Condulmer was a Venetian, and ...
on November 14, 1446, after the death of
Geoffroy Vassal,
Archbishop of Vienne
The Archbishopric of Vienne, named after its episcopal seat in Vienne in the Isère département of southern France, was a metropolitan Roman Catholic archdiocese. It is now part of the Archdiocese of Lyon.
History
The legend according to whi ...
who the pope had first appointed in disregard of the
Pragmatic Sanction
A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law. In the late history of the Holy Roman Empire, it referred more specifically to an edict issued by the Emperor.
When used ...
in 1444. Due to his age, Charles II's archiepiscopate was administered in succession by
Jean Rolin,
bishop of Autun, from 1446 to 1447, Du Gué,
bishop of Orléans
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
, from 1447 to 1449, and John III of Bourbon,
bishop of Puy
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay (Latin: ''Dioecesis Aniciensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Puy-en-Velay'') is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the whole Department of Haute-L ...
, from 1449 to 1466.
At that time, he still maintained a good relationship with the King of France
Louis XI
Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the Prudent" (french: le Prudent), was King of France from 1461 to 1483. He succeeded his father, Charles VII.
Louis entered into open rebellion against his father in a short-lived revol ...
, showing greater gusto for navigating the intrigue of secular politics than displaying the piety expected of his religious position.
On account of these proclivities, after the conflict surrounding the
League of the Public Weal
The War of the Public Weal (French: ''La guerre du Bien public'') was a conflict between the king of France and an alliance of feudal nobles, organized in 1465 in defiance of the centralized authority of King Louis XI of France. It was masterminded ...
in 1465, Louis XI sent Charles II with
Thibaud of Luxembourg Thibaud is a name of French origin, a form of Theobald.
Surname
* Anna Thibaud (1861–1948), French singer.
* Jacques Thibaud (18801953), French violinist
* Laure Thibaud (born 1978), French synchronized swimmer
* Marcel Thibaud (18961985), ...
,
Bishop of Mans
The Catholic Diocese of Le Mans (Latin: ''Dioecesis Cenomanensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Mans'') is a Catholic diocese of France. The diocese is now a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Rennes, Dol, and Saint-Malo but had previously been suffraga ...
as ambassadors to
Pope Paul II
Pope Paul II ( la, Paulus II; it, Paolo II; 23 February 1417 – 26 July 1471), born Pietro Barbo, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States
from 30 August 1464 to his death in July 1471. When his maternal uncle Eugene IV ...
, recently elected in 1464. On January 7, 1469, Charles II signed a royal
letters patent as the king's adviser, at
Plessis-lèz-Tours, the latter's main residence near
Tours
Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...
. As namesake, he was, along with
Joan of Valois, Duchess of Bourbon Joan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Joan (given name), including a list of women, men and fictional characters
*:Joan of Arc, a French military heroine
*Joan (surname)
Weather events
*Tropical Storm Joan (disambiguation), multiple ...
and
Edward of Westminster
Edward of Westminster (13 October 1453 – 4 May 1471), also known as Edward of Lancaster, was the only son of King Henry VI of England and Margaret of Anjou. He was killed aged seventeen at the Battle of Tewkesbury.
Early life
Edward was born ...
, godparent of the
Dauphin Charles VIII.
When Louis XI ended the
Hundred Years' War in 1475, the archbishop assisted him in diplomatic matters while the king lives with Charles II at the Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire-lès-Senlis abbey near
Senlis
Senlis () is a commune in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France.
The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. It is known for its Gothic cathedral and other ...
. He arrives with Louis XI and his elder brother
John II of Bourbon on August 19 at
Picquigny
Picquigny () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
Picquigny is situated at the junction of the N235, the D141 and D3 roads, on the banks of the river Somme, some northwest (and downstream) o ...
to sign the
eponymous treaty. Later, on October 16 he signed in the abbey a letters patent to reestablish peaceable relations with
Francis II, Duke of Brittany
Francis II ( Breton: ''Frañsez II'', French: ''François II'') (23 June 1433 – 9 September 1488) was Duke of Brittany from 1458 to his death. He was the grandson of John IV, Duke of Brittany. A recurring theme in Francis' life would be ...
. Again, on January 8, 1476, as the head of the
King's Council, Charles II signs four letters patent, among them one concerning the liberty of the
Gallican Church
Gallican may refer to:
* Gallican Church (), a term referring to the Catholic Church in France
* Église gallicane, a Catholic denomination founded in 1869 by Hyacinthe Loyson
* Gallicanism, a doctrince that civil authority over the Catholic Chu ...
at Château de Plessis-lèz-Tours.
From 1472 to 1476, he was incumbent as the
papal legate at
Avignon though he only arrived there November 23, 1473.
On May 23, 1474, the
Pope Sixtus IV appointed his nephew
Giuliano della Rovere
Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or the ...
as
bishop of Avignon
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Avignon ( Latin: ''Archidioecesis Avenionensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse d'Avignon'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese exercises jurisdiction over the t ...
, and 2 years later as legate.
This set Louis XI and the pope into conflict, with the royal army and papal troops coming to bear. On June 15, 1476, to resolve this difficulty, the king welcomed Giuliano della Rovere at Lyon, so that Charles II accepted the loss of the Avignon legation.
This is the reason why, in 1476, he became the administrator of the
diocese of Clermont
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Clermont (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Claromontana''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Clermont'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the department of Puy ...
and was made a
Cardinal by
Sixtus IV.
It seems that after leaving Avignon, Charles II followed again in the wake of Louis XI. The cardinal was present with the king at
Arras on March 18, 1477,
during the campaign following the death of
Charles the Bold
Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...
. He was in 1486 the first
commendatory abbot of the Priory Notre-Dame de La Charité-sur-Loire.
He was also a noted patron of the arts, lavishing money on
Lyon's cathedral: the Bourbon chapel there, which he sponsored from 1486 onward (it was continued after his death by his brother,
Peter II of Bourbon
Peter II, Duke of Bourbon (1 December 1438 – 10 October 1503 in Moulins), was the son of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon, and Agnes of Burgundy, and a member of the House of Bourbon. He and his wife Anne of France ruled as regents during the mino ...
) was described as "one of the marvels of decorative art in the 15th century".
He was also
Duke of Bourbon and
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...
for a short period of time in April 1488, succeeding his elder brother,
John II John II may refer to:
People
* John Cicero, Elector of Brandenburg (1455–1499)
* John II Casimir Vasa of Poland (1609–1672)
* John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch (died 1302)
* John II Doukas of Thessaly (1303–1318)
* John II Komnenos (1087–1 ...
, when the latter died on April 1. This prompted Charles II, as his brother's nearest heir, to claim the family inheritance in the
Bourbonnais
Bourbonnais () was a historic province in the centre of France that corresponds to the modern ''département'' of Allier, along with part of the ''département'' of Cher. Its capital was Moulins.
History
The title of the ruler of Bourbonnais ...
and
Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...
. The move was not tolerated by his younger brother, Peter, and Peter's wife,
Anne of France
Anne of France (or Anne de Beaujeu; 3 April 146114 November 1522) was a French princess and regent, the eldest daughter of Louis XI by Charlotte of Savoy. Anne was the sister of Charles VIII, for whom she acted as regent during his minority fro ...
, the latter immediately taking possession of the Bourbon lands by force on 10 April. On 15 April, members of the King's Council sent by Anne to "console the Cardinal on the occasion of his brother's death", forced him to sign a renunciation of any claims to the Bourbon lands, in exchange for a financial settlement. Charles then died later in the same year in mysterious circumstances, following a sudden collapse in a private house in Lyons. His brief tenure of the title during the period 1 April – 15 April would, however, be posthumously confirmed in 1505, when
Charles de Montpensier acceded to the Duchy as Charles III.
Charles had an illegitimate daughter, with Gabrielle Bartine, named Isabelle (d. 1497). She was legitimized by Charles VIII and later married Gilbert of Chantelot, lord of La Chaise (
Monétay-sur-Allier).
In fiction
Charles II of Bourbon features in
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
's novel ''
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story of ...
'' (Chapter III: ''Monsieur the Cardinal''). It evokes the titles and the parentage of Charles II in these words: "Charles, Cardinal de Bourbon, Archbishop and Comte of Lyon, Primate of the Gauls, was allied both to Louis XI, through his brother, Pierre, Seigneur de Beaujeu, who had married the king's eldest daughter, and to Charles the Bold through his mother, Agnes of Burgundy."
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles 02 of Bourbon, Duke
People from Moulins, Allier
1434 births
1488 deaths
House of Bourbon (France)
Dukes of Bourbon
Dukes of Auvergne
Counts of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis
Counts of Forez
Counts of Isle-Jourdain
Archbishops of Lyon
15th-century French cardinals
15th-century peers of France