| Notes |
Charles of Valois (12 March 1270 - 16 December 1325), the third son of P h i l i p I II of France and Isabella of Aragon, was a member of the House o f C a p e t a nd founder of the House of Valois, whose rule over France woul d s t a r t i n 1328.
The grandson of Louis IX of France, Charles of Valois was a son, brothe r , b r o t her-in-law and son-in-law of kings or queens (of France, Navarre , E n g l a nd and Naples). His descendants, the House of Valois, would beco me t h e r o y al house of France three years after his death, beginning wit h h i s s o n P hilip VI of France.
Charles thus dreamed of more and sought all his life for a crown he nev e r o b t a ined. In 1284, the pope recognized him as King of Aragon (under t h e v a s s alage of the Holy See), as son of his mother, in opposition to K i n g P e t er III, who after the conquest of the island of Sicily was an en e m y o f t h e papacy. Charles then married Marguerite of Sicily, daughter o f t h e N e a politan king, in order to re-enforce his position in Sicily, s up p o r t ed by the Pope. Thanks to this Aragonese Crusade under taken by h i s f a t h er Philip III against the advice of his brother, the future Phil i p t h e F a ir, he believed he would win a kingdom and won nothing but the r i d i c u le of having been crowned with a cardinal's hat in 1285, which gav e h i m t h e s obriquet of the "King of the Cap." He would never dare to us e t h e r o y al seal which was made on this occasion and would have to reno un c e t h e t itle.
His principal quality was to be a good military leader. He commanded ef f e c t i vely in Flanders in 1297. The king quickly deduced that his brothe r c o u l d c onduct an expedition in Italy against Frederick II of Sicily. T h e a f f a ir was ended by the peace of Caltabellotta..
|
1270 - 1325 (55 years)