Philip The Good - Family and Early Life

Family and Early Life

Born in Dijon, Philip was the son of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria-Straubing in 1396. His father was the son of the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold. When he was 8 years old, his grandfather died and his father ascended as the new Duke. On 28 January 1405, he was named Count of Charolais in appanage of his father and probably on the same day became engaged to Michele of Valois (1395–1422), daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. They were married in June 1409.

Philip subsequently married Bonne of Artois (1393–1425), daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, and also the widow of his uncle, Philip II, Count of Nevers, in Moulins-les-Engelbert on November 30, 1424. The latter is sometimes confused with Philip's biological aunt, also named Bonne (sister of John the Fearless, lived 1379–1399), in part due to the Papal Dispensation required for the marriage which made no distinction between a marital aunt and a biological aunt.

His third marriage, in Bruges on January 7, 1430 to Isabella of Portugal (1397 – December 17, 1471), daughter of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, produced three sons: Anthony (September 30, 1430, Brussels – February 5, 1432, Brussels), Count of Charolais; Joseph (April 24, 1432 – aft. May 6, 1432), Count of Charolais; Charles (1433–1477), Count of Charolais and Philip's successor as Duke, called "Charles the Bold" or "Charles the Rash"

Philip also had at least eighteen illegitimate children by various of his 24 documented mistresses, including: Corneille of Burgundy (c. 1420 – 1452), captain-general/governor of Luxembourg., killed in the Battle of Basel (1452); Anthony, bastard of Burgundy, (1421 – 1504), lord of La Roche, Sainte-Menehould, Guînes, Lord of Crèvecoeur and Beveren; David of Burgundy, (c. 1427 – 1496), bishop of Therouanne and bishop of Utrecht, was a fine amateur artist, and the subject of a biography in 1529; Anne of Burgundy (c. 1435 – 1508), governess of Mary of Burgundy, married Adrian of Borssele and later Adolph of Cleves, Lord of Ravenstein; Raphaël of Burgundy, also called Raphaël de Marcatellis, (c. 1437 – 1508), abbot of the Saint-Bavo Abbey in Gent and the Saint-Peter Abbey in Oudenburg; Baldwin of Burgundy (c. 1446 – 1508), Lord of Fallais, Peer, Boudour, Sint-Annaland, Lovendegem, Zomergem en Fromont; and Philip of Burgundy (1464–1524), Bishop of Utrecht. Corneille and Anthony were his favorite bastard sons and successively bore the title of Grand bâtard de Bourgogne (first Corneille and after his death, Anthony).