Early life
Charles was born in Paris, in the royal residence of the Hôtel Saint-Pol, on 3 December 1368, the son of King Charles V of France, Charles V of the House of Valois and of Joanna of Bourbon. His elder brothers having died before he was born, Charles was heir to the French throne and held the title Dauphin of France.King of France
Regency
At his father's death on 16 September 1380, he inherited the throne of France. His coronation took place on 4 November 1380, at Reims Cathedral. Charles VI was only 11 years old when he was crowned King of France. During his minority, France was ruled by Charles' uncles, as regents. Although the royal age of majority was 14 (the "age of accountability" under Roman Catholic canon law), Charles terminated the regency at the age of 21. The regents were Philip the Bold, Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, Louis I, Duke of Anjou, and John, Duke of Berry – all brothers of Charles V – along with Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, Charles VI's maternal uncle. Philip took the dominant role during the regency. Louis of Anjou was fighting for his claim to the Kingdom of Naples after 1382, dying in 1384; John of Berry was interested mainly in the Languedoc, and not particularly interested in politics; and Louis of Bourbon was a largely unimportant figure, owing to his personality (showing signs of mental instability) and status (since he was not the son of a king). During the rule of his uncles, the financial resources of the kingdom, painstakingly built up by his father, were squandered for the personal profit of the dukes, whose interests were frequently divergent or even opposing. During that time, the power of the royal administration was strengthened and taxes re-established. The latter policy represented a reversal of the deathbed decision of the king's father Charles V to repeal taxes, and led to tax revolts, known as the Harelle. Increased tax revenues were needed to support the self-serving policies of the king's uncles, whose interests were frequently in conflict with those of the crown and with each other. The Battle of Roosebeke (1382), for example, brilliantly won by the royal troops, was prosecuted solely for the benefit of Philip of Burgundy. The treasury surplus carefully accumulated by Charles V was quickly squandered. Charles VI brought the regency to an end in 1388, taking up personal rule. He restored to power the highly competent advisors of Charles V, known as the Marmousets, who ushered in a new period of high esteem for the crown. Charles VI was widely referred to as ''Charles the Beloved'' by his subjects.Reign
Mental illness
''Bal des Ardents''
Expulsion of the Jews, 1394
On 17 September 1394, Charles suddenly published an ordinance in which he declared, in substance, that for a long time he had been taking note of the many complaints provoked by the excesses and misdemeanors of the Jews against Christians, and that the prosecutors had made several investigations and discovered that the Jews broke the agreement with the king on many occasions. Therefore, he decreed, as an irrevocable law and statute, that no Jew should dwell in his domains ("Ordonnances", vii. 675). According to the Michel Pintoin, Religieux de St. Denis, the king signed this decree at the insistence of the queen ("Chron. de Charles VI." ii. 119). The decree was not immediately enforced, a respite being granted to the Jews in order that they have enough time to sell their property and pay their debts. Those indebted to them were enjoined to redeem their obligations within a set time; otherwise their pledges held in pawn were to be sold by the Jews. The provost was to escort the Jews to the frontier of the kingdom. Subsequently, the king released Christians from their debts.Struggles for power
With Charles VI mentally ill, from 1393 his wife Isabeau presided over a regency counsel, on which sat the grandees of the kingdom. Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who acted as regent during the king's minority (from 1380 to 1388), was a great influence on the queen (he had organized the royal marriage during his regency). Influence progressively shifted to Louis I, Duke of Orléans, the king's brother, who was not only another contender for power, but, it was suspected, the queen's lover as well.Alban Dignat, ''23 novembre 1407: Assassinat dans la rue Vieille du Temple''Wars with Burgundy and England
In 1407, Louis of Orléans was murdered in the ''rue Vieille du Temple'' in Paris. John did not deny responsibility, claiming that Louis was a tyrant who squandered money. Louis' son Charles, Duke of Orléans, Charles, the new Duke of Orléans, turned to his father-in-law, Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, for support against John the Fearless. This resulted in the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War, which lasted from 1407 until 1435, beyond Charles' reign, though the war with the English was still in progress. With the English taking over much of the country, John the Fearless sought to end the feud with the royal family by negotiating with the Dauphin Charles VII of France, Charles, the king's heir. They met at the bridge at Montereau-Fault-Yonne, Montereau on 10 September 1419, but during the meeting, John was killed by Tanneguy du Chastel, a follower of the Dauphin. John's successor, Philip the Good, the new Duke of Burgundy, threw in his lot with the English.English invasion and death
Charles VI's reign was marked by the continuing conflict with the English, known as the Hundred Years' War. An early attempt at peace occurred in 1396 when Charles' daughter, the almost seven-year-old Isabella of Valois, married the 29-year-old Richard II of England. By 1415, however, the feud between the French royal family and the House of Burgundy led to chaos and anarchy throughout France, a situation that Henry V of England was eager to take advantage of. Henry Hundred Years' War (1415–53), led an invasion that culminated in the defeat of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt in October. In May 1420, Henry V and Charles VI signed the Treaty of Troyes, which named Henry as Charles' successor, and stipulated that Henry's heirs would succeed him on the throne of France. It disinherited the Dauphin Charles, then only 17 years old. (In 1421, it was implied in Burgundian propaganda that the young Charles was illegitimate.) The treaty also betrothed Charles VI's daughter, Catherine of Valois, to Henry (see English Kings of France). Disinheriting the Dauphin in favor of Henry was a blatant act against the interests of the French aristocracy, supported by the Duke of Burgundy. The Dauphin who had declared himself regent for his father when the Duke of Burgundy invaded Paris and captured the king, had established a court at Bourges. Charles VI died on 21 October 1422 in Paris, at the ''Hôtel Saint-Pol''. He was interred in Saint Denis Basilica, where his wife Isabeau of Bavaria would join him after her death in September 1435. Henry V died just a few weeks before him, in August 1422, leaving an infant son, who became Henry VI of England, King Henry VI of England. Therefore, according to the Treaty of Troyes, with the death of Charles VI, little Henry became King of France. His coronation as such was in Paris (held by the English since 1418) at the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris on 26 December 1431. The son disinherited by Charles VI, the Dauphin Charles, continued to fight to regain his kingdom. In 1429, Joan of Arc arrived on the scene. She led his forces to victory against the English, and took him to be crowned in Reims Cathedral as King Charles VII of France on 17 July 1429. He became known as "Charles the Victorious" and was able to restore the French line to the throne of France by defeating the English in 1450.Chartier, Jean, ''Chronique de Charles VII, Roi de France'', publié avec notes par Vallet de Viriville, Paris 1858Marriage and issue
Charles VI married Isabeau of Bavaria (ca. 1371 – 24 September 1435) on 17 July 1385. They had: Charles had a mistress, Odette de Champdivers. They had: *Marguerite, bâtarde de France (d. ca. 1458).Films and television
*Harcourt Williams in ''Henry V (1944 film), Henry V'' (1944) *Paul Scofield in ''Henry V (1989 film), Henry V'' (1989) *Lambert Wilson in ''The Hollow Crown (TV series), The Hollow Crown'' (2012) *Thibault de Montalembert in ''The King (2019 film), The King'' (2019) *Alex Lawther in ''The Last Duel (2021 film), The Last Duel'' (2021)See also
* Henry of Marle (died 1418)Notes
References
Sources
* * * * * * * * Famiglietti, R.C., ''Royal Intrigue: Crisis at the Court of Charles VI, 1392–1420'', New York; AMS Press, 1986. * Famiglietti, R.C., ''Tales of the Marriage Bed from Medieval France (1300–1500)'', Providence; Picardy Press, 1992.External links
* * * * , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Charles 06 of France 1368 births 1422 deaths 14th-century kings of France 15th-century kings of France Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis Ancien Régime in France Christians of the Barbary Crusade Dauphins of France Dauphins of Viennois House of Valois Medieval child rulers Nobility from Paris People of the Hundred Years' War Royalty and nobility with disabilities 1380s in France 1390s in France 1400s in France 1410s in France 1420s in France Sons of kings