| Louis XI the Prudent | |
| King of France (more...) | |
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| Reign | 22 July 1461 − 30 August 1483 |
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| Coronation | 15 August 1461, Reims |
| Titles | Dauphin de Viennois: as Dauphin of France (3 July 1423 / 17 July 1429 − 22 July 1461); as King of France (22 July 1461 − 1466, 1466 − 30 June 1470) |
| Born | 3 July 1423 |
| Birthplace | Bourges, Cher, France |
| Died | 30 August 1483 (aged 60) |
| Place of death | Plessis-lez-Tours, France |
| Buried | Notre-Dame de Cléry Basilica, Orléans |
| Predecessor | Charles VII |
| Successor | Charles VIII |
| Consort | Margaret of Scotland (1424–45) Charlotte of Savoy (1443–83) |
| Issue | Anne, Duchess of Bourbon (1461–1522) Joan of France, Duchess of Berry (1464–1505) Charles VIII (1470–98) |
| Royal House | Valois Dynasty |
| Father | Charles VII (1403–61) |
| Mother | Marie of Anjou (1404–63) |
Louis XI (July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483), called the Prudent (French: le Prudent) and the Universal Spider (Middle French: l'universelle aragne) or the Spider King, was the King of France from 1461−83. The precise style of French Sovereigns varied over the years Currently there is no French sovereign three distinct traditions (the Legitimist the Orleanist and the Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Events 778 - The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern The Dauphin of France (Dauphin de France—strictly Dauphin of Viennois ( Dauphin de Viennois)—was the title given to the Heir apparent of the Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Bourges is a commune in central France on the Yèvre river It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital Cher ( Occitan: Char) is an administrative department located in the centre of France. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This article is about the French city of Orléans for other meanings see Orleans (disambiguation. Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461 called the Victorious (le Victorieux or the Well-Served (le Bien-Servi was King of France from 1422 Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death Margaret Stewart (Marguerite d'Écosse ( Perth, Scotland 1424 &ndash August 16 1445 in Châlons-sur-Marne, Marne, Charlotte de Savoie ( 1443 - December 1, 1483) was the second wife and only Queen consort of Louis XI of France. Anne of France (or Anne of Beaujeu) ( Genappe, 3 April 1461 &ndash 14 November 1522, Chantelle) was the Jeanne de France ( 23 April 1464 &ndash 4 February 1505) was Duchess of Berry and 1473–1498 duchess consort of Orléans Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461 called the Victorious (le Victorieux or the Well-Served (le Bien-Servi was King of France from 1422 Marie of Anjou ( October 14 1404 &ndash1463 was the daughter of Louis II of Anjou, King of Naples titular King of Sicily and Yolande of Aragon Events 324 - Battle of Adrianople Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Middle French (le moyen français is a historical division of the French language which covers the period from (roughly 1340 to 1611. List of Queens and Empresses of France Wikipedia_talkFeatured_lists#Proposed_change_to_all_featured_lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois, grandson of Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria and one of the most successful kings of France in terms of uniting the country. Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461 called the Victorious (le Victorieux or the Well-Served (le Bien-Servi was King of France from 1422 Marie of Anjou ( October 14 1404 &ndash1463 was the daughter of Louis II of Anjou, King of Naples titular King of Sicily and Yolande of Aragon See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and Charles VI (3 December 1368 &ndash 21 October 1422 called the Well-loved (le Bien-Aimé and the Mad (French le Fol or le Fou) was the Isabeau de Bavière (also Isabella of Bavaria-Ingolstadt; c 1370 &ndash September 24, 1435) was a Queen Consort of France (1385-1422 His 22-year reign was marked by political machinations, spinning a spider's web of plot and intrigue which earned him his nickname.
His scheming and love for intrigue made him many enemies, in particular the following:
- Charles VII, his own father,
- Charles de Valois, Duc de Berry, his brother, and
- Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, who was to be his greatest foe. Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461 called the Victorious (le Victorieux or the Well-Served (le Bien-Servi was King of France from 1422 Charles de Valois ( 26 December 1446 &ndash 24 May 1472) was the son of Charles VII, King of France and Marie of Anjou Charles the Bold or Charles the Rash (Charles le Téméraire ( 21 November 1433 &ndash 5 January 1477) baptised Charles Martin
Louis is known to have been shrewd and often vicious. In curbing the power of the dukes, he re-established the power of the monarchy.
Contents |
Biography
Early life
He was born at Bourges, Cher in 1423, when the English held northern France and his father Charles the Dauphin was restricted to the centre and south. Bourges is a commune in central France on the Yèvre river It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital Cher ( Occitan: Char) is an administrative department located in the centre of France. Louis was the grandson of the strong-willed Yolande of Aragon, the princess who was the driving force in saving France from the English. Yolande of Aragon, ( 11 August 1384, Saragosa, Aragon &ndash 14 November[[ 442]] was a daughter of John I of Aragon Louis despised his father, regarding him as a weakling. His marriage on June 24, 1436 to Margaret of Scotland, daughter of James I, King of Scots, was forced upon him and did not help their relationship. Events 972 - Battle of Cedynia, the first documented victory of Polish forces takes place Margaret Stewart (Marguerite d'Écosse ( Perth, Scotland 1424 &ndash August 16 1445 in Châlons-sur-Marne, Marne, James I ( December 10, 1394 &ndash February 21, 1437) was nominal King of Scots from April 4, 1406, and The monarch of Scotland was the Head of state of the Kingdom of Scotland.
In 1440 Louis was part of the uprising known as the Praguerie, which sought to control Charles and install Louis as Regent. The Praguerie was a revolt of the French Nobility against King Charles VII in 1440. A regent, from the Latin regens "who reigns" is a person selected to act as Head of state (ruling or not because the ruler is a minor The uprising failed and Louis was forced to submit to the King, who forgave him. Louis continued soldiering. In 1444 he led an army of "ecorcheurs" against the Swiss at the Battle of Birse and was impressed by their military might. Ecorcheurs (lit flayers properly of dead bodies were armed bands who desolated France in the reign of Charles VII, stripping their victims of everything often to Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation
Louis still loathed Charles, however, and on the 27 September 1446 he was ordered out of court and sent to his own province of Dauphiné, where he was to establish order. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again The Dauphiné or Dauphiné Viennois is a former province in southeastern France, roughly corresponding to the present departments ' of the 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 February 14, 1451, Louis, 27, married again, without Charles' consent, after his previous wife's death in 1445. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German It was a strategic marriage to the eight-year-old Charlotte of Savoy. Charlotte de Savoie ( 1443 - December 1, 1483) was the second wife and only Queen consort of Louis XI of France.
Finally in August 1456, Charles sent an army to Dauphiné. Louis fled to Burgundy where he was granted refuge by Duke Philip the Good and his son Charles the Bold and settled in the castle of Genappe. Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) Philip the Good (Philippe le Bon also Philip III Duke of Burgundy ( July 31, 1396 &ndash June 15, 1467) was Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold or Charles the Rash (Charles le Téméraire ( 21 November 1433 &ndash 5 January 1477) baptised Charles Martin Genappe is a Walloon Municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. King Charles was furious when Philip refused to hand over Louis; he knew the man and warned that the Duke was "giving shelter to a fox who will eat his chickens".
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In 1461 Louis learned that his father was dying. For the Direct Capetians, who ruled France 987&ndash1328 see the House of Capet. See also France in the Middle Ages, Early Modern France Unexpected inheritance The Capetian dynasty seemed secure both during and Philip VI (1293 &ndash 22 August 1350) known as the Fortunate ( French: le Fortuné) and of Valois, was the John II (16 April 1319 &ndash 8 April 1364 called John the Good (Jean le Bon was Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, and Duke of Normandy John II (16 April 1319 &ndash 8 April 1364 called John the Good (Jean le Bon was Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, and Duke of Normandy Charles V ( 21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380) called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death and a member Louis I of Anjou ( July 23, 1339 &ndash September 20, 1384) was the second son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg John of Valois, the Magnificent, ( November 30 1340 &ndash March 15 1416) was Duke of Berry and Auvergne Philip the Bold (Philippe le Hardi also Philip II Duke of Burgundy ( January 15, 1342, Pontoise &ndash April 27, 1404 Charles V ( 21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380) called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death and a member Charles VI (3 December 1368 &ndash 21 October 1422 called the Well-loved (le Bien-Aimé and the Mad (French le Fol or le Fou) was the Louis of Valois ( March 13 1372 &ndash November 23 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death Charles VI (3 December 1368 &ndash 21 October 1422 called the Well-loved (le Bien-Aimé and the Mad (French le Fol or le Fou) was the Isabella of Valois ( 9 November, 1389 – 13 September, 1409) was a Princess of France, daughter of King Charles VI Catherine of Valois (27 October 1401 &ndash 3 January 1437 was the Queen consort of England from 1420 until 1422 Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461 called the Victorious (le Victorieux or the Well-Served (le Bien-Servi was King of France from 1422 Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461 called the Victorious (le Victorieux or the Well-Served (le Bien-Servi was King of France from 1422 Charles de Valois ( 26 December 1446 &ndash 24 May 1472) was the son of Charles VII, King of France and Marie of Anjou Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death He thus hurried to Reims to be crowned in case his brother, Charles, Duke of Berry, beat him to it. Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern Charles de Valois ( 26 December 1446 &ndash 24 May 1472) was the son of Charles VII, King of France and Marie of Anjou
Succession as King
Ironically, after being such a thorn in his father's side, Louis pursued many of the same interests as his father had pursued less successfully: limiting the powers of the Dukes and Barons of France. He justified this as sheer Realpolitik: it was now in his best interests, since he was now the king. Realpolitik ( German: de real “realistic” “practical” or “actual” and de Politik “politics” refers to politics or diplomacy based primarily He suppressed many of his former co-conspirators, who had thought him their friend. He became extremely fiscally prudent, 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 Louis's activities is given by the courtier, Philippe de Commines, in his memoirs of the period. Philippe de Commines (or de Commynes or "Philippe de Comines" Latin Philippus Cominaeus; 1447 - c for other uses see Memoir (disambiguation As a literary Genre, a memoir (from the French: mémoire
Feud with Charles the Bold
Philip the Good was keen to start a Crusade and Louis gave him money in exchange for a number of territories including Picardie and Amiens. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents Picardie ( English: Picardy is one of the 26 regions of France. Amiens (amjɛ̃ is a city and commune in northern France, 120 km north of Paris. But Philip's son, Charles, was angry, 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 League of the Public Weal was an alliance of feudal nobles organized in 1465 in defiance of the centralized authority of King Louis XI of France. Although the rebels were largely unsuccessful in battle, Louis was forced to grant an unfavourable peace as a matter of political expediency.
Upon becoming Duke in 1467, Charles seriously considered having an independent Kingdom of his own. But he had many problems with his territories, especially with the people of Liege who were constantly rising against him. Liège (ljɛːʒ Older English: Luick, Walloon: Lidje, German: Lüttich; Latin: Leodium, Dutch Louis was their ally.
In 1468 Louis and Charles met in Peronne, but in the course of the negotiations they learned that the Liegois had again risen up and killed the Burgundian governor. Péronne is a commune of the Somme département, in France. It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place Charles was furious. Commines and the Duke's other advisors had to calm him down for fear that he might hit the King. Louis was forced into a humiliating treaty, giving up many of the lands he had acquired and witnessing the siege of Liege in which hundreds were massacred.
But 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 and end a feud which had lasted over three generations since the murder of Louis, Duke of Orléans in 1407. Louis of Valois ( March 13 1372 &ndash November 23 1407) was Duke of Orléans from 1392 to his death War broke out in 1472, but Charles's siege of Beauvais and other towns were unsuccessful and he finally sued for peace. Beauvais is a town and commune of northern France, Préfecture (capital of the Oise département. Commines rallied to the King's side and was made welcome.
Dealings with England
Meanwhile England was going through its own civil conflict known as the Wars of the Roses. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The Wars of the Roses (1455–1485 were a series of dynastic Civil wars fought in England between supporters of the Houses of Lancaster and York Louis had an interest in this war since Charles the Bold was allied with the Yorkists who opposed King Henry VI. The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three of whom became English kings in the late 15th century Henry VI (6 December 1421 &ndash 21 May 1471 was King of England 1422–1461 (though with a Regent until 1437 and then 1470–1471 and a claimant to the kingdom When the Earl of Warwick fell out with Edward IV, whom he had helped to the throne, Louis granted him refuge in France. Richard Neville Jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and Suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury ( 22 November Edward IV ( 28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 2 October He then encouraged Warwick to form an alliance with his bitter enemy Margaret of Anjou in order to restore her husband Henry VI to the throne. Margaret of Anjou ( Marguerite d'Anjou, 23 March 1430 &ndash 25 August 1482) was the Queen consort of Henry VI of England The plan worked and Edward was forced into exile, but he later returned and Warwick the Kingmaker was killed at the Battle of Barnet in 1471. The Battle of Barnet, which took place 14 April 1471, was a decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses, near the town of Barnet, at the time ten
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 a large sum of money. The Treaty of Picquigny was a peace treaty negotiated on 29 August 1475 between the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of France. The English renounced their claim to French lands such as Normandy and the Hundred Years War could be said to be finally over. Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. The Hundred Years' War (Guerre de Cent Ans was a prolonged conflict lasting from 1337 to 1453 between two royal houses for the French throne vacant with the extinction of the senior Louis bragged that although his father had driven the English out by force of arms, he'd driven them out by force of pâté, venison and good wine. Pâté (French pronunciation; RP pronunciation; General American pronunciation) Venison is the Culinary name for Meat from the family Cervidae. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice
Settling with Charles the Bold
Louis still had to take care of the Duke of Burgundy and for this he employed the Swiss, whose military might was renowned and which he had admired at Birse.
War broke out between Charles and the Swiss, but it was a disastrous campaign for the Duke and he was finally killed at the Battle of Nancy on January 5, 1477. The Battle of Nancy was the final and decisive battle of the Burgundian Wars, fought outside the walls of Nancy, France on Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France.
Louis had destroyed his sworn enemy. Other lords who still favoured the feudal system gave in to his authority. Feudalism, a term first used in the early modern period (17th century in its most classic sense refers to a Medieval Europe Political system composed Others like Jacques d'Armagnac, Duke of Nemours were executed. Jacques d'Armagnac duke of Nemours (c 1433 &ndash August 4 1477) was the son of Bernard d'Armagnac count of Pardiac, and Eleanor of Bourbon-La
Legacy
Louis then started developing the Kingdom. He encouraged trade fairs and the building and maintenance of roads. He is seen as one of the first modern Kings of France, taking it out of the Middle Ages.
Louis XI was very superstitious. He surrounded himself with astrologers. Astrology (from Greek grc ἄστρον astron, "constellation star" and grc -λογία -logia) is a group of Systems Interested in science, he once pardoned a man sentenced to death on condition that he serve as a guinea pig in a gallstone operation. The Guinea pig (also commonly called the cavy after its scientific name Cavia porcellus) is a species of Rodent belonging to the family Caviidae
By war, by cunning and with sheer guile, Louis XI overcame France's feudal lords, and at the time of his death in the chateau at Plessis-lez-Tours, he had united France and laid the foundations of a strong monarchy. He was however a secretive, isolated and reclusive man and few mourned his passing.
Louis XI died in August of 1483 and was interred in the Notre-Dame de Cléry Basilica [1] in Cléry-Sant-André in the Arrondissement of Orléans. The arrondissement of Orléans is an arrondissement of France located in the Loiret département, in the Centre région His wife Charlotte died a few months later and is interred with him. Louis XI was succeeded by his son, Charles VIII, who was thirteen, and his eldest daughter Anne of France became Regent. Charles VIII, called the Affable (l'Affable 30 June 1470 &ndash 7 April 1498 was King of France from 1483 to his death Anne of France (or Anne of Beaujeu) ( Genappe, 3 April 1461 &ndash 14 November 1522, Chantelle) was the
In Popular Culture
Louis XI appears in a couple of films bearing the title If I Were King and also in a book and an operetta entitled The Vagabond King. If I Were King is a 1938 biographical Historical drama film starring Ronald Colman as medieval poet François Villon, and This article is about the operetta for the films see The Vagabond King (1930 film and The Vagabond King (1956 film The Vagabond King
Walter Scott's attack on Louis XI -- 350 years later
Louis XI's undermining of the Feudal system and of the "knightly code of Chivalry" rooted in that system earned him the uncompromising posthumous enmity of the 19th century Romantic writer Sir Walter Scott. Chivalric order Chivalry is a term related to the Medieval institution of Knighthood. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Sir Walter Scott 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 &ndash 21 September 1832 was a prolific Scottish Historical novelist and Poet popular throughout
Scott's foreword to the novel Quentin Durward constitutes a bitter attack on the French king, three and a half centuries dead at the time of writing (1831). Quentin Durward is a Historical novel by Walter Scott, first published in 1823 Scott wrote that "Among those who were the first to ridicule and abandon the self-denying principles in which the young knight was instructed, and to which he was so carefully trained up, Louis XI was the chief. That Sovereign was of a character so purely selfish — so guiltless of entertaining any purpose unconnected with his ambition, covetousness and desire of selfish enjoyment — that he seems almost an incarnation of the devil himself, permitted to do his utmost to corrupt our ideas of honour at the very source. "
Later in the same essay, Scott compared Louis XI to Goethe's Mephistopheles. ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer Mephistopheles (also Mephistophilus Mephistophilis Mephostopheles Mephisto and variants is a name often given to one representation of The devil or Satan It must be noted of course that Scott was a romantic whose novels tend to show a more ideal view of the Middle Ages than was really the case.
Children with Charlotte of Savoy
Louis's marriage with Charlotte of Savoy would not be consummated until she was fourteen. Their children included:
- Louis (1458–60)
- Joachim (born and died 1459)
- Louise (born and died 1460)
- Anne of France, (April, 1461 − November 14, 1522), who became Duchess of Bourbon,
- Jeanne (April 23, 1464 – February 4, 1505), who became Duchess of Orleans,
- François (born and died 1466)
- Charles VIII of France (June 30, 1470 – April 8, 1498)
- François (1472–73)
Ancestors
References
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Louis XI of France
Cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty
Born: 3 July 1423 Died: 30 August 1483 |
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| Preceded by Charles V of Viennois, 8th Dauphin |
Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois as 'Louis II' 3 July 1423 / 17 July 1429 − 22 July 1461 |
Succeeded by Himself as King of France |
| French nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Vacant (Charles, 8th Dauphin) |
Dauphin of France as 'Louis, 9th Dauphin' 3 July 1423 / 17 July 1429 − 22 July 1461 |
Succeeded by Vacant (eventually Francis, 10th Dauphin) |
| Regnal titles | ||
| Preceded by Charles VII |
King of France 22 July 1461 – 30 August 1483 |
Succeeded by Charles VIII |
| Preceded by Himself as Dauphin of France |
Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Valentinois and of Diois as 'Louis II of Viennois' 22 July 1461 − 1466 1466 − 30 June 1470 |
Succeeded by Francis I |
| Preceded by Francis I |
Succeeded by Charles VI |
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