Louis X and I
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Louis X (4 October 1289 – 5 June 1316), known as the Quarrelsome (french: le Hutin), was King of France from 1314 and King of Navarre as Louis I from 1305 until his death. He emancipated serfs who could buy their freedom and readmitted Jews into the kingdom. His short reign in France was marked by tensions with the nobility, due to fiscal and centralisation reforms initiated during the reign of his father by Grand Chamberlain Enguerrand de Marigny. Louis' first wife, Margaret, implicated in the Tour de Nesle affair, was found guilty of infidelity and was imprisoned til her death in 14 August 1315. Louis and Clementia of Hungary were married that same year, but he died on 5 June 1316 leaving a pregnant wife. Queen Clementia gave birth to a boy, who was proclaimed king as John I, but the infant only lived five days. Louis' brother Philip, Count of Poitiers, succeeded John to become, Philip V, King of France.


Biography

Louis was born in Paris, the eldest son of Philip IV of France and
Joan I of Navarre Joan I (14 January 1273 – 31 March/2 April 1305) ( eu, Joana) was Queen of Navarre and Countess of Champagne from 1274 until 1305; she was also Queen of France by marriage to King Philip IV. She founded the College of Navarre in Paris in 130 ...
. He inherited the kingdom of Navarre on the death of his mother, on 4 April 1305, later being crowned 1 October 1307. On 21 September 1305, at age 15, he married Margaret of Burgundy and they had a daughter, Joan. Louis was known as "the Quarreler", "the Quarrelsome", as the result of the tensions prevailing throughout his reigns. Both Louis and Margaret became involved in the Tour de Nesle affair towards the end of Philip's reign. In 1314, Margaret, Blanche and Joan—the latter two being the wives of Louis' brothers Charles and Philip, respectively—were arrested on charges of infidelity. Margaret and Blanche were both tried before the French parlement later that year and found guilty. Their alleged lovers were executed, and the women had their hair shorn and were sentenced to life imprisonment. Philip stood by his wife Joan, who was ultimately found innocent and released. Margaret would be imprisoned at Chateau Gaillard. On the death of his father in 1314, Louis became King of France. Margaret of Burgundy would not be released from imprisonment or crowned, but as his wife, she technically became Queen of France. Without an incumbent pope, Louis could not annul his marriage. The imprisoned Queen of France died on 14 August 1315 and Louis remarried five days later, on 19 August to Clementia of Hungary, the daughter of
Charles Martel of Anjou Charles Martel ( hu, Martell Károly; 8 September 1271 – 12 August 1295) of the Angevin dynasty was the eldest son of king Charles II of Naples and Mary of Hungary, the daughter of King Stephen V of Hungary. __NOTOC__ The 18-year-old Charles Ma ...
and the niece of Louis' own uncle and close advisor,
Charles of Valois Charles of Valois (12 March 1270 – 16 December 1325), the fourth son of King Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon, was a member of the House of Capet and founder of the House of Valois, whose rule over France would start in 1 ...
. Louis and Clementia were crowned at Reims in August 1315.


Marriage and issue

In 1305, Louis married Margaret of Burgundy, with whom he had a daughter,
Joan II of Navarre Joan II (french: Jeanne; 28 January 1312 – 6 October 1349) was Queen of Navarre from 1328 until her death. She was the only surviving child of Louis X of France, King of France and Navarre, and Margaret of Burgundy. Joan's paternity was dubiou ...
. Margaret was later convicted of
adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
, was imprisoned in
Château Gaillard Château Gaillard () is a medieval castle ruin overlooking the River Seine above the commune of Les Andelys, in the French department of Eure, in Normandy. It is located some north-west of Paris and from Rouen. Construction began in 1196 unde ...
, caught a cold and died in 1315, although another source states that she was strangled to death. In 1315, Louis married Clementia of Hungary, who gave birth to
John I of France John I (15 – 20 November 1316), called the Posthumous (, oc, Joan Ièr lo Postume), was King of France and Navarre, as the posthumous son and successor of Louis X, for the five days he lived in 1316. He is the youngest person to be kin ...
five months after the king's death. The infant John's death a few days later led to a disputed succession. With an unknown woman, Louis had a daughter, Eudeline, who joined the Order of St. Claire and became the abbess of the Franciscan nuns of Paris, 1334-1339.


Domestic policy

Louis was king of Navarre for eleven years and king of France for less than two years. His reign was dominated by continual feuding with the noble factions within the kingdom, and major reforms designed to increase royal revenues, such as the freeing of the French serfs and the readmittance of the Jews.


Regional leagues

By the end of Philip IV's reign opposition to the fiscal reforms was growing. With Philip's death and the accession of Louis, this opposition rapidly developed in more open revolt, some authors citing Louis' relative youth as one of the reasons behind the timing of the rebellions. Leagues of regional nobles began to form around the country, demanding changes.Wagner, p.203.
Charles of Valois Charles of Valois (12 March 1270 – 16 December 1325), the fourth son of King Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon, was a member of the House of Capet and founder of the House of Valois, whose rule over France would start in 1 ...
took advantage of this movement to turn against his old enemy, Philip IV's former minister and
chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
Enguerrand de Marigny, and convinced Louis to bring corruption charges against him. When these failed, Charles then convinced Louis to bring sorcery charges against him instead, which proved more effective and led to de Marigny's execution at
Vincennes Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attache ...
in April 1315. Other former ministers were similarly prosecuted.Emmerson and Clayton-Emmerson, p.528. This, combined with the halting of Philip's reforms, the issuing of numerous charters of rights and a reversion to more traditional rule, largely assuaged the regional leagues.


Edict freeing serfs

In July 1315, Louis X issued an edict effectively abolishing serfdom in the royal domain. As a way of raising revenues, for his war against Flanders, and having alighted on a reform of French
serfdom Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which deve ...
as a way of achieving this, he declared that French serfs would be freed, although each serf would have to purchase his freedom. A body of commissioners was established to undertake the reform, establishing the '' peculium'', or value, of each serf. For serfs owned directly by the King, all of the ''peculium'' would be received by the Crown; for serfs owned by subjects of the King, the amount would be divided between the Crown and the owner.


Readmittance of Jews

Louis was also responsible for a key shift in policy towards the Jews. In 1306, his father, Philip IV, had expelled the Jewish minority from across France, a "shattering" event for most of these communities.Chazan, p.79. Louis began to reconsider this policy, motivated by the additional revenues that might be forthcoming to the Crown if the Jews were allowed to return. Accordingly, Louis issued a charter in 1315, readmitting the Jews subject to various conditions. The Jews would only be admitted back into France for twelve years, after which the agreement might be terminated; Jews were to wear an armband at all times; Jews could only live in those areas where there had been Jewish communities previously; Jews were initially to be forbidden from
usury Usury () is the practice of making unethical or immoral monetary loans that unfairly enrich the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is c ...
. This was the first time that French Jews had been covered by such a charter, and Louis was careful to justify his decision with reference to the policies of his ancestor
Saint Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the ...
, the position of
Pope Clement V Pope Clement V ( la, Clemens Quintus; c. 1264 – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his de ...
and an argument that the people of France had demanded a return of the Jews. The result was a much weakened Jewish community that depended directly upon the King for their right of abode and protection.


Challenge of Flanders

Louis X continued the effort of his predecessor to achieve a military solution to the vexing problem of
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
. The Count of Flanders ruled an "immensely wealthy state"Holmes, p.16. which enjoyed a largely autonomous existence on the margins of the French realm; French kings claimed to exercise suzerainty over Flanders, but heretofore with little success. Philip IV had attempted to assert royal overlordship, but his army, led by Robert II of Artois, had been defeated at
Courtrai Kortrijk ( , ; vls, Kortryk or ''Kortrik''; french: Courtrai ; la, Cortoriacum), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It is the capital and larges ...
in 1302; despite a later French victory at the
Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle The Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle (or Pevelenberg) was fought on 18 August 1304 between the French and the Flemish. The French were led by their king, Philip IV. Prelude The French king wanted revenge for the defeat in Battle of the Golden Sp ...
the relationship remained testy and unsettled. Louis mobilised an army along the Flemish border, but the French position rapidly become strained by the demands of maintaining a wartime footing. Louis had prohibited exports of grain and other material to Flanders in 1315. This proved challenging to enforce, and the king had to pressure officers of the Church in the borderlands, as well as
Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...
, to support his effort to prevent Spanish merchant vessels from trading with the embargoed Flemish. An unintended result of the embargo was the rise of smuggling activities that reduced the advantage (and consequently the amount) of trading in compliance with royal restrictions in the border region. Louis was also forced to requisition food directly for his forces, resulting in a series of complaints from local lords and the Church.


Death and legacy

Louis was a keen player of ''jeu de paume'', or real tennis, and became notable as the first person to construct indoor tennis courts in the modern style. Louis was unhappy with playing tennis outdoors and accordingly had indoor, enclosed courts made in Paris "around the end of the 13th century".Newman, p.163. In due course this design spread across royal palaces all over Europe. On 5 June 1316 at
Vincennes Vincennes (, ) is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is next to but does not include the Château de Vincennes and Bois de Vincennes, which are attache ...
, following a particularly exhausting game, Louis drank a large quantity of cooled wine and subsequently died of either
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
or
pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity ( pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant dull ache. Other sy ...
, although there were also suspicions of poisoning. Because of the contemporary accounts of his death, Louis is history's first tennis player known by name. He and his second wife Clementia are interred in
Saint Denis Basilica The Basilica of Saint-Denis (french: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, links=no, now formally known as the ) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building ...
. Louis' second wife Clementia was pregnant at the time of his death, leaving the succession in doubt. A son would have primacy over Louis' daughter, Joan. A daughter, however, would have a weaker claim to the throne, and would need to compete with Joan's own claims—although suspicions hung over Joan's parentage following the scandal in 1314.Wagner, p.250. As a result, Louis' brother Philip was appointed regent for the five months remaining until the birth of his brother's child, John I, who lived only five days. Philip then succeeded in pressing his claims to the crowns of France and Navarre. All ''de jure'' monarchs of Navarre from 1328 onwards were descended from Louis through his daughter, Joan, including
Jeanne d'Albret Jeanne d'Albret ( Basque: ''Joana Albretekoa''; Occitan: ''Joana de Labrit''; 16 November 1528 – 9 June 1572), also known as Jeanne III, was Queen of Navarre from 1555 to 1572. Jeanne was the daughter of Henry II of Navarre and Margar ...
, the mother of
Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...
, and therefore the entire royal House of Bourbon.


In fiction

Louis is a major character in ''
Les Rois maudits ''The Accursed Kings'' (french: Les Rois maudits ) is a series of historical novels by French author Maurice Druon about the French monarchy in the 14th century. Published between 1955 and 1977, the series has been adapted as a miniseries twice ...
'' (''The Accursed Kings''), a series of French historical novels by
Maurice Druon Maurice Druon (23 April 1918 – 14 April 2009) was a French novelist and a member of the Académie Française, of which he served as "Perpetual Secretary" (chairman) between 1985 and 1999. Life and career Born in Paris, France, Druon was the s ...
. He was portrayed by in the 1972 French miniseries adaptation of the series, and by
Guillaume Depardieu Guillaume Jean Maxime Antoine Depardieu (7 April 1971 – 13 October 2008) was a French actor, winner of a César Award, and the oldest child of Gérard Depardieu. Early life Depardieu was the son of actor Gérard Depardieu and his first wife, a ...
in the 2005 adaptation.


Ancestry


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * Baynes, Thomas Spencer (ed). (1890) ''The Encyclopædia Britannica''. Henry G. Allen Company. * * Bishop, Morris. (2001) ''The Middle Ages''. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. * * Chazan, Robert. (1979) ''Church, State, and Jew in the Middle Ages''. Behrman House. * Emmerson, Richard Kenneth and Sandra Clayton-Emmerson. (2006) ''Key Figures in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia''. New York: Routledge. * * * * * Gillmeister, Heiner. (1998) ''Tennis: A Cultural History''. London: Leicester University Press. * * Holmes, George. (2000) ''Europe, Hierarchy and Revolt, 1320–1450'', 2nd edition. Oxford: Blackwell. * Jeudwine, John Wynne. (1983) ''Tort, Crime, and Police in Mediaeval Britain: a review of some early law and custom''. London: Wm. S. Hein Publishing. * Jordan, William Chester. (1996) ''The Great Famine: Northern Europe in the early Fourteenth Century''. Princeton: Princeton University Press. * * * *Kulsrud, Carl Jacob. (2005) ''Maritime Neutrality to 1780: a history of the main principles governing neutrality and belligerency to 1780''. Clark: Law Book Exchange. * Lea, Henry Charles. (1887) ''A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages, Part Three''. London: Harper. * * Newman, Paul B. (2001) ''Daily Life in the Middle Ages''. Jefferson: McFarland. * Rose, Hugh James. (1857) ''A New General Biographical Dictionary'', Volume 11. London: Fellows. * Sellery, George C. (2007) ''The Founding of Western Civilization''. Read Book. * Stephen, James. (2008) ''Lectures on the History of France''. Read Book. * Wagner, John. A. (2006) ''Encyclopedia of the Hundred Years War''. Westport: Greenwood Press. *


Further reading

* Marie-Anne Polo de Beaulieu. (2002) ''La France au moyen âge : De l'An mil à la Peste noire, 1348.'' * Roselyne Callaux. (2002) ''Robert III d'Artois.''


External links


French history timeline




, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Louis 10 Of France 1289 births 1316 deaths 14th-century kings of France 14th-century Navarrese monarchs Burials at the Basilica of Saint-Denis Sportspeople from Paris Louis X Counts of Champagne French real tennis players Navarrese monarchs Sport deaths in France 14th-century French people 14th-century peers of France French abolitionists