King Charles VII of France
Charles the Well-Served (Charles Le Bien-servi) or Charles the Victorious (le Victorieux) is something of a contrary figure in French history.
Though Charles served as regent for his mentally unbalanced father while still a teenager, Charles VI signed a treaty with Henry V of England that bypassed his own sons and named Henry the next king. Charles announced himself king upon the death of his father in 1422, but he was still known as "the Dauphin" (the French title for the heir to the throne) or "the King of Bourges" until he was properly crowned in Reims in 1429.
He owed Joan of Arc a great debt for her aid in breaking the siege of Orleans and getting a signifcantly symbolic coronation, but he stood by and did nothing when she was captured by the enemy. Though later he worked to obtain a reversal of her condemnation, he may only have done so to justify the circumstances surrounding his achievement of the crown. Although Charles has been charged with being inherently lazy, shy and even somewhat apathetic, his councillors and even his mistresses encouraged and inspired him to deeds that would ultimately unify France.
Charles succeeded in introducing important military and financial reforms that strengthened the power of the French monarchy. His conciliatory policy toward towns that collaborated with the English helped restore peace and unity to France. He was also a patron of the arts.
The reign of Charles VII was significant in the history of France. Fractured and in the midst of an extended war with England when he was born, by the time of his death the country was well on its way toward the geographical unity that defines its modern boundaries.
Important Dates
Born: Feb. 22, 1403
Crowned: July 17, 1429
Died: July 22, 1461
On the Web
Charles VII
Very brief bio at Infoplease.Charles VII of France
This concise yet heavily-hyperlinked biography at Wikipedia includes a nice graphic of Jean Fouquet's portrait of the king.Charles VII (1403-1461) Roi de France (r.1422-1461) dit le Trésvictorieux
Though a bold background detracts somewhat from this amateur site, an informative biography is followed by a substantial timeline of the king's life, at the Hundred Years' War Web Page.
In Print
The links below will take you to a site where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.
Charles VII
by Michel HérubelCharles VII: le victorieux
by Georges Bordonove
Related Resources
Medieval France
General history, people, places, maps and more about France in the Middle Ages.The Hundred Years' War
An index of sites that focus on the war that dominated Charles' reign.
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