Philip VI of France

Philip VI of France, known as Philip the Fortunate, was the first King of France from the House of Valois, reigning from 1328 until his death. His accession, following the death of his cousin Charles IV of France without a male heir, was confirmed by an assembly of nobles and prelates, setting a precedent for the Salic law that barred female succession. His reign was dominated by the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War with England, a series of military setbacks including the Battle of Crécy, and the devastation of the Black Death.

Early life and accession

Born in 1293, he was the son of Charles, Count of Valois, and Margaret, Countess of Anjou. His father was a powerful figure, a son of Philip III of France and brother to Philip IV of France. Through his mother, he held the County of Anjou. He first gained military experience during the War of Saint-Sardos in Gascony. Upon the death of Charles IV of France in 1328, the direct line of the House of Capet ended. An assembly, including powerful figures like Philip of Évreux and the Duke of Burgundy, rejected the claim of Edward III of England, who was a nephew of Charles IV through his mother Isabella of France. Instead, they upheld the Salic law and chose Philip, the nearest male-line heir, as king, leading to his coronation at Reims Cathedral.

Reign

His early reign was preoccupied with consolidating his authority and managing the Navarrese claims of Joan II of Navarre. He faced a major rebellion in Flanders, culminating in the decisive Battle of Cassel where he defeated the forces of Nicolaas Zannekin. He maintained a complex relationship with Pope John XXII and the Avignon Papacy. Domestically, he continued the centralizing policies of his Capetian predecessors, but his need for revenue led to increased taxation and monetary manipulations, causing tension with assemblies like the Estates General. He also contended with the ambitions of Robert III of Artois, whose disputes further poisoned relations with Edward III.

Hundred Years' War

The long-simmering dispute over the Duchy of Aquitaine and Philip's support for David II of Scotland against England were key catalysts. After Philip declared the duchy forfeit in 1337, Edward III formally claimed the French throne, initiating the Hundred Years' War. The conflict saw early French naval defeats at the Battle of Sluys. The war escalated with the Breton War of Succession, where Philip supported Charles of Blois against John of Montfort, who was backed by England. The major disaster of his reign was the Battle of Crécy in 1346, where the French army was decimated by English longbowmen, leading to the subsequent Siege of Calais and its loss to England.

Later years and death

The latter part of his reign was marked by profound crisis. The military catastrophe at Crécy was followed by the arrival of the Black Death in 1348, which killed a vast portion of the population, including his queen, Joan of Burgundy. The plague crippled the economy and social order. He faced further humiliation when his son, the future John II of France, was captured by the English at the Battle of Poitiers several years after his own death. Financially strained and politically weakened, Philip VI died on 22 August 1350 at Nogent-le-Roi and was interred in the Basilica of Saint-Denis. He was succeeded by his son, John.

Family and succession

In 1313, he married Joan of Burgundy, daughter of Robert II, Duke of Burgundy. Their children included his successor, John II of France, and Philip of Valois, Duke of Orléans. After Joan's death from the plague, he married Blanche of Navarre, Queen of France in 1350, but this union produced no surviving heirs. His legitimacy was initially challenged by Edward III of England and later by Charles II of Navarre, known as "Charles the Bad." The succession established the House of Valois on the French throne, a dynasty that would rule until the end of the Wars of Religion.

Category:French monarchs Category:House of Valois Category:14th-century French people