Duke of Berry facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Dukedom of Berry
Arms of Berry after 1376
Creation date	October 1360
Monarch	John II of France
Peerage	Peerage of France
First holder	John of Berry
Last holder	Charles Ferdinand of Artois
Status	Extinct
Extinction date	14 February 1820

The Duke of Berry (French: Duc de Berry) or Duchess of Berry (French: Duchesse de Berry) was an important title in the Peerage of France. The Duchy of Berry, a region in central France with its main city Bourges, was often given to younger members of the French royal family. This was a special type of land grant called an appanage, which meant the land belonged to the royal family but was managed by a prince or princess. Sometimes, the title was even given to royal women.

Later, several kings from the House of Bourbon family gave the title Duke of Berry to their grandsons. The last official Duke of Berry was Charles Ferdinand of Artois, who was the son of King Charles X. Today, the title Duke of Berry is used as a special "courtesy title" by Prince Alphonse de Bourbon. This means he uses the title out of tradition, but it doesn't come with any land or official power.

The Valois Family and Berry (1360-1505)
- How the Dukedom Began
- Changes and Returns to the Crown
The Valois-Angoulême Family (1527-1601)
- New Duchesses of Berry
The Bourbon Family and Berry (1686-1820)
- Later Dukes of Berry
See also

The Valois Family and Berry (1360-1505)

How the Dukedom Began

In October 1360, King John II created the Dukedom of Berry. He gave it as an appanage to his third son, John of Poitiers. This might have been when John married Joan of Armagnac.

When John of Poitiers died in 1416, his grand-nephew, John, Dauphin of France, became the Duke of Berry. (A "Dauphin" was the title for the heir to the French throne). John of Poitiers' own son had died earlier in 1397.

After Dauphin John died in 1417, the Dukedom went to his younger brother, also a Dauphin, named Charles. During the Hundred Years’ War, the English army was advancing. So, Dauphin Charles moved his royal court to Bourges, the capital of Berry, to stay safe. When Charles later became King Charles VII, Berry became part of the royal lands again.

Changes and Returns to the Crown

In 1461, King Louis XI gave Berry to his younger brother, Charles. Charles and his brother Louis XI often disagreed. Charles even joined a group called the League of the Public Weal. This group was against King Louis XI and was led by the Count of Charolais. After a short war, they signed the Treaty of Conflans in 1465. Charles then received the Duchy of Normandy, which he later traded for the Duchy of Guyenne in 1469. Since Charles had no sons, the title of Duke of Berry returned to the Crown once more when he died.

In 1498, King Louis XII gave Berry to his former wife, Joan of France. She was the daughter of King Louis XI. This was given to her as a way to make up for their marriage being ended. Joan was the first suo jure Duchess, which means she held the title in her own right, not just because she was married to a Duke. After she died without children, Berry went back to the Crown.

Duke	Birth	Time as Duke	Death	Family
John of France Also Duke of Auvergne, Count of Poitiers	30 November 1340 Château de Vincennes Son of John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg	October 1360 – 15 June 1416	15 June 1416 Paris Died by natural causes (aged 75)	(1) Joan of Armagnac (married 1360; died 1387) 5 children (2) Joan II of Auvergne (married 1389; widowed 1416) Childless
John of France Also Dauphin of France, Count of Ponthieu	31 August 1398 Paris Son of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria	1416 – 5 April 1417	5 April 1417 Compiègne Died by natural causes (aged 18)	Jacqueline of Hainaut (married 1415; widowed 1417) Childless
Charles of France Also Dauphin of France, Count of Ponthieu	22 February 1403 Paris Son of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria	1417 – 1422 (merged with Crown)	22 July 1461 Mehun-sur-Yèvre Died by natural causes (aged 58)	Marie of Anjou (married 1422; widowed 1461) 14 children
Charles of France Also Duke of Normandy, Duke of Guyenne	26 December 1446 Château de Tours Son of Charles VII of France and Marie of Anjou	November 1461 – 24 May 1472	24 May 1472 Bordeaux Died unexpectedly (aged 25)	Never married
Joan of France	23 April 1464 Nogent-le-Roi Daughter of Louis XI of France and Charlotte of Savoy	7 April 1498 – 4 February 1505	4 February 1505 Bourges, Berry Died by natural causes (aged 40)	Louis II, Duke of Orléans (married 1476; annulled 1498) Childless

The Valois-Angoulême Family (1527-1601)

New Duchesses of Berry

In 1527, King Francis I gave the Dukedom of Berry to his sister, Marguerite. This was likely when she married Henry II of Navarre. After she died in 1549 without any sons, Berry returned to the Crown.

In 1550, King Henry II gave Berry to his sister, Margaret of Valois, for her lifetime. After Margaret died in 1574, her nephew, King Henry III, gave Berry to his sister-in-law, Elisabeth of Austria. Elisabeth was a "Queen dowager," meaning she was the widow of a king.

However, in 1577, because of a peace agreement called the Peace of Monsieur, King Henry III made Elisabeth of Austria trade Berry for other lands. Berry then became part of the lands given to his brother, Francis, Duke of Anjou. When Francis died in 1584, Berry and his other lands went back to the Crown again.

In 1589, King Henry IV gave Berry to Louise of Lorraine, who was the widow of King Henry III. She held the title for her lifetime.

Duke	Birth	Time as Duke	Death	Family
Margaret of Navarre Also Queen consort of Navarre, Duchess of Alençon	11 April 1492 Château d'Angoulême Daughter of Charles of Orléans and Louise of Savoy	24 January 1527 – 21 December 1549	21 December 1549 Odos, Navarre Died by natural causes (aged 57)	(1) Charles IV of Alençon (married 1509; died 1525) Childless (2) Henry II of Navarre (married 1527; widowed 1549) 1 child
Margaret of France Also Duchess consort of Savoy	5 June 1523 Saint-Germain-en-Laye Daughter of Francis I and Claude of Brittany	29 April 1550 – 15 September 1574	15 September 1574 Turin, Savoy Died by natural causes (aged 51)	Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (married 1559; widowed 1574) 1 child
Elisabeth of Austria Also Countess of La Marche	5 July 1554 Vienna, Austria Daughter of Emperor Maximilian II and Mary of Austria	21 November 1575 – 25 September 1577 (Title forfeited)	22 January 1592 Vienna, Austria Died by pleurisy (aged 37)	Charles IX of France (married 1570; died 1574) 1 child
Francis of France Also Duke of Anjou, Duke of Alençon	18 March 1555 Château de Fontainebleau Son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici	25 September 1577 – 10 June 1584	10 June 1584 Château-Thierry Died by malaria (aged 29)	Never married
Louise of Lorraine	30 April 1553 Nomeny, Barrois Daughter of Nicolas, Duke of Mercœur and Margaret of Egmont	August 1589 – 29 January 1601	29 January 1601 Moulins, Bourbonnais Died by natural causes (aged 47)	Henry III of France (married 1575; died 1589) Childless

The Bourbon Family and Berry (1686-1820)

Later Dukes of Berry

In 1686, King Louis XIV gave the title Duke of Berry to his third grandson, Charles. Charles used this as his main title until he died in 1714. However, he never actually gained the land of Berry as an appanage.

Later, in 1754, King Louis XV gave the title Duke of Berry to his newborn grandson, Louis-Auguste. Louis-Auguste used this title until 1765, when he became the Dauphin of France after his father passed away.

In 1778, King Louis XVI brought back the Dukedom of Berry as an appanage for his newborn nephew, Charles Ferdinand of Artois. Sadly, Charles Ferdinand was killed in 1820. After his death, the title became "extinct," meaning it was no longer officially used.

Duke	Birth	Time as Duke	Death	Family
Charles of France Also Duke of Angoulême, Duke of Alençon	31 July 1686 Versailles Son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Anna of Bavaria	31 July 1686 – 5 May 1714	5 May 1714 Versailles Died in hunting accident (aged 27)	Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans (married 1710; widowed 1714) Childless
Louis-Auguste of France (Later King Louis XVI)	23 August 1754 Versailles Son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony	23 August 1754 – 20 December 1765 (Became Dauphin)	21 January 1793 Place de la Révolution, Paris Executed (aged 38)	Marie Antoinette of Austria (married 1770; widowed 1793) 4 children
Charles Ferdinand of Artois	24 January 1778 Versailles Son of Charles of Artois and Maria Theresa of Savoy	24 January 1778 – 14 February 1820	14 February 1820 Outside Paris Opera Killed (aged 42)	Marie-Caroline of Sicily (married 1816; widowed 1820) 2 children