Charles VIII of France
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| Charles VIII the Affable | ||
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| King of France | ||
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| Reign | 30 August 1483 – 7 April 1498 | |
| Coronation | 30 May 1484, Reims | |
| Titles | Dauphin de Viennois (1470 – 1483) Jure uxoris Duke of Brittany (1491 – 1498) King of Naples |
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| Born | 30 June 1470 | |
| Château d'Amboise, France | ||
| Died | 7 April 1498 | |
| Château d'Amboise, France | ||
| Predecessor | Louis XI | |
| Successor | Louis XII | |
| Consort | Anne of Brittany (1477 – 1514) | |
| Royal House | Valois Dynasty | |
| Father | Louis XI (1423 – 1483) | |
| Mother | Charlotte of Savoy (1443 – 1483) | |
Charles VIII the Affable (French: Charles VIII l'Affable) (June 30, 1470 – April 7, 1498) was King of France from 1483 to his death. Charles was a member of the Valois Dynasty. He started the long series of Franco-Italian wars which characterized the first half of the 16th century.
[edit] Biography
Charles was born at the Château d'Amboise in France, the only surviving son of King Louis XI and Charlotte of Savoy. Charles succeeded to the throne upon his father's death on August 30, 1483. In poor health and regarded by his contemporaries as of pleasant disposition but foolish and unsuited for the business of the state, the 13-year-old king reigned under a regency headed by his eldest sister, Anne de Beaujeu, and her husband, Pierre de Bourbon.
In 1483 he was betrothed to Margaret of Austria daughter of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Burgundy; she was returned to her father in 1493.
On December 6, 1491, in an elaborate ceremony at the Château de Langeais, Charles married Anne de Bretagne, heiress to the duchy of Brittany, The 14-year-old Duchess Anne, not happy with the politically arranged marriage, arrived for her wedding with her entourage carrying two beds. However, Charles's marriage brought him independence from his relatives, and thereafter he managed affairs according to his own inclinations. Queen Anne would live at the Clos Lucé in Amboise.
Having inherited a vague claim to the kingdom of Naples through his paternal grandmother, Marie of Anjou, and encouraged by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, he imagined himself capable of seizing that realm, and he thereupon set France's resources toward that goal, starting the Italian Wars. He contracted several unfavourable treaties with Austria and England, in order to free himself of distractions, and then commenced a massive buildup of forces. He entered Italy in 1494 and marched across the peninsula, reaching Naples on February 22, 1495.
Having expelled Alfonso II of Naples and crowned king of Naples in his lieu, Charles then found himself the subject of an opposing coalition from the League of Venice, involving that republic with Austria, the Papacy, the same Ludovico Sforza and other Italian states. Partially defeated at Fornovo in July 1495, he escaped to France at a small cost to his forces, losing a few hundred were as the Italians lost around three thousand. Charles left Italy quickly and left behind a few small garrisons to shore up his taken possessions in Naples. Those garrisons were quickly taken by the returning Aragonese. He attempted in the next few years to rebuild his army, but was hampered by the serious debts incurred by the previous one. He never succeeded in recouping anything substantive. He died two-and-a-half years after his retreat, of an accident: striking himself on the head while passing through a doorway, he succumbed to a sudden coma several hours later.
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Charles bequeathed a meagre legacy: he left France in debt and in disarray as a result of an ambition most charitably characterized as unrealistic. On a more positive side, his expedition did broach contacts between French and Italian humanists, energizing French art and letters in the latter part of the Renaissance.
Since all of his children died before him, Charles was the last of the elder branch of the House of Valois, and upon his death at Amboise the throne passed to a cousin, the son of Charles, duc d'Orleans, who reigned as King Louis XII of France.
[edit] Issue
The marriage with Anne resulted in the birth of four children:
- Charles-Orland, Dauphin of France (11 October 1492 - 16 December 1495).
- Charles, Dauphin of France (8 September–2 October 1496).
- François, Dauphin of France (July 1497).
- Princess Anne of France (1498).
[edit] See also
| Preceded by Francis |
Dauphin of France 30 June 1470–30 August 1483 |
Succeeded by Charles Orlando |
| Preceded by Louis XI |
King of France August 30, 1483–April 7, 1498 |
Succeeded by Louis XII |
