Charles II, Count of Alençon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charles II |
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| Count of Alençon and Perche | |
| Reign | 16 December 1325 – 26 August 1346 |
| Predecessor | Charles I |
| Successor | Charles III |
| Born | 1297 France |
| Died | 26 August 1346 (aged 48–49) Battle of Crécy |
| Burial | Couvent des Jacobins |
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| Father | Charles, Count of Valois |
| Mother | Margaret, Countess of Anjou |
Charles II, also known as Charles the Magnanimous (born in 1297, died on August 26, 1346), was an important French noble. He was the Count of Alençon and Count of Perche from 1325 to 1346. He also held the titles of Count of Chartres and Count of Joigny for a short time (1335–1336) because of his marriage to Joan of Joigny.
Life of Charles II
Charles was the second son of Charles of Valois and his first wife, Margaret, Countess of Anjou. He was also the brother of Philip VI of France, who later became king.
In April 1314, Charles first married Joan of Joigny. She became the Countess of Joigny in 1335 after her father passed away. Sadly, Joan died in September 1336, and they did not have any children together.
Charles began his military career in a region called Guyenne. He served under his father and showed great bravery during his first siege (a military attack where an army surrounds a place to try and capture it).
When his father died on December 16, 1325, Charles inherited several lands and titles. These included the county of Alençon and the forest of Perche, as agreed upon by his father.
In 1328, Charles's brother, Philip, became the King of France. However, Edward III of England also claimed the French crown and refused to accept Philip as king. King Philip then made Charles a lieutenant general (a high-ranking military leader) of the kingdom. He sent Charles to stop a rebellion in Saintes, which was supported by the English. Charles successfully captured Saintes and several other important strongholds.
Family and Marriages
Charles II was married twice.
His first marriage was in April 1314 to Countess Joan of Joigny. As mentioned, she passed away in 1336, and they did not have any children.
In December 1336, after Joan's death, Charles married Maria de La Cerda y Lara. She was born in 1310 and died in Paris in 1379. Maria was the daughter of Fernando de la Cerda, Lord of Lara.
Charles and Maria had five children:
- Charles III, Count of Alençon (1337 – 1375, Lyon). He became an Archbishop (a senior leader in the church) in Lyon in 1365.
- Philip of Alençon (1338–1397, Rome). He became a Bishop (another church leader) of Beauvais in 1356. Later, he became a Cardinal and held several other important church positions.
- Peter II, Count of Alençon (1340 – 1404). He married Marie Chamaillart.
- Isabelle of Alençon (1342 – 1379, Poissy). She became a nun.
- Robert, Count of Perche (1344–1377). He married Joan of Rohan in 1374.
Death of Charles II
In 1340, Charles joined the War of the Breton Succession, a conflict over who should rule the Duchy of Brittany.
He was later killed in battle at the Battle of Crécy on August 26, 1346. This was a major battle during the Hundred Years' War.
Like his father, Charles was buried in the Couvent des Jacobins church in Paris. This church no longer exists, but his statue is now in the Basilica of St Denis.
His oldest son, Charles III, took over his titles as Count of Alençon and Perche.
Arms
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This is the coat of arms for the counts and dukes of Alençon from the House of Valois.
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This is the coat of arms for the counts of Perche.
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Sources
| Preceded by Charles I |
Count of Alençon and Perche 1325–1346 |
Succeeded by Charles III |
See also
In Spanish: Carlos II de Alençon para niños
