Charles, Count of Valois
Charles of Valois (12 March 1270 – 16 December 1325), the fourth son of King Philip III of France and Isabella of Aragon, was a member of the House of Capet and founder of the House of Valois, whose rule over France would start in 1328.
| Charles | |
|---|---|
Effigy of Charles of Valois, Basilica of Saint-Denis | |
| Count of Valois | |
| Reign | 1284–1325 |
| Successor | Philip the Fortunate |
| Latin Emperor of Constantinople | |
| Reign | 1301–1307 |
| Predecessor | Catherine I (as sole ruler) |
| Successor | Catherine II |
| Co-ruler | Catherine I |
| Born | 12 March 1270 |
| Died | 16 December 1325 (aged 55) Nogent-le-Roi |
| Burial | |
| Spouses | Margaret of Naples
(m. 1290; died 1299)Mahaut of Châtillon (m. 1308) |
| Issue Among others... |
|
| House | House of Capet House of Valois (founder) |
| Father | Philip III of France |
| Mother | Isabella of Aragon |
Charles ruled several principalities. He held in appanage the counties of Valois, Alençon (1285), and Perche. Through his marriage to his first wife, Margaret, Countess of Anjou and Maine, he became Count of Anjou and Maine. Through his marriage to his second wife, Catherine I of Courtenay, Empress of Constantinople, he was titular Latin Emperor of Constantinople from 1301 to 1307, although he ruled from exile and only had authority over Crusader States in Greece.
As the grandson of King Louis IX of France, Charles of Valois was a son, brother, brother-in-law and son-in-law of kings or queens (of France, Navarre, England and Naples). His descendants, the House of Valois, would become the royal house of France three years after his death, beginning with his eldest son King Philip VI of France.