Charles VI of France - Struggles For Power

Struggles For Power

French Monarchy
Capetian Dynasty
(House of Valois)

Philip VI
Children
John II
John II
Children
Charles V
Louis I of Anjou
John, Duke of Berry
Philip the Bold
Charles V
Children
Charles VI
Louis, Duke of Orléans
Charles VI
Children
Isabella of Valois
Michelle of Valois
Catherine of Valois
Charles VII
Charles VII
Children
Louis XI
Charles, Duke of Berry
Louis XI
Children
Charles VIII
Charles VIII

With the King mad, his uncles Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, and John, Duke of Berry, took control and dismissed Charles's advisers and various officials he had appointed. Another contender for power was the King's brother, Louis I de Valois, Duke of Orléans. This was to be the start of a series of major feuds among the princes of royal blood which would cause much chaos and conflict in France even beyond Charles's reign.

The first major feud was between Philip the Bold and Louis, duke of Orléans who both tried to fill the power vacuum left by the King's condition. Philip's death in April 1404 did not bring an end to Louis's problems. John the Fearless, the new Duke of Burgundy took over and the feud escalated. In 1407, the Duke of Orléans was murdered in the streets of Paris. John did not deny responsibility, claiming that Louis was a tyrant who squandered money.

Louis's son, Charles, new Duke of Orléans, turned to his father-in-law, Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac, for support. This resulted in the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War.

Charles VI's secretary, Pierre Salmon, spent much time in discussions with the king while he was suffering from his intermittent but incapacitating psychosis. In an effort to find a cure for the king's illness, stabilize the turbulent political situation, and secure his own future, Salmon supervised the production of two distinct versions of the beautifully illuminated guidebooks to good kingship known as Pierre Salmon's Dialogues.

Read more about this topic:  Charles VI Of France

Famous quotes containing the words struggles and/or power:

    My struggles with myself seldom reach aerobic level.
    Mason Cooley (b. 1927)

    In the theory of gender I began from zero. There is no masculine power or privilege I did not covet. But slowly, step by step, decade by decade, I was forced to acknowledge that even a woman of abnormal will cannot escape her hormonal identity.
    Camille Paglia (b. 1947)