The Cent-Suisses ("Hundred Swiss" in French ) were an elite infantry company of Swiss mercenaries that served the French kings from 1471 to 1792 and from 1814 to 1830.
146-400: The unit was created in 1471 by King Louis XI . Originally, the company was composed of a hundred men, all from Switzerland and armed with halberds , who were selected for their above-average height. As the weapons of the time evolved, notably with the appearance of firearms, its members were divided between pikemen and arquebusiers . When Swiss mercenaries learned that King Charles VIII
292-475: A Papal dispensation to legitimise their marriage. As the dispensation was the groom's duty, Charles sent a delegation to Rome. The delegation took until May 1469 to win the dispensation. Edward IV announced the marriage of his sister to Charles and dubbed him as 'a mighty Prince who bears no crown'. Charles and Margaret were married on 3 July at Damme , a town three miles from Bruges. For their wedding ceremony, Charles prepared nine receptions each ending with
438-411: A prayer book from Lieven van Lathem which was completed in 1469. The opening diptych of the manuscript as well as two other pieces each demonstrate Charles's devotion to Saint George. In Margaret of York's copy of La Vie de Sainte Colette , she and Charles are shown as devotees of Saint Anne . Multiple modern scholars, such as Jeffrey Chipps Smith , have drawn a connection between the saint and
584-650: A French Gallican Church free of the controls of the popes in Rome. Philip III was the Duke of Burgundy at the time that Louis came to the throne, and was keen to initiate a Crusade against the Ottoman Empire . However, he needed funds to organize such an enterprise. Louis XI gave him 400,000 gold crowns for the Crusade in exchange for a number of territories, including Picardy and Amiens . However, Philip's son,
730-641: A Swiss captain with two lieutenants, one Swiss and the other French, under his orders. Members of the unit had the right to be tried according to the laws of their country of origin, and the royal household therefore included a military court for the Cent-Suisses. 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
876-694: A crusade nor did he make preparations for it like his father did. Only for a short time between late 1475 and early 1476 did he seriously consider a crusade and that was only after a meeting with Andreas Palaiologos , the deposed Despot of the Morea , who agreed to cede his claim as the Emperor of Trebizond and Constantinople to Charles. Charles the Bold pursued a risky and aggressive foreign policy. Trying to have as many allies as possible, he considered everyone, aside from Louis XI, as his ally. In 1471, he made
1022-525: A few months later, on 22 June that year, at Murten . The duke was killed at the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477, an event that marked the end of the Burgundian Wars . Louis was thus able to see the destruction of his sworn enemy. Those lords who still favored the feudal system gave in to his authority. Others, such as Jacques d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours , were executed. The lands belonging to
1168-462: A fox who will eat his chickens." In 1461, Louis learned that his father was dying. He hurried to Reims to be crowned, in case his brother, Charles, Duke of Berry , should try to do the same. Louis XI became King of France on 22 July 1461. Louis pursued many of the same goals that his father had, such as limiting the powers of the dukes and barons of France, with consistently greater success. Among other initiatives, Louis instituted reforms to make
1314-482: A joust match. He wished to outdo his father's famous Feast of the Pheasant. The wedding displayed the power and wealth of the dukedom. At the end of the wedding, Charles left his wife alone to catch up on sleep; the two did not spend their wedding night together. Charles and Margaret never had children. They spent little time together: only three weeks during the first six months after their marriage; one-quarter of
1460-532: A large sum of money. The English renounced their claim to French lands such as Normandy , and the Hundred Years' War could be said to be finally over. Louis bragged that although his father had driven the English out by force of arms, he had driven them out by force of pâté , venison , and good French wine . Just as his father had done, Louis spent most of his reign dealing with political disputes with
1606-510: A lieutenant and close military advisor to Charles, he failed in his ultimate mission in marrying Mary. The Duchy of Milan was France's most important ally in the Italian peninsula , whose ruler, Galeazzo Maria Sforza was attached to the King of France through his marriage with Louis' niece, Bona of Savoy . Charles tried to form an alliance with Milan. In 1470, he offered Galeazzo membership in
SECTION 10
#17327662302521752-442: A list of his nineteen allies. He increased the number to twenty-four by the next year and had twenty-six allies in 1473, in contrast to Louis XI's fifteen allies. Some of these relations, like with Scotland , were only formalities. Kings of Scotland and Denmark would sign treaties with Louis XI and appear on his list of allies. Initially, Charles was hesitant about an alliance with Matthias Corvinus , King of Hungary . However,
1898-513: A marriage between his sister, Margaret of York , and Charles. To prevent an English-Burgundian alliance, Louis XI proposed the hand of his daughter, the four-year-old Anne , to Charles in marriage. Charles refused this proposal. In the Spring of 1466, an embassy led by Edward Woodville , Edward IV's brother-in-law, arrived in Burgundy to propose two marriages between the English royal family and
2044-694: A member of the Order of the Golden Fleece in 1473. Charles constantly toyed with the idea of marrying his daughter, Mary, to Ferdinand's second son, Frederick of Naples , who visited the Burgundian court in 1469 and 1470. In 1474, when a war with Louis XI was on the horizon, Ferdinand's participation was dependent on his son's marriage with Mary. Charles hinted at his willingness to give his daughter's hand to Frederick, and Ferdinand dispatched his son to Burgundy on 24 October 1474. Although Frederick became
2190-412: A net of postal relays all over France, which was a precursor to the modern French postal service . Louis developed his kingdom by encouraging trade fairs and the building and maintenance of roads. Louis XI pursued the organization of the kingdom of France with the assistance of bourgeois officials. In some respects, Louis XI perfected the framework of the modern French Government which was to last until
2336-467: A predetermined attitude to hate his wife, but it is universally agreed that Louis entered the ceremony and the marriage itself dutifully, as evidenced by his formal embrace of Margaret upon their first meeting. Louis's marriage with Margaret resulted from the nature of medieval royal diplomacy and the precarious position of the French monarchy at the time. The wedding ceremony—very plain by the standards of
2482-523: A recent rebellion in Liége. Afterwards, Charles imprisoned Louis in the city of Péronne and coerced him to sign a treaty favourable to Burgundy with conditions such as forfeiting the Duke of Burgundy from paying homage, guarantying Charles's sovereignty of Picardy, and abolishing French jurisdiction on Burgundian subjects. Louis reluctantly agreed to all the demands and signed the Treaty of Péronne . However,
2628-687: A scandal that resonated as far as Rome , where the Pope sought a mediator to end the conflict in Guelders. In 1471, Charles was appointed as the mediator; he marched into Guelders and restored Arnold to power. Adolf was placed under house arrest, and then to prison after a failed escape attempt. To retain Burgundian assistance, Arnold made Charles the Regent of Guelders; when Arnold died in February 1473, having left no heirs but his imprisoned son, he bequeathed
2774-471: A series of princely revolts against the French crown; one chronicle recorded the number of the participants to be seven dukes, twelve counts, two lords, one marshal and 51,000 men-at-arms against Louis XI. To counteract the rebels, Louis XI amassed an army and sent it southwards to central France to defeat John II of Bourbon. Charles of Charolais soon mustered an army of 25,000 men and marched towards Paris. Louis and his army hastily returned to Paris to defend
2920-590: A serious threat to royal authority. Louis was forced to retreat to Paris, but was "by no means trounced". In fact, before his final defeat, "[Louis's]...military strength, combined with antipathy of the masses for great lords, won him the support of the citizens of Paris." This was a great learning experience for Louis. James Cleugh notes: Like other strong-minded boys, he had found at last he could not carry all before him by mere bluster. Neither as prince nor as king did he ever forget his lesson. He never acted on pure impulse, without reflection, though to his life’s end he
3066-508: A share of their money so that the state could function normally. Charles had tears in his eyes and expressed his gratitude to his staff. Although this account is quite dramatic, there is no reason not to believe it, as such acts of altruism were typical of that time. In 1462, Charles survived a poisoning attempt on his life by Jehan Coustain, premier valet de chambre . Coustain was executed in Rupelmonde . Charles blamed de Croÿ for
SECTION 20
#17327662302523212-590: A short-lived revolt known as the Praguerie in 1440. The king forgave his rebellious vassals, including Louis, to whom he entrusted the management of the Dauphiné , then a province in southeastern France. Louis's ceaseless intrigues, however, led his father to banish him from court. From the Dauphiné, Louis led his own political establishment and married Charlotte of Savoy , daughter of Louis, Duke of Savoy , against
3358-438: A sizeable army, he entered the city of Maastricht without resistance. Roermond and Venlo quickly surrendered. Moers , whose count, Vincent von Moers, was the leader of the resistance, yielded to Charles's artillery. The only serious conflict was the siege of Nijmegen, which only surrendered after inflicting severe losses on the Burgundian army. After the successful conquest of Guelders, Charles imposed heavy taxes and changed
3504-635: A successful revolt of Louis's vassals in the War of the Public Weal . After becoming the Duke of Burgundy in 1467, Charles pursued his ambitions for a kingdom independent from France, stretching contiguously from the North Sea in the north to the borders of Savoy in the south. For this purpose, he acquired Guelders and Upper Alsace ; sought the title King of the Romans ; and gradually became an enemy of
3650-534: A treaty on 30 January 1475 at Moncalieri in the form of an alliance between Savoy, Burgundy and Milan. As a result of this treaty, diplomatic relations between the two duchies were established, and Galeazzo sent Giovanni Pietro Panigarola as his envoy to Burgundy. Charles's relation with the Republic of Venice was based on his willingness to launch a crusade against the Turks. With Ferdinand of Naples' insistence,
3796-405: A weakling, and despised him for this. On 24 June 1436, Louis met Margaret , daughter of King James I of Scotland , the bride his father had chosen for diplomatic reasons. There are no direct accounts from Louis or his young bride of their first impressions of each other, and it is mere speculation whether they actually had negative feelings for each other. Several historians think that Louis had
3942-658: A wooden steed. Philip the Good assigned many tutors for the young Charles, the most important among them being Antoine Haneron, professor of rhetoric in the University of Louvain . Like his father, Charles developed a fondness for reading histories, chronicles and historical romances. Charles aspired to become a conqueror like Alexander the Great . The fact that both he and Alexander had fathers named Philip stimulated his imagination and further enhanced his ambition. In 1435, with
4088-406: Is recorded by the courtier Philippe de Commines in his memoirs of the period. Louis made a habit of surrounding himself with valuable advisers of humble origins, such as Commines himself, Olivier Le Daim , Louis Tristan L'Hermite , and Jean Balue . Louis was anxious to speed up everything, transform everything, and build his own new world. In recognition of all the changes that Louis XI made to
4234-543: The Magnum Concilium of Kingston upon Thames and formally gave her consent to the marriage. Charles welcomed the English delegation—led by Edward and Anthony Woodville —to Burgundy, and then had her mother accompany him to negotiate the final marriage treaty. The marriage treaty and the alliance was signed and ratified in February 1468, while the marriage ceremony was delayed to eight months later. Since Charles and Margaret were fourth-degree cousins, they needed
4380-704: The Maison militaire du roi de France (military household of the king of France). The Cent-Suisses were dissolved by the Legislative Assembly on 12 May 1792, during the French Revolution , and therefore survived (unlike the Swiss Guards ) the storming of the Tuileries on 10 August 1792 . Along with the rest of the royal household, it was first re-established in the spring of 1814, at
4526-617: The Burgundian Netherlands . Charles Martin (second forename) was born on 10 November 1433 in the city of Dijon . He was the third child of Philip the Good with Isabella of Portugal and the only one to survive past infancy. His mother, fearing that she would lose another child, consecrated the infant to the Blessed Sacrament within days from his birth. Philip the Good arrived in Dijon in late November to celebrate
Cent-Suisses - Misplaced Pages Continue
4672-558: The Germans . Charles married Margaret of York for an English alliance. He arranged the betrothal between his sole child, Mary , with Maximilian of Austria . A passionate musician and patron of the arts, Charles supported the production of illuminated manuscripts and music. His court was famously known as a centre of arts, chivalry and etiquette. He was obsessed with order and regulation and wrote many ordinances throughout his rule, dictating military matters, legislation, and diplomacy to
4818-447: The Hundred Years' War . With the death of Charles the Bold at the Battle of Nancy in 1477, the dynasty of the dukes of Burgundy died out. Louis took advantage of the situation to seize numerous Burgundian territories, including Burgundy itself and Picardy . Without direct foreign threats, Louis was able to eliminate his rebellious vassals, expand royal power, and strengthen the economic development of his country. He died in 1483, and
4964-530: The Italic League —the combination of the five major powers of Italy that had been born out of the Treaty of Lodi of 1454—was constantly undergoing internal realignments. Both Louis XI and his father Charles VII had been too busy with their struggles with Burgundy to pay much attention to political affairs smoldering in Italy. Additionally, Louis had his attention drawn away from Italy by disagreements with
5110-710: The Lower League . After his unsuccessful siege of Neuss , he was defeated by the Swiss in the battles of Grandson and Morat . Charles was killed during the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477, fighting against Duke René II of Lorraine and his Swiss army. His death triggered the War of the Burgundian Succession and ended the Burgundian State . Charles's daughter, Mary, was the last of Charles's dynasty. Mary's son, Philip of Austria , inherited
5256-542: The Moselle at dawn. Charles became enraged, locked himself in his room and smashed the furniture to small pieces. But he did not break the betrothal between Maximilian and Mary, hoping that he could still become a king. Upon ascension as duke in 1468, Charles sought to dismantle the jurisdiction of the Parlement of Paris as the highest juridical power within his country. The cities and institutions in Burgundy relied on
5402-509: The Papacy , and the Kingdom of Naples . Beside these five great regional powers, there were about a dozen smaller states in Italy that were constantly changing policies and shifting alliances between and towards the various regional powers. The city/state of Genoa and the rising state of Savoy , which centered on the city of Turin , were examples of these lesser powers in northern Italy. Even
5548-512: The Siege of Beauvais was lifted on 22 July 1472, and Charles finally sued for peace. Philippe de Commines was then welcomed into the service of King Louis. In 1469, Louis founded the Order of St. Michael , probably in imitation of the prestigious Burgundian Order of the Golden Fleece , founded by Charles' father Philip the Good, just as King John II of France had founded the now defunct Order of
5694-487: The Siege of Orléans , which initiated a turning point for the French in the Hundred Years War. Joan later led troops in other victories at the Battle of Jargeau and the Battle of Patay . Paris was recaptured after her death, and Louis and his father were able to ride in triumph into the city on 12 November 1437. Nevertheless, Louis grew up aware of the continuing weakness of France. He regarded his father as
5840-533: The Treaty of Arras , Philip the Good reconciled with Charles VII , King of France, marking the end of the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War , a conflict between the members of the Valois royal family and its branches. As a sign of good faith in his new ally, Charles VII also allowed a marriage between one of his daughters and Philip's heir. Charles sent his daughters to Burgundy; Philip chose Catherine ,
5986-794: The Wars of the Roses . Louis had an interest in this war, for the Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold, was allied with the Yorkists who opposed King Henry VI . When the Earl of Warwick fell out with the Yorkist King Edward IV , after helping Edward attain his throne, Louis granted Warwick refuge in France. Through Louis's diplomacy, Warwick then formed an alliance with his bitter enemy Margaret of Anjou in order to restore her husband Henry VI to
Cent-Suisses - Misplaced Pages Continue
6132-532: The imperial diet in Regensburg . Philip the Good hoped to meet Frederick III and attach the emperor to his aspiring crusade in order to retake Constantinople from the Ottomans . However, the emperor did not show up. Even as the regent, Charles held little to no power compared to his mother, the duchess, and his father. Nevertheless, Charles still was able to issue documents in his own name. His regency
6278-491: The papal legate in the Burgundian court, Lucas de Tollentis, directing him to encourage Charles to undertake a crusade against the Ottomans. Tollentis, reported to the Pope on 23 June 1472 that Charles was 'resolved in our favour,' and the welfare of Christendom was never far from his mind. Charles may have considered an expedition to the east as the climax of his life's work; however, during his lifetime, he never undertook
6424-499: The senate of Venice agreed to a treaty against the King of France on 20 March 1472. From then on, Venice constantly urged Charles to uphold his part of the bargain and support them in their war with the Ottomans . Charles's inaction caused gradual estrangement from Venice. For instance, when he wanted to recruit the Venetian condottiero , Bartolomeo Colleoni to his ranks, (who would have brought with himself 10,000 men at arms)
6570-424: The tour de la Trésorerie . Despite frequent summons by the king, the two would never meet again. In Dauphiné, Louis ruled as king in all but name, continuing his intrigues against his father. On 14 February 1451, Louis, who had been widowed for six years, made a strategic marriage to the eight-year-old Charlotte of Savoy , without Charles' consent. This marriage was to have long-ranging effects on foreign policy as
6716-542: The Bold Charles Martin (10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), called the Bold , was the last duke of Burgundy from the House of Valois-Burgundy , ruling from 1467 to 1477. He was the only legitimate son of Philip the Good and his third wife, Isabella of Portugal . As heir and as ruler, Charles vied for power and influence with rivals such as his overlord, King Louis XI of France . In 1465 Charles led
6862-410: The Bold was religious, and regarded himself more devout and pious than any ruler of his day. He considered his sovereignty bestowed upon him by God and thus owed his power to God alone. From a young age, Charles chose Saint George as his patron saint . He kept an alleged sword of Saint George in his treasury and showed reverence to other warrior saints like Saint Michael as well. He commissioned
7008-460: The Burgundian governor. Charles was furious. Philippe de Commines, at that time in the service of the duke of Burgundy, had to calm him down with the help of the duke's other advisors for fear that he might hit the king. Louis was forced into a humiliating treaty. He gave up many of the lands he had acquired from Philip the Good, turned on his erstwhile allies in Liège and swore to help Charles put down
7154-482: The Burgundians: one between Margaret of York and Charles, and the other between Mary, Charles's daughter, and George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence , Edward IV's younger brother. Woodville's visit failed, as Charles was not interested in marrying his young daughter to the Duke of Clarence. In October 1467, Edward IV publicly ratified the marriage between Charles and his sister, and Margaret of York appeared before
7300-506: The Duchy of Burgundy as constituted by Louis's great-great-grandfather John II for the benefit of his son Philip the Bold reverted to the crown of France. The marriage on 14 February 1451 between 28-year-old Louis and the 8-year-old Charlotte of Savoy was the true beginning of French involvement in the affairs of Italy. The Italian peninsula was a compact and politically competitive space dominated by five powers: Venice , Milan , Florence ,
7446-504: The Duchy of Guelders, he still was not recognised as the king of the Romans. In part, Frederick III was convinced that the prince-electors would not vote for Charles to receive the title. During the conference, Charles ignored and alienated the prince-electors. When he realised how much he needed their support, Charles tried to impress them with displays of his wealth, but the Germans were not swayed. Charles's decision to only interact with
SECTION 50
#17327662302527592-585: The Duke of Burgundy. In January 1478, he signed a favorable treaty with the Republic of Venice . French involvement in the affairs of Italy would be carried to new levels by Louis XI's son Charles VIII in 1493, when he answered an appeal for help from Ludovico Sforza , the younger son of Francesco Sforza, that led to an invasion of Italy. This would become a significant turning point in Italian political history. Louis XI, having suffered from bouts of apoplexy and years of illness, died on 30 August, 1483, and
7738-488: The Duke of Burgundy. In celebration, he paraded into the city of Ghent on 28 June 1467, emulating Caesar. This Joyous Entry caused an uproar in the city. The people demanded an end to the humiliating penalties imposed on them after the revolt in 1449. Charles left the city with his daughter, the ten-year-old Mary, and the treasure kept by Philip the Good in the Prinsenhof of Ghent. In the following January, he coerced
7884-486: The Emperor and not the prince-electors was a fatal mistake, showing an utter ignorance of German political norms. As an alternative, Frederick III proposed to elevate the Duchy of Burgundy into a kingdom; Charles accepted. The two parties planned for Frederick III to crown Charles in the Trier Cathedral in a coronation on 25 November. However, the next day, the Emperor secretly departed from Trier, embarking on
8030-466: The English out of France, which was at a low point in its struggles. Just a few weeks after Louis's christening at the Cathedral of St. Étienne on 4 July 1423, the French army suffered a crushing defeat by the English at Cravant . Shortly thereafter, a combined Anglo-Burgundian army briefly raided Bourges itself. During the reign of Louis's grandfather Charles VI (1380–1422), the Duchy of Burgundy
8176-565: The French Revolution. Thus, Louis XI is one of the first modern kings of France who helped take it out of the Middle Ages . Louis XI was very superstitious and surrounded himself with astrologers . Interested in science, he once pardoned a man sentenced to death on condition that he serve as a test subject for a gallstone operation. Through wars and guile, Louis XI overcame France's mostly independent feudal lords, and at
8322-432: The French left flank led by Charles IV, Count of Maine . Charles pursued the fleeing count and his army, when the French vanguard counterattacked. Charles was thrown into battle with the French army and took a wound to his throat. He evaded capture and returned to his lines. After his return, Charles ordered his gunners to shoot at the king's army; by his account, 1,200–1,400 men and a large number of horses were killed. In
8468-526: The French. However, with the downfall of Burgundy in 1477, France was seen in a new light by Milan, which now hurriedly repaired its relationship with Louis XI. Likewise, France's old enemy King Ferdinand I of Naples began to seek a marriage alliance between the Kingdom of Naples and France. Louis XI also opened new friendly relations with the Papal States, forgetting the past devotion of the popes for
8614-570: The Good reconciled in June 1464, after they met in Lille, although de Croÿ kept a hold on power. Later that year, Charles assumed full power by arguing that Philip the Good was becoming too senile. Charles put pressure on de Croÿ, but Philip protected de Croÿ by threatening Charles. Ten days later, the States General gave Charles full power by appointing him lieutenant général . His first act
8760-437: The Good's chancellor. The Duke, wary of the power his chancellor might get with this appointment, refused his son's request and instead proposed Philip de Croÿ , who was high bailiff of Hainault and a member of the influential House of Croÿ , as his chamberlain. Charles distrusted de Croÿ, because he suspected that he accepted money from Charles VII to undermine Philip the Good. Charles refused his father's proposal. Philip
8906-462: The Good's niece. Her father, Charles I, Duke of Bourbon , sent her as a child to the Burgundian court as a ward of Isabella of Portugal. A shy and pliant young woman, Isabella was adored by Philip the Good, who saw an opportunity to renew the Treaty of Arras (which had been broken by the death of Catherine of France) by marrying his niece to his son. Charles was not aware of his father's intention until
SECTION 60
#17327662302529052-592: The Holy Roman Empire between themselves, with Charles becoming the King of Romans and having the lands along the Rhine under his authority while Matthias would acquire Breslau and Bohemia. In 1473, through negotiations with the new Duke of Lorraine, René II , he obtained the right to pass his armies through his lands, and assign Burgundian captains to important fortifications in Lorraine, essentially turning
9198-516: The Netherlands, he sought to expand his realm to the north-east: the Duchy of Guelders . Although it was never a part of the Burgundian lands, the duchy was dependent on Burgundian trade. In 1463, Adolf of Egmond rebelled against his father, the ruling duke, Arnold . With Philip the Good's support, Adolf usurped the duchy and imprisoned his father in 1465. Adolf's treatment of his father caused
9344-409: The Order of the Golden Fleece, on the premise of an alliance, but was rejected. One time he even included Milan in one of his lists of allies, which caused Galeazzo to protest. To bring about Galeazzo to his circle of allies, Charles started a rumour that he wished to conquer Milan. Concerns about a probable war and Charles's diplomatic pressure by isolating Milan from France persuaded Galeazzo to sign
9490-605: The Somme lands to Burgundy. On 12 June 1467, Philip the Good suddenly fell ill. In the next few days, he could hardly breathe and constantly vomited. Charles was summoned from Ghent to immediately come to his father. By the time he arrived, Philip had fallen unconscious and was struggling to breathe, and died on 15 June. Charles arranged the funeral for his father in the St. Donatian's Cathedral , attended by 1200 persons from both Charles's and Philip's households and courtiers. The cathedral
9636-410: The Star in imitation of the Order of the Garter of King Edward III of England . In both cases, a French king appears to have been motivated to found an order of chivalry to increase the prestige of the French royal court by the example of his chief political adversary. At the same time that France and Burgundy were fighting each other, England was experiencing a bitter civil conflict now known as
9782-406: The Universal Spider " (Middle French: l'universelle aragne ), as his enemies accused him of spinning webs of plots and conspiracies. In 1472, the subsequent Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold , took up arms against his rival Louis. However, Louis was able to isolate Charles from his English allies by signing the Treaty of Picquigny (1475) with Edward IV of England . The treaty formally ended
9928-413: The Venetian government did not allow him to go. Charles spent two years negotiating with the Venetian ambassadors, but at the end, was unsuccessful in convincing them. By 1475, the alliance between Venice and Burgundy did not liken a genuine union anymore. The Italian peninsula saw a shift in its sphere of influence after the Treaty of Moncalieri in 1475. Charles the Bold triumphantly replaced Louis XI as
10074-403: The age of 12, Charles began to participate in the public affairs of his father's duchy. In 1445, he accompanied his father on a rare state visit to Holland and Zealand. According to Olivier de la Marche , the inhabitants were delighted to see their count—the young Charles—in their land. Charles became fast friends with his wife, Catherine. They gave gifts to each other; in 1440 (when he was 7),
10220-497: The age of six, Charles was brought up by his cousins, John and Agnes of Cleves , who both were the children of Mary of Burgundy , the daughter of John the Fearless . Of the two, Agnes was more prominent in Charles's early education. Agatha and Charles were constantly in his mother's company. In 1441, Philip the Good appointed Jean d'Auxy, seigneur of Auxi-le-Château , as the eight-year-old Charles's guardian. D'Auxy later served as Charles's chamberlain from 1456 to 1468. At
10366-460: The aldermen in the region. Charles gave more powers to the ducal judicial officers to control the rebellious cities and to impose a centralised administration. The Burgundian state under Charles was divided into two separate areas, the Duchy of Burgundy in the south and Flanders in the north. To unify them, Charles needed the Duchy of Lorraine and Alsace . On 21 March 1469, he received Sigismund, Archduke of Austria to his court to negotiate
10512-401: The area, Peter von Hagenbach , imposed harsh taxes on the people. Soon, several towns of Alsace formed a league to unite against Hagenbach. Charles ignored the area. Charles greatly desired to transform the Duchy of Burgundy into a kingdom, free from the limitations of vassalage to the French crown, to further his personal glory. The only way for Charles to realise such a state was through
10658-609: The assassination attempt, while de Croÿ came to believe that Charles staged this attempt to fuel their feud. By the end of 1463, the disputes between Charles and his father caused the States General of the Burgundian Netherlands to intervene. In 5 February 1464, Charles made a speech to the deputies assembled in Ghent, spending more time attacking de Croÿ's family than his father. At the end, Charles and Philip
10804-470: The beginning of French involvement in the affairs of the Italian peninsula. Finally, in August 1456, Charles sent an army to Dauphiné under the command of Antoine de Chabannes . Louis fled to Burgundy , where he was granted refuge by Duke Philip the Good and settled in the castle of Genappe . King Charles was furious when Philip refused to hand over Louis and warned the duke that he was "giving shelter to
10950-464: The birth and made his son a knight of the Golden Fleece , a knightly order created by him in 1430. The infant also became the count of Charolais , a title given to the heirs of the dukes of Burgundy. He was baptised on 20 November, with Count Charles I of Nevers and Antoine I de Croÿ as his sponsors; he was named after the count of Nevers, who was Philip the Good's stepson from his second wife, Bonne of Artois. In early spring 1434, Isabella and
11096-522: The city against Charles's army. On 15 July, Charles reached the village of Montlhéry ; in search of his allies' armies, Charles discovered that the royal army was camped in Arpajon , a few miles south. On learning Charles's position, Louis moved to fight him. On 16 July, the two armies met and fought in the outskirts of Montlhéry. Charles placed himself next to the defensively positioned Burgundian vanguard, led by Louis of Saint-Pol . He attacked into
11242-406: The city, rebels forcefully stopped and arrested them near the city gate. The rebellion was suppressed in 1438, when Philip the Good blockaded the city and forced the rebels to surrender. During infancy, Charles was described as a robust child. He showed an interest in martial matters and military operations early in his life; by the age of two, he was instructed on horsemanship while training on
11388-456: The countess bought a harp for Charles, who was interested in music. In February 1446, Catherine became bedridden with cold, high fever and persistent coughing. By March, she was too pale, lethargic and had no appetite. From the start of her illness, Charles and his mother stayed close by Catherine's side. Charles urged the physicians sent by the King to do everything they could for his young wife. He visited her regularly and played music for her on
11534-512: The crown did not abide by the treaty terms and Franco-Burgundian relations remained negative. At the start of Louis XI's reign, Italy's triple alliance between the Duchy of Milan , the Republic of Florence and the Kingdom of Naples , allowed the influence of France grow in the peninsula, for Milan and Florence were long-standing allies of Louis XI. To remedy this, Charles enlarged Burgundy's sphere of influence in Italy to dwarf that of France. The first Burgundian alliance with an Italian ruler
11680-498: The crown domains . When Charles was chosen as lieutenant général in 1464, he provoked war against Louis by forming the League of the Public Weal . The League of the Public Weal was a confederation of prominent French Princes — Charles of Berry , the king's brother, Francis II, Duke of Brittany , John II, Duke of Bourbon and Jacques and John d'Armagnac — formed to act against Louis' authority. They declared Charles of Berry
11826-514: The dauphin to be the godfather of his daughter, Mary. Charles's hatred for Louis festered when he ascended to the French throne after the death of his father on 22 July 1461. Louis was crowned king on 31 August in Reims under the regnal name Louis XI. Philip the Good personally put the crown on his head. While the duke thought that the hostilities between France and Burgundy were ended, the new king at his coronation ceremony refused to participate in
11972-440: The decisive Battle of Gavere in 1453. In Lille, his mother honoured him with a feast, and to everyone's surprise, encouraged him to return to the battlefield and fight for his inheritance. By that time, Philip the Good had won the battle and defeated the rebellious burghers . Charles remained a widower for eight years until he married Isabella of Bourbon in 1454. Isabella was the daughter of Agnes of Burgundy , and Philip
12118-399: The disposition of the "Burgundian inheritance" left to Mary of Burgundy finally allowed Louis XI to turn his attention to Italy. Viewed from the Italian states, the death of the Duke of Burgundy in 1477 and the resultant downfall of his duchy as a threat to the French throne signalled vast changes in the states' relationships with the kingdom of France. Despite his connection by marriage to
12264-433: The dominant influence on the Italian politics, with three of four major secular powers in the region—Milan, Naples and Venice—all aligning towards him. Only Florence remained a French ally, though they offered a stance of neutrality to Charles on the basis of their mutual alliance with Venice. Charles successfully eliminated any possible support from Italy for France, and now could count on the support of his Italian allies if
12410-432: The duchy into a Burgundian protectorate . Among Charles's other allies were Amadeus IX , Duke of Savoy , whose wife, Yolande of Valois , Louis XI's sister, drove the duchy into an alliance with Burgundy on the basis of their shared dismay for Louis XI. The intense rivalry between Louis XI and Charles the Bold kept both rulers always prepared for an eventual war. The suspicious death of Charles of Valois, Duke of Berry,
12556-432: The duchy to Charles. However, Charles's inheritance caused opposition. The Estates of Guelders, and the towns of Nijmegen , Arnhem , and Zutphen rejected Arnold's will, and Louis XI asked Frederick III , the Holy Roman Empire, to confiscate the duchy. Frederick III was diplomatically close to Charles and did not intervene. Charles subdued the rebelling cities and the nobles of Guelders with force. On 9 June 1473, with
12702-431: The duke for the fact that both were married three times. According to Prof. Nancy Bradley Warren, the portrayal of Charles and Saint Anne may have been a means to legitimise his marriage to Margaret by reassuring those who were dubious about an alliance with England. Throughout his reign, Charles faced multiple requests to pledge his men to a crusade against the Ottoman Empire . Pope Sixtus IV sent three instructions to
12848-654: The feast sponsored by Philip in his honour. The latter thus returned to his realm disappointed. Charles feared Louis' intentions to demolish the Burgundian defensive system in Picardy, and he was furious when a crisis occurred in autumn 1463 regarding his father's lands in the Somme . de Croÿ persuaded Philip the Good to agree to amend the Treaty of Arras, which had given him cities such as Saint-Quentin , Abbeville , Amiens , Péronne and Montdidier . Philip agreed to accept 400,000 gold écus from Louis to return those cities to
12994-492: The first round, Charles struck Jacques on the shield and shattered his own lance. Philip the Good accused de Lalaing of holding back to let Charles win and demanded that the knight put up a real fight. During the second tilt, both lances were broken. The spectacle excited Philip the Good but caused Isabella of Portugal to worry for her son's safety. During the actual tourney, Charles broke sixteen or eighteen lances and received prizes from two princesses. In his honour, heralds cried
13140-637: The framework of the Holy Roman Empire. At Charles's request, Sigismund of Austria proposed Charles to be the next king of the Romans , the title of the successor of the emperor, with the marriage between the Emperor's son and the Charles's daughter as an inducement. As one of the richest men in the Europe, and also an ally of the rebellious princes in the empire, the Hungarians and the Bohemians , Charles
13286-492: The future Charles I, Duke of Burgundy (known as the Count of Charolais at the time of Louis's accession) was angry about this transaction, feeling that he was being deprived of his inheritance. He joined a rebellion called the League of the Public Weal , led by Louis's brother Charles, the Duke of Berry . Although the rebels were largely unsuccessful in battle, Louis had no better luck. Louis XI fought an indecisive battle against
13432-399: The government bureaucracy, and increased the demand on other offices within the government in order to promote efficiency. Louis spent a large part of his kingship on the road. Travelling from town to town in his kingdom, Louis would surprise local officials, investigate local governments, establish fairs, and promote trade regulations. Perhaps the most significant contribution of Louis XI to
13578-535: The government of France, he has the reputation of a leading "civil reformer" in French history, and his reforms were in the interests of the rising trading and mercantile classes that would later become the bourgeoisie of France. Louis XI also involved himself in the affairs of the Church in France. In October 1461, Louis abolished the Pragmatic Sanction that his father had instituted in 1438 to establish
13724-432: The harp that she had gifted to him. In April the three of them were forced to journey to Arras, on Philip the Good's orders to join him in watching a tournament in that city. Wanting to please his father, Charles began anticipating the tourney instead of worrying over his wife. During the tournament, Catherine's general state deteriorated, to the point when she was overwhelmed by coughing and had to return to bed soon after
13870-463: The heir to the Burgundian State , which in turn prompted his father to cut off his allowance. Charles was deprived of any money to pay his staff or even keep his estate afloat, so in 1463, according to Georges Chastellain , he turned to his employees and asked those who could pay for themselves to stay with him, and those who could not to leave him until he could afford to pay them. His staff replied that they would live and die with him. They offered him
14016-496: The king's brother, in 1472, prompted Charles to raise arms to avenge his former ally's death, stating he has been poisoned by Louis. After a small conflict, the two ceased their fighting in the winter 1473 without any talks of peace. Neither would declare war on the other for the rest of their reigns. In 1468, Charles and Louis tried to make peace, which caused astonishment throughout France. Their talks of peace soon turned into hostility once Charles learned that Louis had his hands in
14162-622: The king's request to send the dauphin back. At Philip's expense, Louis lived in Genappe , where he led a comfortable life. Charles VII attempted to regain his son but all his attempts failed. He reportedly said: "My cousin Burgundy is feeding a fox who will eat up all his chickens". Dauphin Louis would go on to become Philip the Good's favourite after the quarrel between him and his son, Charles. In contrast to his relationship with Philip, Louis and Charles disliked each other. However, Charles asked
14308-404: The king's ten-year-old daughter, to marry the six-year-old Charles. The two were married on 11 June 1439, during a ceremony accompanied by concerts, jousts and banquets in the city of Saint-Omer . The wedded children were put under the care of a governess , according to the wedding accounts, and were often separated from each other to spend their time with hobbies in tune with their age. Until
14454-405: The kingdom. Even at this time, Charles was taken aback by the intelligence and temper of his son. During this tour, Louis was named Dauphin of France by Charles, as was traditional for the eldest son of the king. The beautiful and cultured Margaret was popular at the court of France, but her marriage to Louis was not a happy one, in part because of his strained relations with her father-in-law, who
14600-432: The late evening, Louis XI retreated eastwards to Paris. While each side claimed victory at the Battle of Montlhéry , neither side achieved their full objectives. Charles could not capture Louis in the battlefield, and Louis could not prevent Charles from joining his allies. In spite of his ability to form his battle troops in a coherent battle order, Charles had yet to become an able tactician. The rebel armies joined in
14746-435: The mayors of Ghent to ask for his pardon. Then, he abolished their governmental rights and announced that only he could appoint the government in the town, contrary to Philip IV 's constitution in 1301. On 26 September 1465, Charles's wife, Isabella of Bourbon, died of tuberculosis at the age of 31. Court Chronicles recorded laconically the long months of her illness. The most important part of her life for these chronicles
14892-467: The mutual friendship with the Kingdom of Naples pushed Burgundy and Hungary to each other, and in his pursuit to ally with Frederick III's opponents, Charles made contacts with Matthias. Charles hoped that by supporting Matthias' claim to the Kingdom of Bohemia , Matthias would back him in the electoral college. The two successfully concluded a treaty in November 1474, in which they agreed to partition
15038-482: The new Court of Auditors , who previously resided in Lille and Brussels. The language of this parliament was French, with two-thirds of its personnel being Burgundian. The Mechelen parliament only held authority in the Low Countries. In the Burgundian mainlands, Charles established another parliament whose headquarters moved from Beaune and Dole . In Charles's own words, the proper administration of justice
15184-423: The night before his marriage on 31 October; he did not resist the match. With his marriage, the town of Chinon was incorporated into Philip the Good's realm, as part of Isabella's dowry. Throughout the decade 1454–1464, Charles was excluded from power, the ducal council, and the Burgundian court by his father. In 1454 Philip the Good appointed him as "governor and lieutenant-general in absence" while he attended
15330-554: The organization of the modern state of France was his development of the system of royal postal roads in 1464. In this system, relays at instant service to the king operated on all the high roads of France; this communications network spread all across France and led to the king acquiring his nickname "Universal Spider". As king, Louis became extremely prudent fiscally, whereas he had previously been lavish and extravagant. He wore rough and simple clothes and mixed with ordinary people and merchants. A candid account of some of his activities
15476-575: The parlement for challenging legal decisions. This irritated the Dukes of Burgundy who detested any reliance on France. Philip the Good established an itinerant court of justice that travelled all across the country (which was still not as powerful as the Paris Parliament). Charles established of a central sovereign court in Mechelen in his 1473 ordinance of Thionville . The city would house
15622-543: The past. The duchy now faced many problems and revolts in its territories, especially from the people of Liège , who conducted the Liège Wars against the Duke of Burgundy. In the Liège Wars, Louis XI allied himself at first with the people of Liège. In 1468, Louis and Charles met at Péronne , but during the course of negotiations, they learned that the citizens of Liège had again risen up against Charles and killed
15768-551: The purchase of his lands in Upper Alsace . Sigismund was in a desperate financial situation and eagerly agreed to sell the lands. With this purchase, Charles acquired a claim on the city of Ferrette , close to Swiss borders, alarming the Swiss Confederacy . Charles's rights and income from his new territories were severely limited because most of the land rights were mortgaged to local nobles. Charles's deputy in
15914-439: The rebels at Montlhéry and was forced to grant an unfavourable peace as a matter of political expediency. When the Count of Charolais became Duke of Burgundy in 1467 as Charles I ("the Bold"), he seriously considered declaring an independent kingdom of his own. However, Louis's progress toward a strong centralized government had advanced to the point where the dukes of Burgundy could no longer act as independently as they had in
16060-410: The regent of France and appointed Francis II as the captain general of the army. With the threat of rebellion looming, Louis XI offered to pardon all the dukes and lords. Minor lords accepted the pardon, but the dukes persisted with their demands. The members of the league chose Charles of Charolais as their leader and began amassing their army. The League of the Public Weal became the most dangerous of
16206-466: The reigning Duke of Burgundy, and for this purpose he employed the Swiss, whose military might was renowned. He had admired it himself at the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs . War broke out between Charles and the Swiss after he invaded Switzerland. The invasion proved to be a tremendous mistake. On 2 March 1476, the Swiss attacked and defeated the Burgundians first at Grandson and then again
16352-560: The royal house of Savoy, Louis XI continuously courted a strong relationship with Francesco I Sforza , the Duke of Milan, who was a traditional enemy of Savoy. As a confirmation of the close relationship between Milan and the king of France, Sforza sent his son Galeazzo Maria Sforza to aid Louis XI in his war against the League of Public Weal in 1465 at the head of a large army. Later, differences arose between France and Milan that caused Milan to seek ways of separating itself from dependence on
16498-426: The rulers of England and his struggles with Maximilian of Austria , who married the heir of Charles the Bold, Mary of Burgundy , and wanted to keep her territorial inheritance intact. However, the death of the Duke of Burgundy in 1477, which conclusively settled the issue of Burgundy's position under the French throne, the conclusion of the Treaty of Picquigny with England in 1475 and the peaceful resolution in 1482 of
16644-566: The smallest detail. Charles was religious and his patron saint was Saint George . He turned down multiple requests from the pope and the Venetians to undertake a crusade against the Ottoman Turks . Towards the end of his life, Charles became engaged in a multi-national conflict called the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477), where he fought to retain ownership of Upper Alsace against an alliance of Swiss, German, and Alsatian polities called
16790-661: The start of the First Bourbon Restoration , and again in 1815 under the Second Restoration . After resuming its historic function as a ceremonial palace guard, now at the Tuileries, in 1817 detachments from the French regiments of the post-Restoration Royal Guard were transferred to the unit, and the Cent-Suisses company was renamed the Compagnie des gardes à pied ordinaires du corps du Roi . It
16936-427: The tax system more efficient. He suppressed many of his former co-conspirators, who had thought him their friend, and he appointed to government service many men of no rank, but who had shown promising talent. He particularly favored the associates of the great French merchant Jacques Coeur . He also allowed enterprising nobles to engage in trade without losing their privileges of nobility. He eliminated offices within
17082-590: The territory in France from the North Sea in the north to the Jura Mountains in the south and from the Somme River in the west to the Moselle River in the east. During the Hundred Years War, the Burgundians allied themselves with England against the French crown. In 1429, young Louis found himself at Loches in the presence of Joan of Arc , fresh from her first victory over the English at
17228-401: The throne. The plan worked, and Edward was forced into exile in 1470, but he later returned to England in 1471. Warwick was then killed at the Battle of Barnet in 1471. King Henry VI was soon murdered afterwards. Now the undisputed master of England, Edward invaded France in 1475, but Louis was able to negotiate the Treaty of Picquigny , by which the English army left France in return for
17374-399: The time during the years 1469 and 1470, and only three weeks throughout 1473. According to contemporary jurist, Filips Wielant , Charles housed Margaret far away from him because he did not want women to hamper his court. Like his father, Charles pursued expansionism; however, whereas Philip the Good realised this policy by peaceful means, Charles vied for territory by war and conflict. In
17520-621: The time of his death in the Château de Plessis-lez-Tours , he had united France and laid the foundations of a strong monarchy. He was, however, a secretive, reclusive man, and few mourned his death. Despite Louis XI's political acumen and overall policy of Realpolitik , Niccolò Machiavelli criticized him harshly in Chapter 13 of The Prince , calling him shortsighted and imprudent for abolishing his own infantry in favor of Swiss mercenaries . Louis and Charlotte of Savoy had: Charles
17666-515: The time—took place in the chapel of the castle of Tours on the afternoon of 25 June 1436, and was presided over by Renaud of Chartres, the Archbishop of Reims . The 13-year-old Louis clearly looked more mature than his 11-year-old bride, who was said to resemble a beautiful doll and was treated as such by her in-laws. Charles wore "grey riding pants" and "did not even bother to remove his spurs". The Scottish guests were quickly hustled out after
17812-490: The tourney had started. When she was well enough to travel, Catherine and her mother-in-law, Isabella journeyed to Coudenberg , the princess' favourite place. She eventually died on 30 July 1446, and her death was deeply mourned by the court of Burgundy. When Charles was seventeen, he participated in his first joust in a practice tourney in Brussels. He jousted against Jacques de Lalaing , the renowned knight of Burgundy. In
17958-444: The town of Étampes and began marching towards Paris on 31 July. The rebels laid siege on Paris in 1465, during which Charles directed his gunfire at the city's walls. The rebels successfully entered the city when a nobleman named Charles de Melun opened Saint-Antoine gate for them. Louis XI was forced to negotiate. The parties signed the Treaty of Conflans , which ceded the rule of Normandy to Charles, Duke of Berry and returned
18104-520: The uprising in Liège. Louis then witnessed a siege of Liège in which hundreds were massacred. However, once out of Charles's reach, Louis declared the treaty invalid, and set about building up his forces. His aim was to destroy Burgundy once and for all. Nothing was more odious to Louis' dream of a centralized monarchy than the existence of an over-mighty vassal such as the Duke of Burgundy. War broke out in 1472. Duke Charles laid siege to Beauvais and other towns. However, these sieges proved unsuccessful;
18250-503: The wedding reception, as the French royal court was quite impoverished at this time. They simply could not afford an extravagant ceremony or to host their Scottish guests for any longer than they did. The Scots, however, saw this behaviour as an insult to their small but proud country. Following the ceremony, "doctors advised against consummation" because of the relative immaturity of the bride and bridegroom. Margaret continued her studies, and Louis went on tour with Charles to loyal areas of
18396-464: The well-known French battle cry, " Montjoie Saint Denis! " (which was also the motto of the Kingdom of France). In 1449, the wealthy city of Ghent rebelled against Burgundian rule in response to new taxes on salt. Charles took part in the fighting; however, to keep him out of danger, Philip the Good falsely told Charles that his mother Isabella was seriously ill in Lille . Charles left shortly before
18542-542: The will of his father. Charles VII sent an army to compel his son to his will, but Louis fled to Burgundy , where he was hosted by Philip the Good , the Duke of Burgundy , Charles' greatest enemy. When Charles VII died in 1461, Louis left the Burgundian court to take possession of his kingdom. His taste for intrigue and his intense diplomatic activity earned him the nicknames " the Cunning " ( Middle French : le rusé ) and "
18688-527: The young Charles moved to the mountain fortress of Talant , in fear of multiple outbreaks of plague in Burgundy. The Duchess and her son descended the mountains in April 1435, after the plague had receded. Afterwards, they travelled to Paris to join Philip the Good. En route, they passed through Bruges , where a rebellion against Philip the Good was brewing. In 1436, when Isabella and her entourage were to leave
18834-534: Was "the soul and the spirit of the public entity." He was recognised as the first sovereign to make serious effort to impose peace and justice upon the Low Countries , and he was regarded as "a prince of Justice" by historian Andreas van Haul a century after his death. However, Georges Chastellain criticized Charles for his lack of mercy while imposing justice. He damaged his relations with his people by inspecting and regulating every aspect of their life, and
18980-567: Was a coveted ally for Emperor Frederick III , who agreed to have an audience with him in Trier . In October 1473, both parties reached Trier; the Emperor with his son Maximilian and 2,500 horsemen, while the Burgundy entourage consisted of 13,000 men at arms (including artillery), Burgundian nobility, bishops, and treasures and relics. Despite all the grandeur, Frederick III was disappointed that Charles had not brought his daughter, amidst rumours spread by Habsburg adversaries alleging that Mary
19126-732: Was constantly tempted to take such a risk. In 1444, Louis led an army of " écorcheurs " (bands of mercenary soldiers) against the Swiss at the Battle of St. Jakob an der Birs where he sought to reconquer territories of his future brother-in-law, Sigismund of Austria-Tyrol. He won only one victory before suing for peace. He failed to achieve his original objective. He still quarreled with his father. His objectionable scheming, which included disrespectful behavior directed against his father's beloved mistress Agnès Sorel , caused him to be ordered out of court on 27 September 1446 and sent to his own province of Dauphiné . He lived mainly in Grenoble , in
19272-541: Was finally disbanded during the July Revolution in 1830. The Cent-Suisses served as model for a military unit of the Duchy of Savoy (later Kingdom of Sardinia ), which was created in 1579 and disbanded in 1798. Other similar units existed in Tuscany , Austria (1745), and Brandenburg (1696–1713). The Pontifical Swiss Guard , founded in 1506, belongs to this tradition. The Cent-Suisses were commanded by
19418-554: Was her marriage to Charles—of which she had only brought him one daughter and no male heirs—and the fact that she and Charles fell in love after the initially political marriage. Charles, busy with the political negotiations after the War of the Public Weal, could not attend her funeral. Within weeks of Isabella of Bourbon's death, Charles's mother sought an English marriage for her son. She sent Guillaume de Clugny, one of Charles's close advisors, to London to negotiate with Edward IV for
19564-589: Was interred in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Cléry in Cléry-Saint-André in the Arrondissement of Orléans . His widow, Charlotte, died a few months later, and is interred with him. Louis XI was succeeded by his son Charles VIII, who was thirteen years of age. Louis' eldest daughter, Anne , became regent on Charles' behalf. Eager to obtain information about his enemies, Louis created, from 1464,
19710-455: Was lit by 1400 candles which heated up the inside of the church so much that holes had to be made in the windows to cool the air. Charles showed extreme emotions during his father's funeral: he shook; trembled; pulled his hair, and kept shouting and crying. The Court Chronicler, Georges Chastellain, doubted the sincerity of Charles's distress, expressing astonishment that he could show such emotions. Fourteen days later, Charles officially became
19856-590: Was physically defective. Charles wished to become the king of the Romans and to succeed Frederick as emperor. In return, Maximilian would inherit the Burgundian State, and later on become emperor. In addition, Charles wanted to become a prince-elector , taking the Bohemian seat in the Electoral College , and be recognised as the duke of Guelders. Although Charles received recognition for
20002-519: Was preparing an expedition against Naples , they rushed en masse to be recruited. By the end of 1494, thousands of them were in Rome to join the French Royal Army which would occupy Naples the following February. In 1495, the king's life was saved thanks to the actions of his Swiss infantrymen. Louis de Menthon was appointed the first commander of the Cent-Suisses in 1496. The unit was part of
20148-655: Was removed from the chancellery, and Rolin's close ally, Jean Chevrot , was removed from the ducal council. De Croÿ became more powerful. Charles left the court for his personal estate at Le Quesnoy in Hainaut. There, he was entrusted with minor tasks regarding the Flemish subjects of his father. He also constructed the Blue Tower castle in Gorinchem as his personal seat in 1461. He attempted to formalise his status as
20294-462: Was short-lived, for Philip the Good returned to Burgundy on 7 or 9 August of the same year, and Charles returned to his former powerless position. Charles was on bad terms with his father due to his exclusion from power, and their bad relations climaxed in 1457, when Charles wanted to appoint Antoin Rolin, the seigneur of Aymeries , as his chamberlain. Antoin was the son of Nicolas Rolin , Philip
20440-491: Was so furious that his mother feared for Charles's life and had Charles removed from the court. Charles fled to Dendermonde and Philip got lost in the forests of Soignies trying to find his son. Through the mediation of Isabella of Bourbon, who was pregnant with Charles's child, Philip and his son reached a truce. When Charles's daughter, Mary , was born on 13 February 1457, neither Charles nor his father attended her baptism, for both wanted to avoid each other. Nicolas Rolin
20586-546: Was succeeded by his minor son Charles VIII . Louis was born in Bourges on 3 July 1423, the son of King Charles VII of France and Marie of Anjou . At the time of the Hundred Years War , the English held northern France, including the city of Paris, and Charles VII was restricted to the centre and south of the country. Louis was the grandson of Yolande of Aragon , who was a force in the royal family for driving
20732-449: Was to confiscate de Croÿ's estates; they were banished to France, where to their surprise, their French patron, Louis XI, gave them no support. In 1457, Louis XI —then Dauphin of France—the heir of Charles VII, had suddenly arrived at Philip the Good's court at Brussels. Philip the Good saw his guest as an opportunity to mend his relations with the crown and took the dauphin in, indulging him with kindness, showing humility and refused all
20878-593: Was unnecessarily harsh . Charles wanted to reduce the influence of the local aldermen, who were viewed by the commoners as the local court, and he undermined the Mechelen parliament. To both increase his grip on the seats of justice and to fill up his treasury, Charles dismissed the aldermen and sold their offices to the highest bidders; only the wealthiest subjects came to hold those positions. Many institutions protested against these practices, but Charles persisted because he constantly needed to fund his armies. Charles
21024-501: Was very attached to her. She died childless at the age of 20 in 1445. In 1440, Louis, aged 16, took part in an uprising known as the Praguerie , which sought to neutralize Charles and install Louis as regent of France. The uprising failed, and Louis was forced to submit to the king, who chose to forgive him. In this revolt, Louis came under the influence of Charles I, Duke of Bourbon , whose troops were in no condition to mount such
21170-405: Was very much connected with the French throne, but because the central government lacked any real power, all the duchies of France tended to act independently. In its position of independence from the French throne, Burgundy had grown in size and power. By the reign of Louis's father Charles VII, Philip the Good was reigning as duke of Burgundy, and the duchy had expanded its borders to include all
21316-431: Was with King Ferdinand I of Naples , a ruler admired by both Charles and Louis XI. Ferdinand was the legitimised bastard of Alfonso I , and the Pope did not recognize his claim to the throne. Meanwhile, René of Anjou , the deposed King of Naples, persistently sought his title back. In the constant fear of an invasion from René or his heirs with the support of Louis XI, Ferdinand allied himself with Charles, who made him
#251748