Charles III, Count of Alençon facts for kids

Charles III of Alençon (born 1337 – died 5 July 1375) was a French nobleman. He belonged to the House of Valois, a powerful royal family in France. Charles was the count of Alençon and Perche from 1346 to 1361. Later, he became a Dominican friar. From 1365 until his death, he served as the archbishop of Lyon.

A Young Count in a Time of War

Charles III was born in 1337. He was a "prince of the blood," meaning he was closely related to the French king. His family was part of the House of Valois. Charles was the oldest of five children. His parents were Count Charles II of Alençon and María de la Cerda. His father, Charles II, was the brother of King Philip VI of France. Charles's mother, María, was a Spanish princess. She raised her children to be very religious.

In 1346, a big war called the Hundred Years' War was happening between France and England. Charles's father, Count Charles II, was killed in the Battle of Crécy on August 26, 1346. Charles was only nine years old when his father died. He then became the new count of Alençon and Perche. Because he was so young, his mother, María, ruled the counties for him as a regent.

During Charles's time as count, his lands were attacked many times by the English army. This caused a lot of damage. Also, armed groups led by King Charles II of Navarre, who ruled a nearby area, often robbed Charles's lands. After the Battle of Poitiers in 1356, the region of Perche was invaded. In that battle, Charles's cousin, King John II of France, was captured. To help free the king, Charles's younger brother, Peter, was sent to England as a hostage.

From Count to Archbishop

In 1361, Charles made a big decision. He gave up his titles as count of Alençon and Perche. He chose to become a Dominican friar. He joined a monastery in Paris called Couvent des Jacobins de la rue Saint-Jacques.

Charles's younger brother, Philip, had already become a bishop in 1356. So, their mother asked King John II for permission to divide the counties between the two remaining brothers, Peter and Robert. Peter received the county of Alençon. Robert was given the county of Perche.

On July 13, 1365, Charles became the archbishop of Lyon. This happened because his relative, King Charles V of France, insisted on it. The church leaders in Lyon usually chose their own archbishop. They wanted to keep this right, so they voted three times before finally agreeing on Charles. By 1366, Charles was supporting many scholars, including one named Nicholas de Mesereyo.

Charles was known as a strong and determined archbishop. Like other archbishops from powerful families, he was not afraid to use his influence. He often used his connections at the royal court to protect his rights. He even minted coins with his own initial, "K," on them. This was unusual because other archbishops of Lyon only made coins without their names.

As archbishop, Charles strongly defended his rights as the "primate of the Gauls." This meant he had special authority over the church in France. In 1372, a royal official tried to take away some of his power. Charles reacted strongly by placing an interdict on the area. An interdict is a church punishment that stops religious services. This interdict stayed in place until Charles died on July 5, 1375. After his death, Jean de Talaru became the new archbishop.

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In Spanish: Carlos III de Alençon para niños