Philip the Bold , also
Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (January 15, 1342,
PontoisePontoise is a commune in the north-western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 28.4 km from the center of Paris, in the "new town" of Cergy-Pontoise.-Administration:...
– April 27, 1404,
HalleHalle is a Flemish city and municipality in the district Halle-Vilvoorde of the province Flemish Brabant. The city is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia...
), was the fourth son of King
John II of FranceJohn II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philippe VI and Jeanne of...
and his wife, Bonne of Luxembourg. By his marriage to
Margaret III, Countess of FlandersMargaret of Dampierre was Countess of Flanders , Countess of Artois and Countess Palatine of Burgundy and twice Duchess consort of Burgundy...
, he also became
Philip II, Count of Flanders,
Philip IV, Count of Artois and
Philip IV, Count Palatine of Burgundy. He was the founder of the
Burgundian branchThe term "Valois Dukes of Burgundy" is employed to refer to the dynasty which began after John II of France granted the Duchy of Burgundy to his youngest son, Philip the Bold...
of the House of Valois.
Early life
Born in 1342, Philip gained his
cognomenThe cognomen was the third name of a citizen of Ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. The cognomen started as a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditary...
the Bold when, at the age of 14, he fought beside his father at the
Battle of PoitiersThe Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of England and France on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt.- Background :...
in 1356. He was created Duke of Touraine in 1360, but in 1363, as a reward for his behaviour at Poitiers, he returned this to the crown, receiving instead from his father the
Duchy of BurgundyThe Duchy of Burgundy was a feudal territory in Medieval Europe. It roughly conforms to the modern Bourgogne, although it grew to have considerable possessions in the Low Countries as well...
in apanage, which his father had been Duke of since the death of
Philip of RouvresPhilip I of Burgundy, also Philip II of Palatine Burgundy, Philip II of Boulogne, Philip III of Artois, Philip III of Boulogne, nicknamed Philip of Rouvres was Duke of Burgundy from 1350 until his death. Philip was the only son of Philip of Burgundy, heir to the Duchy of Burgundy, and Joanna,...
in 1361. Philip would rule the Duchy until his death.
On 19 June 1369, Philip married the 19 year old
Margaret of DampierreMargaret of Dampierre was Countess of Flanders , Countess of Artois and Countess Palatine of Burgundy and twice Duchess consort of Burgundy...
, the daughter of Louis II, Count of Flanders, who would become the heiress of
FlandersThe County of Flanders was a historical region in the Low Countries.It consisted not only of the two actual Belgian provinces of East Flanders and West Flanders but also much of the present-day French département of the Nord , in parts of which there is still a minority speaking the French Flemish...
,
BrabantThe Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of not only the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp as well as the Brussels-Capital Region, but also the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.In Roman times, Brabant...
,
ArtoisThe County of Artois was a Carolingian county , established in Western Francia. In Roman times, Artois was situated in the Roman provinces of Belgica and Germania Inferior and inhabited by Celtic tribes, until Germanic peoples replaced them as the Roman Empire waned.It lies in present Northern...
, and the
Free County of BurgundyThe Free County of Burgundy, in German Freigrafschaft Burgund, was a medieval county , within the traditional province and modern French region Franche-Comté, whose very French name is still reminiscent of the unusual title of its count: Freigraf...
after the death of her brother in 1376. Margaret was the widow of his stepbrother,
Philip of RouvresPhilip I of Burgundy, also Philip II of Palatine Burgundy, Philip II of Boulogne, Philip III of Artois, Philip III of Boulogne, nicknamed Philip of Rouvres was Duke of Burgundy from 1350 until his death. Philip was the only son of Philip of Burgundy, heir to the Duchy of Burgundy, and Joanna,...
, Duke of Burgundy, Count Palatine of Burgundy, and Count of Artois, Boulogne and Auvergne, who had died childless in 1361. As her father's eventual heiress, Margaret would bring rich possessions to her husband and to their children.
From 1379 to 1382, he helped his father-in-law put down revolts in Flanders, particularly in
GhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, organising an army against
Philip van ArteveldePhilip van Artevelde was a Flemish patriot, the son of Jacob van Artevelde. Because of his father's prominence he was godson of English queen Philippa of Hainault, who held him in her arms during his baptism....
. The revolts were finally ended only in 1385, following the death of Louis II, with the
Peace of TournaiThe peace of Tournai was an agreement between the Burgundian Duke Philip II and the rebellious city of Ghent signed on December 18th 1385....
. As
jure uxoris Count of Flanders, he would keep in mind the economic interests of the Flemish cities, which made their money from weaving and spinning.
In 1390, Philip also became the Count of
CharolaisCharolais is an area of France, named after the town of Charolles, and located in today's Saône-et-Loire département, in Burgundy.-History:...
, a title used by Philip the Good and Charles the Bold as the heirs of Burgundy.
Involvement in France
Philip was very active in the court of France, particularly after the death of his brother,
Charles VCharles V , called the Wise, was King of France from 1364 to his death and a member of the House of Valois...
, who left the 12 year old
Charles VICharles VI , called the Well-loved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois.-Early life:...
as King. Charles being a minor, a regency was undertaken by his uncles,
Louis, Duke of AnjouLouis I of Anjou was the second son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg. He was the Count of Anjou , Duke of Anjou , Count of Maine , Duke of Touraine , and titular King of Naples and Jerusalem and Count of Provence and Forcalquier from 1382 to 1384...
,
John, Duke of BerryJohn of Valois, the Magnificent, was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was the third son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg; his brothers were Charles V, King of France, Louis I of Anjou, King of Naples and Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy...
, Philip himself, and
Louis II, Duke of BourbonLouis II of Bourbon, called the Good , son of Peter de Bourbon and Isabella de Valois, was the third Duke of Bourbon....
, Charles VI's maternal uncle. The regency lasted until 1388, Philip taking the dominant rôle: Louis of Anjou was fighting for his claim to the Kingdom of Naples after 1382, dying in 1384, John of Berry was interested mainly in the
LanguedocLanguedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² Languedoc is a former...
, and not particularly interested in politics; whilst Louis of Bourbon was a largely unimportant figure, due to his personality (he showed signs of mental instability) and his status (since he was not the son of a King). However, Burgundy, along with Berry and Bourbon, lost their power in 1388, when Charles VI, taking up personal rule, chose to favour the advice of the
MarmousetsThe marmousets were counselors to Charles VI of France. Although they were neither princes nor civil servants, they were simply very close to the king. Thanks to this position, they were able to access the highest functions of the state. These men were also very solidary...
, his personal advisors, over that of his uncles.
In 1392, events conspired to allow Burgundy to seize power once more in France. Charles VI's friend and advisor,
Olivier de ClissonOlivier de Clisson , nicknamed "The Butcher", was a Breton soldier, the son of the Olivier de Clisson who was put to death in 1343 on the suspicion of having wished to give up Nantes to the English....
, had recently been the target of an assassination attempt by agents of
John V, Duke of BrittanyJohn V the Conqueror , was Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort, from 1345 until his death.-Numbering:...
; the would-be assassin, Pierre de Craon, had taken refuge in Brittany. Charles, outraged at these events, determined to punish Craon, and on 1 July 1392 led an expedition against Brittany. Whilst progressing towards Brittany, the King, already overwrought by the slow progress, was shocked by a madman who spent half-an-hour following the procession, warning the King that he had been betrayed; when a page dropped a lance, the King reacted by killing several of his knights, and had to be wrestled to the ground. Burgundy, who was present, immediately assumed command, and appointed himself regent, dismissing Charles' advisors. He would be the principal ruler of France until 1402.
His seizure of power would, however, have disastrous consequences for the unity of the House of Valois, and of France itself. The King's brother, Louis, Duke of Orléans, resented his uncle rather than himself being regent; the result was a feud between the Philip and Louis, which would be continued after their deaths by their families. In particular, both quarrelled over the royal funds, each desiring to appropriate this for their own ends: Louis to fund his extravagant lifestyle, Philip to further his ambitions in Burgundy and the low countries. Nonetheless, this struggle only served to enhance the reputation of Philip, and give him real popularity in Paris, since, in comparison with the profligate and irresponsible Orléans, he appeared a sober and honest reformer. Thus, although Charles VI, in a rare moment of sanity, confirmed his brother as regent in 1402, Orléans' misrule allowed Burgundy to regain control of France as regent in 1404, shortly before his death.
Philip died in
HalleHalle is a Flemish city and municipality in the district Halle-Vilvoorde of the province Flemish Brabant. The city is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia...
,
County of HainautThe County of Hainaut was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of what is now the Belgian province of Hainaut and the southern part of the French département Nord. In Roman times, Hainaut was situated in the Roman provinces of Belgica and Germania Inferior and inhabited by...
(modern
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
), on 27 April 1404. His territories were bequeathed to his eldest son, John the Fearless, who inherited also Philip's political position in France and leadership of the Burgundians against Orléans.
Tomb of Philip the Bold
In 1378, Philip the Bold acquired the domain of Champmol just outside Dijon, to build the Chartreuse de Champmol (1383 - 1388), a
CarthusianThe Carthusian Order, also called the Order of St. Bruno, is a Roman Catholic religious order of enclosed monastics. The order was founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns...
monastery ("Charterhouse"), which he intended to house the tombs of his dynasty. His tomb and his recumbent effigy are one of the chief works of Burgundian sculpture. They were made by Jean de Marville (1381 - 1389),
Claus SluterClaus Sluter was a sculptor of Dutch origin. He was the most important northern European sculptor of his age and is considered a pioneer of the "northern realism" of the Early Netherlandish painting that came into full flower with the work of Jan van Eyck and others in the next generation.Sluter...
(1389 - 1406) and Claus de Werve (1406 - 1410).
Jean MalouelJean Malouel, or Jan Maelwael in his native Dutch, was a Netherlandish artist, sometimes classified as French, who was the court painter of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy and his successor John the Fearless, working in the International Gothic style.-Documented life:He was presumably born in...
, official painter to the duke, was responsible for the polychrome and gilt decoration. After his death, the body of Philip the Bold was eviscerated and embalmed, then placed in a lead coffin. It was then deposited in the choir of Chartreuse de Champmol on 16 June 1404. His internal organs were sent to the church of
Saint MartinSaint Martin of Tours , was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela...
at Halle. In 1792, his body was transferred to Dijon Cathedral and in the following year his tomb was damaged by revolutionaries and looters. It was restored in the first half of the 19th century, and is today in the former palace of the dukes, now part of the Musée des Beaux-Arts of Dijon.
Marriage and Issue
Philip the Bold married
Margaret III, Countess of FlandersMargaret of Dampierre was Countess of Flanders , Countess of Artois and Countess Palatine of Burgundy and twice Duchess consort of Burgundy...
(1350–1405) on 19 June, 1369, a marriage which would eventually not only reunite the Duchy of Burgundy with the Free County of Burgundy and the County of Artois, but also unite it to the rich county of Flanders. Philip and Margaret had the following children:
- John the Fearless (1371–1419, murdered at Montereau
Montereau-Fault-Yonne, or simply Montereau, is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Name:...
), his eldest son and successor as Duke of Burgundy
- Charles (1372–1373)
- Marguerite of Burgundy (October 1374 – March 8, 1441, Le Quesnoy
Le Quesnoy is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.Le Quesnoy's inhabitants are known as Quercitains.It is a walled city, and was a German strongpoint during World War I...
), Countess of Mortain married William VI, Count of Holland and Duke of Bavaria-Straubing
- Louis (1377–1378)
- Catherine of Burgundy (April 1378, Montbard
Montbard is a town in eastern France, a sub-prefecture of the Côte-d'Or department in the Bourgogne region.Montbard is a small industrial town on the river Brenne.-History:...
– January 24, 1425, Grey-sur-Saone), married Leopold IV, Duke of Austria
- Bonne (1379–1399, Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
) betrothed to John I, Duke of BourbonJohn I of Bourbon was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anna d'Auvergne...
- Antoine, Duke of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was formally erected in 1183/1184. The title "Duke of Brabant" was created by the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, son of Godfrey III of Leuven . The Duchy of Brabant was a feudal elevation of the since 1085/1086 existing title of Landgrave of Brabant...
(August, 1384 – October 25, 1415, at AgincourtThe Battle of Agincourt was an English victory against a much larger French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday 25 October 1415 , in northern France...
)
- Mary of Burgundy
Mary of Burgundy was a daughter of Philip the Bold and his wife Margaret III, Countess of Flanders. She was Duchess of Savoy by her marriage to Amadeus VIII of Savoy, later known as Antipope Felix V.- Family :...
(September 1386, DijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Bourgogne region. Dijon is the historical capital of the province of Burgundy. Population : 150,800 for the commune; 236,953 for the greater Dijon area....
– October 2, 1422, Thonon-les-BainsThonon-les-Bains is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.The town was the capital of Chablais, a province of the old Duchy of Savoy.-Twin towns:...
), married Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy
- Philip II, Count of Nevers
Phillip II, Count of Nevers was the youngest son of Philip the Bold and Margaret III of Flanders....
and RethelThis is a list of counts and dukes of Rethel. The first counts of Rethel ruled independently, before the county passed first to the Counts of Nevers, then to the Counts of Flanders, and finally to the Dukes of Burgundy. In 1405 the County became part of the Peerage of France, and in 1581 it was...
(1389–1415, at AgincourtThe Battle of Agincourt was an English victory against a much larger French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday 25 October 1415 , in northern France...
)
In arranging the marriages of his children, Philip followed an intelligent diplomatic and strategic design, which would be followed by his successors in Burgundy as far as
Emperor Maximilian IMaximilian I of Habsburg was King of the Romans from 1493 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death, but had ruled jointly with his father for the last ten years of his father's reign, from circa 1483...
. For example, the marriages in 1385 of his son, John the Fearless, and his daughter, Marguerite, to
Margaret of BavariaMargaret of Bavaria, , was the fifth child of Albert, Duke of Bavaria-Straubing, Count of Hainault, Holland, and Zeeland and Lord of Friesia, and Margaret of Brieg.-Marriage:...
and
William of BavariaDuke William II of Bavaria-Straubing was also count William VI of Holland, count William IV of Hainaut and count William V of Zeeland. He ruled from 1404 to his death in 1417 when he died of a dog bite. William was a son of Albert I and Margaret of Brieg.-Biography:William, allied with the Hooks,...
, son and daughter of
AlbertDuke Albert I or Albrecht was a feudal ruler of the counties of Holland, Hainaut, and Zeeland in the Low Countries...
, Count of the neighbouring Hainault and Holland, prepared the later union of Hainault and Holland with Burgundy and Flanders, as carried out by Philip's grandson, Philip the Good; the marriages also inserted the new Valois Burgundy dynasty into the
WittelsbachThe Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Their major principal roles were as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
network of alliances: the other daughters of Count Albert had married William I,
Duke of Guelders-House of Wassenberg:The first count of Guelders was Gerard IV, Lord of Wassenberg.During Reginald III's reign, the county of Guelders became a duchy.* before 1096–about 1129 : Gerard I* about 1129–about 1131 : Gerard II the tall, son of...
and
WenceslausWenceslaus , was, by election, German King from 1376 and, by inheritance, King of Bohemia from 1378. He was the third Bohemian and second German monarch of the House of Luxembourg...
, King of Bohemia; their cousin,
Isabeau of BavariaIsabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
, had married
Charles VI of FranceCharles VI , called the Well-loved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois.-Early life:...
, and become
Queen of France.
In addition to his alliance with the low county Bavarians, Philip also made links with the Dukes of Austria and of
SavoyThe House of Savoy was formed in the early eleventh century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy until the end of the Second World War...
, by marrying his daughter Catherine to Leopold IV of Austria, and his daughter Mary to Amadeus VIII Savoy.
See also: Dukes of Burgundy family treeThis is a family tree of the Dukes of Burgundy, from the 9th century to 1482.Image:BurgundyDukes.pngrect 174 129 324 169 Richard of Autunrect 407 138 521 166 Adelaide of Auxerrerect 13 189 106 214 Rainier II of Hainaut...
Titles
-
1360-1363: Duke of Touraine as Philip II
-
1363-1404: Duke of BurgundyDuke of Burgundy was a title borne by the rulers of the Duchy of Burgundy, a small portion of traditional lands of Burgundians west of river Saône which in 843 was allotted to Charles the Bald's kingdom of West Franks.-Bosonid dynasty:...
as Philip II
-
1390-1404: Count of CharolaisCharolais is an area of France, named after the town of Charolles, and located in today's Saône-et-Loire département, in Burgundy.-History:...
as Philip I
-
1384-1404: Jure Uxoris Count Palatine of Burgundy as Philip IV
-
1384-1404: Jure Uxoris Count of ArtoisThe counts of Artois were the rulers over the County of Artois from the 9th century until the abolition of the countship by the French revolutionaries in 1790.-List of Counts of Artois:*Odalric...
as Philip IV
-
1384-1404: Jure Uxoris Count of Flanders as Philip II
-
1384: Jure Uxoris Count of Nevers as Philip I
-
1384-1402: Jure Uxoris Count of RethelThis is a list of counts and dukes of Rethel. The first counts of Rethel ruled independently, before the county passed first to the Counts of Nevers, then to the Counts of Flanders, and finally to the Dukes of Burgundy. In 1405 the County became part of the Peerage of France, and in 1581 it was...
as Philip I
Ancestors
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