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 The Battle of Agincourt ( ; ) was an English victory in the Hundred Years' War. It took place on 25 October 1415 (Saint Crispin's Day) near Azincourt, in northern France. The unexpected victory of the vastly outnumbered English troops agains ...

, leaving the younger Charles as lord of

Albret The House of Albret, which derives its name from the lordship (''seigneurie'') of Albret (Labrit), situated in the Landes of Gascony, Landes, was one of the most powerful feudal families of Kingdom of France, France and Kingdom of Navarre, Navarr ...

and titular Count of Dreux, titular count since after Agincourt the lands of the county of Dreux were in English hands. Charles II d'Albret was a cousin and supporter of the Dauphin Charles, future

Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious () or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. His reign saw the end of the Hundred Years' War and a ''de facto'' end of the English claims to ...

, and Albret was the half-brother of

Georges de La Trémoille Georges de la Trémoille (c. 1382 –6 May 1446) was Count of Guînes from 1398 to 1446 and Grand Chamberlain of France to King Charles VII of France. He sought reconciliation between Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Charles VII during their ...

, giving him strong ties within the king's court. While serving on the royal council of Charles, Albret took part in the campaigns of

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...

, and he participated in the

coronation A coronation ceremony marks the formal investiture of a monarch with regal power using a crown. In addition to the crowning, this ceremony may include the presentation of other items of regalia, and other rituals such as the taking of special v ...

of Charles VII at

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

where Albret carried the sword of the king. Albret was later named lieutenant general of the province of

Berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples of berries in the cul ...

. He was confirmed in possession of the county of Dreux in 1441 by King Charles VII. During the reign of King

Louis XI Louis XI (3 July 1423 – 30 August 1483), called "Louis the 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 revolt known as the ...

, Charles joined the rebellious nobles in the

War 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 masterminde ...

Family

Charles and

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...

had seven children; * Jean d'Albret (1420–1468) * Louis d'Albret, Cardinal (1422–1465) *Arnaud Amanieu d'Albret, d.1463, grandfather of Marie d'Albret, Countess of Rethel *Charles d'Albret, d.1473 *Gilles d'Albret, d.1479 *Marie d'Albret, d.1486, married Charles I, Count of Nevers, on 11 June 1456, no issue * Jeanne II d'Albret, d.1444, married

Arthur III, Duke of Brittany Arthur III (), more commonly known as Arthur de Richemont (24 August 139326 December 1458), was briefly Duke of Brittany from 1457 until his death. He is noted primarily, however, for his role as a leading military commander during the Hundred ...

, on 29 August 1442, no issue

Death

On his death Albret passed to his grandson Alain (called Alain the Great), Jean's son, but he left the county of Dreux to his third son, Arnaud Amanieu. Alain, however, seized control of the county. His fourth son, Charles, was executed for treason in 1473.

References

Sources

* * Bordonove, Georges, ''Charles VII le Victorieux.'' Paris: Pygmalion, 1985. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Charles 02 Of Albret 1407 births 1471 deaths People of the Hundred Years' War Counts of Dreux House of Albret 15th-century French military personnel