Philip VI of France facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Philip VI
Philip VI in a contemporary miniature depicting the trial of Robert III of Artois, c. 1336
King of France (more...)
Reign	1 April 1328 – 22 August 1350
Coronation	29 May 1328
Predecessor	Charles IV
Successor	John II
Born	1293 Fontainebleau, Paris, France
Died	22 August 1350 (aged 56 or 57) Coulombes Abbey, Nogent-le-Roi, Eure-et-Loir, France
Burial	Saint Denis Basilica, Saint-Denis, Paris, France
Spouse	Joan of Burgundy ​ ​ (m. 1313; died 1349)​ Blanche of Navarre ​ (m. 1350)​
Issue among others	John II of France Philip, Duke of Orléans Joan of France
House	Valois
Father	Charles, Count of Valois
Mother	Margaret, Countess of Anjou

Philip VI (born 1293, died 22 August 1350) was the first king of France from the House of Valois. He ruled from 1328 until his death in 1350. People sometimes called him "the Fortunate" or "the Catholic."

Philip's time as king was mostly shaped by a big argument over who should be the next king. When King Charles IV died in 1328, he had no sons. The closest male relative was his nephew, King Edward III of England. However, the French nobles chose Philip, who was Charles's cousin.

At first, Edward seemed to accept Philip as king. But after some disagreements, Edward decided to claim the French throne for himself. This led to the start of the Hundred Years' War in 1337.

Philip's navy had some early wins at sea. But then it was completely destroyed at the Battle of Sluys in 1340. This meant the war would be fought on land. The English won another big battle at Crécy in 1346. Then, the terrible Black Death arrived in France, making the country even more unstable.

In 1349, King Philip VI bought the Province of Dauphiné. He gave control of this area to his grandson, Prince Charles. Philip VI died in 1350. His son, King John II, became the next king.

Early Life of Philip VI

Not much is known about Philip's early life. This is because he was not expected to become king. His father, Charles, Count of Valois, was the younger brother of King Philip IV of France. Charles tried his whole life to become king but never succeeded.

When his father died in 1325, Philip inherited several important areas. These included the counties of Anjou, Maine, and Valois.

Becoming King of France

The coronation of Philip VI

In 1328, Philip VI's cousin, King Charles IV, died without a son. Charles's wife, Jeanne of Évreux, was pregnant. Philip was one of the two main people who could claim the French throne. The other was King Edward III of England. Edward was the son of Charles's sister, Isabella of France.

Twenty years earlier, French leaders had decided that women could not inherit the French throne. So, the question was whether Isabella could pass on a claim that she herself could not have. French nobles, church leaders, and the University of Paris decided that men who claimed the throne through their mother should not be allowed. This was based on Salic law.

Since Philip was the oldest grandson of King Philip III through the male family line, he became regent. A regent rules until the true king is old enough or decided. Edward was a grandson through the female line.

Edward III of England pays respect to Philip VI of France in Amiens, from a 1370–75 manuscript

Philip officially served as regent from February 9 to April 1, 1328. On April 1, Jeanne of Évreux gave birth to a daughter. Because it was a girl, Philip was named king. He was crowned at the Cathedral in Reims on May 29, 1328.

After becoming king, Philip asked Edward III of England to pay homage for his lands in France. These lands were the duchy of Aquitaine and Gascony. Edward finally came to the Cathedral of Amiens on June 6, 1329. However, he made his vows in a way that caused more arguments later.

Charles IV had also been King of Navarre. But unlike France, Navarre allowed women to inherit the throne. So, Philip was not the heir to Navarre. The rightful heir was Joan II of Navarre, the daughter of King Louis X. Navarre went to Joan II. Philip made a deal with her to keep the French lands that had been part of Navarre.

Philip VI's Reign

Philip's reign faced many challenges. However, it started with a military win in Flanders. At the Battle of Cassel in August 1328, Philip's army helped Louis I, Count of Flanders get his power back. Louis had been removed by a popular uprising. Philip's wife, Joan the Lame, showed her skill as a ruler while he was away.

Philip and Edward III initially had a friendly relationship. They even planned a crusade together in 1332, but it never happened. However, the status of the Duchy of Aquitaine remained a problem. Tensions grew between them. Philip gave shelter to David II of Scotland in 1334. He also said he would protect David's interests, which made Edward angry. By 1336, they were enemies, though not yet openly at war.

Philip stopped an agreement between the Pope in Avignon and Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV. But in July 1337, Louis made an alliance with Edward III. The final break with England happened when Edward gave refuge to Robert III of Artois. Robert was once a trusted advisor to Philip. But he committed forgery to try to get an inheritance. As Philip and Edward's relationship worsened, Robert's standing in England grew stronger.

On December 26, 1336, Philip officially demanded that Robert be sent back to France. On May 24, 1337, Philip declared that Edward had lost Aquitaine. This was because Edward had disobeyed him and sheltered Robert of Artois. This event started the Hundred Years' War. The war became even more complicated when Edward renewed his claim to the throne of France.

The Hundred Years' War Begins

A Flemish leader disguised as a fish seller to spy on the French camp

Philip VI and his first wife, Joan of Burgundy

Philip started the Hundred Years' War in a strong position. France was richer and had more people than England. The early parts of the war were mostly successful for the French.

At sea, French ships attacked and burned towns and ships along the English coasts. The English made some attacks back, but the French generally had the upper hand. With his strong navy, Philip ordered a fleet to gather off the Zeeland coast at Sluis in 1339. However, in June 1340, the English attacked the port in the fierce Battle of Sluys. They captured or destroyed the French ships there. This ended the threat of a French invasion of England.

On land, Edward III focused on Flanders and the Low Countries. He gained allies there through diplomacy and gifts. An English attack into Picardy in 1339 failed. Philip wisely refused to fight a big battle. Edward's money problems forced him to retreat and return to England to raise more funds. In July 1340, Edward came back and started the siege of Tournai. By September 1340, Edward was running out of money and supplies. He was open to talking. A nine-month truce was agreed upon on September 23, 1340.

So far, the war had gone well for Philip and the French. Philip and his men had used a smart strategy against Edward, who was in debt. They avoided big battles that Edward wanted. In 1341, the War of the Breton Succession allowed the English to set up permanent bases in Brittany. However, Philip was still in a strong position. During peace talks in 1343, he refused Edward's offer to end the war in exchange for full control of the Duchy of Aquitaine.

The next English attack came in 1345. The Earl of Derby took over the Agenais region and captured Angoulême. English forces in Brittany also gained ground. The French responded in the spring of 1346 with a huge counter-attack against Aquitaine. An army led by John, Duke of Normandy, besieged Derby at Aiguillon.

On the advice of Godfrey Harcourt, a French nobleman who had been banished, Edward sailed for Normandy instead of Aquitaine. As Harcourt predicted, the Normans were not ready for war. Many of their fighting men were at Aiguillon. Edward's army looted and burned the countryside. They took Caen and advanced close to Poissy. Then they retreated from the army Philip had quickly gathered in Paris. Edward crossed the Somme river and prepared for battle at Crécy.

Philip's army was close behind. He had planned to stop for the night and check the English position before fighting the next day. However, his troops were disorganized. The roads were blocked by the rear of his army and by local farmers demanding revenge on the English. Philip found his troops impossible to control. As evening fell, he ordered a general attack. This began the Battle of Crécy. After the battle, the French army was destroyed. A wounded Philip barely escaped being captured. Fortune had turned against the French.

The English took control. The Duke of Normandy stopped the siege of Aiguillon and went north. The English army moved from Crécy to begin the siege of Calais. The town resisted strongly, but the English were determined. They could easily get supplies across the English Channel. Philip led an army to relieve Calais in July 1347. But unlike the Siege of Tournai, Edward now had the advantage. Philip had to march away in August, and Calais surrendered soon after.

Philip's Final Years

King Philip's funeral procession, led by the Archbishop of Reims, from an illustration by Loyset Liédet

After the defeat at Crécy and the loss of Calais, the French assembly refused to give Philip more money. This stopped his plans to attack England. In 1348, the Black Death arrived in France. Over the next few years, it killed one-third of the population, including Queen Joan. The lack of workers caused prices to rise sharply. The king tried to control prices, which made the country even more unstable.

His second marriage to Blanche of Navarre also caused problems. Blanche was supposed to marry Philip's son. This marriage angered his son and many nobles.

Philip's last major success was gaining the Dauphiné region and the territory of Montpellier in 1349. When he died in 1350, France was a divided country with much social unrest. Philip VI died at Coulombes Abbey on August 22, 1350. He is buried with his first wife, Joan of Burgundy, in Saint Denis Basilica. His first son with Joan of Burgundy, John II, became the next king.

Marriages and Children

Philip was married twice. In July 1313, he married Joan the Lame. She was the daughter of Robert II, Duke of Burgundy. Joan was also Philip's first cousin once removed. They had the following children:

• King John II of France (1319–1364)
• Marie of France (1326–1333), who died at age seven.
• Louis (born and died 1329)
• Louis (1330)
• A son (born and died 1333)
• A son (1335), stillborn
• Philip of Orléans (1336–1375), who became Duke of Orléans
• Joan (born and died 1337)
• A son (born and died 1343)

After Joan died in 1349, Philip married Blanche of Navarre on January 11, 1350. She was the daughter of Queen Joan II of Navarre. They had one daughter:

• Joan of France (1351–1371), who was planned to marry John I of Aragon but died during the journey.

In Fiction

Philip is a character in Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings). This is a series of French historical novels by Maurice Druon. He was played by Benoît Brione in the 1972 French TV series. He was also played by Malik Zidi in the 2005 TV series.

See also

In Spanish: Felipe VI de Francia para niños