Charles I d'Albret (December 1368 – 25 October 1415) was the

Lord of Albret The lordship (''seigneurie'') of Albret ( Labrit), situated in the Landes, gave its name to one of the most powerful feudal families of France in the Middle Ages. History Its members distinguished themselves in the local wars of that epoch; and d ...

and the

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ...

from 1402 until 1411, and again from 1413 until 1415. He was also the co-commander of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt where he was killed by the English forces led by King

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...

Biography

Charles was born into an old Gascon family, the son of Arnaud,

, and Margaret de Bourbon. He served under

Bertrand du Guesclin Bertrand du Guesclin ( br, Beltram Gwesklin; 1320 – 13 July 1380), nicknamed "The Eagle of Brittany" or "The Black Dog of Brocéliande", was a Breton knight and an important military commander on the French side during the Hundred Years' Wa ...

as a young man and fought at the

battle of Roosebeke The Battle of Roosebeke (sometimes referred by its contemporary name as Battle of Westrozebeke) took place on 27 November 1382 on the Goudberg between a Flemish army under Philip van Artevelde and a French army under Louis II of Flanders who ha ...

. He was made the constable of France by Charles VI in 1403, but dismissed when the Burgundian faction gained power at court. He was restored to his office in 1413 when the

Armagnac Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditionally ...

faction regained power. An important figure at the French court, he is the subject of two of Christine de Pizan's ''Autres Ballades'' (#2 and #3). Although nominal commander of the French army in the Agincourt campaign together with Marshal Boucicaut, the two professional soldiers could not exercise effective control over the higher-ranking French nobles on the day of the battle. Constable d'Albret was killed at Agincourt during the battle on 25 October 1415, against the English troops led by King

. He was interred at the Friary church in

Vieil-Hesdin Vieil-Hesdin (Eng: Old-Hesdin) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Vieil-Hesdin is situated 6 kilometres southeast of Hesdin, on the banks of the river Canche on the D 340 highway. His ...

Family

He married

Marie de Sully Marie de Sully or Seuly (1365 – c. 1409/1410) was the Sovereign (Princess) of Boisbelle (today known as Henrichemont). She was the daughter of Louis I de Sully and his wife, Isabelle de Craon (died 1394). Early life and engagement Upon the d ...

, daughter of Louis de Sully and Isabel de Craon, on 27 January 1400 and had issue: *Jeanne d'Albret (1403–1433), married in 1422 John I,

Count of Foix The Count of Foix ruled the independent County of Foix, in what is now Southern France, during the Middle Ages. The House of Foix eventually extended its power across the Pyrenees mountain range, joining the House of Bearn and moving their court ...

. She was his second wife; the only one of his three wives who bore him issue. *

Charles II d'Albret Charles II d'Albret (1407–1471) was a French magnate, administrator, and soldier. He was the son of Charles I of Albret and Marie de Sully. His father died in 1415 at the Battle of Agincourt, leaving the younger Charles as lord of Albret and t ...

(1407–1471), married

Anne of Armagnac Anne of Armagnac, Dame d'Albret, Countess of Dreux (1402 – before March 1473) was a French noblewoman and a member of the powerful Gascon Armagnac family which played a prominent role in French politics during the Hundred Years War and were th ...

(born 1402), the daughter of

Bernard VII of Armagnac Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac (1360 – 12 June 1418) was Count of Armagnac and Constable of France. He was the son of John II, Count of Armagnac, and Jeanne de Périgord. He succeeded in Armagnac at the death of his brother, John III, in ...

, Count of Charolais and Bonne of Berry, by whom he had seven children. *Guillaume d'Albret, Lord of Orval, died at the

Battle of the Herrings The Battle of the Herrings, also called the Battle of Rouvray, was a military action near the town of Rouvray in France, just north of Orléans, which took place on 12 February 1429, during the siege of Orléans in the Hundred Years' War. T ...

in 1429, no issue *Jean d'Albret, died without issue *Catherine d'Albret, married Charles de Montagu (1363–1409)

Ancestry

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Albret, Charles 1368 births 1415 deaths People of the Hundred Years' War French generals French military personnel killed in action Counts of Dreux Charles Constables of France

Biography

Family

Ancestry

See also

References

Bibliography