Philip the Good

Philip the Good
Philip the Good, wearing the collar of firesteels of the Order of the Golden Fleece he instituted, after a Roger van der Weyden of c.1450
Duke of Burgundy, Brabant, Limburg, Lothier and Luxembourg, Margrave of Namur, Count of Artois, Flanders, Hainault, Holland and Zeeland, Count Palatine of Burgundy
Reign	10 September 1419–15 June 1467
Predecessor	John the Fearless
Successor	Charles the Bold
Spouse	Michelle of Valois Bonne of Artois Isabella of Portugal
Issue
Charles the Bold
House	House of Valois-Burgundy
Father	John the Fearless
Mother	Margaret of Bavaria
Born	31 July 1396 Dijon, Burgundy
Died	15 June 1467 (aged 70) Bruges, Flanders
Burial	Dijon, Burgundy

Philip the Good (French: Philippe le Bon), also Philip III, Duke of Burgundy (July 31, 1396 – June 15, 1467) was Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He was a member of a cadet line of the Valois dynasty (the then Royal family of France). During his reign Burgundy reached the height of its prosperity and prestige and became a leading center of the arts. Philip is known in history for his administrative reforms, patronage of Flemish artists such as Jan van Eyck, and the capture of Joan of Arc. During his reign he alternated between English and French alliances in an attempt to improve his dynasty's position.

Family and early life

Coat of arms of Philip the Good (after 1430).

Born in Dijon, he was the son of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria-Straubing. On 28 January 1405, he was named Count of Charolais in appanage of his father and probably on the same day he was engaged to Michele of Valois (1395–1422), daughter of Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. They were married in June 1409.

Philip subsequently married Bonne of Artois (1393–1425), daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, and also the widow of his uncle, Philip II, Count of Nevers, in Moulins-les-Engelbert on November 30, 1424. The latter is sometimes confused with Philip's biological aunt, also named Bonne (sister of John the Fearless, lived 1379 - 1399), in part due to the Papal Dispensation required for the marriage which made no distinction between a marital aunt and a biological aunt.

His third marriage, in Bruges on January 7, 1430 to Isabella of Portugal (1397 - December 17, 1471), daughter of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, produced three sons:

• Antoine (September 30, 1430, Brussels – February 5, 1432, Brussels), Count of Charolais
• Joseph (April 24, 1432 – aft. May 6, 1432), Count of Charolais
• Charles (1433–1477), Count of Charolais and Philip's successor as Duke, called "Charles the Bold" or "Charles the Rash"

Philip also had some eighteen illegitimate children, including Antoine, bastard of Burgundy, by twenty-four documented mistresses [1]. Another, Philip of Burgundy (1464–1524), bishop of Utrecht, was a fine amateur artist, and the subject of a biography in 1529.

Early rule and alliance with England

Statue of Philip the Good, in the Ducal Palace at Dijon

Philip became duke of Burgundy, count of Flanders, Artois and Franche-Comté when his father was assassinated in 1419. Philip accused Charles, the Dauphin of France and Philip's brother-in-law of planning the murder of his father which had taken place during a meeting between the two at Montereau, and so he continued to prosecute the civil war between the Burgundians and Armagnacs. In 1420 Philip allied himself with Henry V of England under the Treaty of Troyes. In 1423 the alliance was strengthened by the marriage of his sister Anne to John, Duke of Bedford, regent for Henry VI of England.

In 1430 Philip's troops captured Joan of Arc at Compiègne and later handed her over to the English who orchestrated a heresy trial against her, conducted by pro-Burgundian clerics. Despite this action against Joan of Arc, Philip's alliance with England was broken in 1435 when Philip signed the Treaty of Arras (which completely revoked the Treaty of Troyes) and thus recognised Charles VII as king of France. Philip signed for a variety of reasons, one of which may have been a desire to be recognised as the Premier Duke in France. Philip then attacked Calais, but this alliance with Charles was broken in 1439, with Philip supporting the revolt of the French nobles the following year (an event known as the Praguerie) and sheltering the Dauphin Louis.

Geographic expansion

Philip generally was preoccupied with matters in his own territories and seldom was directly involved in the Hundred Years' War, although he did play a role during a number of periods such as the campaign against Compiegne during which his troops captured Joan of Arc. He incorporated Namur into Burgundian territory in 1429 (March 1, by purchase from John III, Marquis of Namur), Hainault and Holland, Frisia and Zealand in 1432 (with the defeat of Countess Jacqueline in the last episode of the Hook and Cod wars); inherited the Duchies of Brabant and Limburg and the margrave of Antwerp in 1430 (on the death of his cousin Philip of Saint-Pol); and purchased Luxembourg in 1443 from Elisabeth of Bohemia, Duchess of Luxembourg. Philip also managed to ensure his illegitimate son, David, was elected Bishop of Utrecht in 1456. It is not surprising that in 1435, Philip began to style himself "Grand Duke of the West".

In 1463 Philip returned some of his territory to Louis XI. That year he also created an Estates-General based on the French model. The first meeting of the Estates-General was to obtain a loan for a war against France and to ensure support for the succession of his son, Charles I, to his dominions. Philip died in Bruges in 1467.

Court life and patron of the arts

Rogier van der Weyden miniature 1447-8. Philip dresses his best, in an extravagant chaperon, to be presented with a History of Hainault by the author, flanked by his son and Nicolas Rolin.

Portrait of Michelle of Valois or Isabella of Portugal, first and third wives of Philip.

Philip's court can only be described as extravagant. Despite the flourishing bourgeois culture of Burgundy, which the court kept in close touch with, he and the aristocrats who formed most of his inner circle retained a world-view dominated by knightly chivalry. He declined membership in the English Order of the Garter in 1422, which could have been considered an act of treason against the King of France, his feudal overlord. Instead in 1430 he created his own Order of the Golden Fleece, based on the Knights of the Round Table and the myth of Jason.

He had no fixed capital and moved the court between various palaces, the main urban ones being Brussels, Bruges, or Lille. He held grand feasts and other festivities, and the knights of his Order frequently travelled throughout his territory participating in tournaments. In 1454 Philip planned a crusade against the Ottoman Empire, launching it at the Feast of the Pheasant, but this plan never materialized. In a period from 1444-6 he is estimated to have spent a sum equivalent to 2% of Burgundy's main tax income over the period, the recette génerale, with a single Italian supplier of silk and cloth of gold, Giovanni di Arrigo Arnolfini.^[1]

His court was regarded as the most splendid in Europe, and became the accepted leader of taste and fashion, which probably helped the Burgundian economy considerably, as Burgundian (usually Netherlandish) luxury products became sought by the elites of other parts of Europe. During his reign, for example, the richest English commissioners of illuminated manuscripts moved away from English and Parisian products to those of the Netherlands, as did other foreign buyers. Philip himself is estimated to have added six hundred manuscripts to the ducal collection, making him by a considerable margin the most important patron of the period.^[2] Jean Miélot was one of his secretaries, translating into French such works as Giovanni Bocaccio's Genealogia Deorum Gentilium.

Isabella of Portugal by Roger van der Weyden

Philip was also a considerable patron of other arts, commissioning many tapestries (which he tended to prefer over paintings), pieces from goldsmiths, jewellery, and other works of art. It was during his reign that the Burgundian chapel became the musical center of Europe, with the activity of the Burgundian School of composers and singers. Gilles Binchois, Robert Morton, and later Guillaume Dufay, the most famous composer of the 15th century, were all part of Philip's court chapel.

In 1428 Jan van Eyck traveled to Portugal to paint a portrait of King John I's daughter Infanta Isabella for Philip in advance of their marriage. With help from more experienced Portuguese shipbuilders Philip established a shipyard in Bruges. Roger van der Weyden painted his portrait twice on panel, of which only copies survive, wearing the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The only original van der Weyden of Philip to survive is a superb miniature from a manuscript (above left).^[2]. The painter Hugo van der Goes, of the Flemish school, is credited with creating paintings for the church where Philip's funeral was held.

Ancestors

Duchy of Burgundy-
House of Valois, Burgundian Branch

John the Good Children    Charles V of France    Louis I of Anjou    John, Duke of Berry    Philip the Bold Philip the Bold Children    John the Fearless    Margaret of Burgundy, Duchess of Bavaria    Catherine of Burgundy    Anthony, Duke of Brabant    Mary, Duchess of Savoy    Philip, Count of Nevers John the Fearless Children    Mary of Burgundy, Duchess of Cleves    Margaret, Countess of Richemont    Philip the Good    Anne of Burgundy    Agnes of Burgundy Philip the Good Children    Charles the Bold    Anthony the Bastard Charles the Bold Children    Mary of Burgundy Mary of Burgundy

Titles

• 28 January 1405–January 1431, 5 February 1432–April 1432, August 1432–November 1432: Count of Charolais as Philip II
• 10 September 1419–15 July 1467: Duke of Burgundy as Philip III
• 10 September 1419–15 July 1467: Count of Artois as Philip V
• 10 September 1419–15 July 1467: Count Palatine of Burgundy as Philip V
• 10 September 1419–15 July 1467: Count of Flanders as Philip III
• 1 March 1429–15 July 1467: Margrave of Namur as Philip IV
• 4 August 1430–15 June 1467: Duke of Brabant as Philip II
• 4 August 1430–15 June 1467: Duke of Lothier as Philip II
• 4 August 1430–15 June 1467: Duke of Limburg as Philip II
• April 1432–15 June 1467: Count of Hainault as Philip I
• April 1432–15 June 1467: Count of Holland as Philip I
• April 1432–15 June 1467: Count of Zeeland as Philip I
• 1443–15 June 1467: Duke of Luxemburg as Philip I

In popular culture

Philip appears as an unplayable character in Koei's video game Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War, in which he is the right-hand man of Joan of Arc

References

External links

• Brief Profile - Contains a short biography of Philip, from "The Best of Dijon".
• EHistory page - Short sketch of the Duke's life, from E-History.com.
• The Funeral of Duke Philip the Good - Text by Edward A. Tabri, from the Corcoran Department of History at the University of Virginia.
• The tomb of Philip the Good - Article and photo from "The Best of Dijon".
• Joan of Arc's First Letter to Philip - Mention of a letter dictated by Joan of Arc to Duke Philip in June 1429, translated by Allen Williamson.
• Joan of Arc's Second Letter to Philip - Translation by Allen Williamson of a letter dictated by Joan of Arc to Duke Philip on 17 July 1429.
• Philip III - Article from the Web Gallery of Art.
• Philip the Good in the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica at 1911encyclopedia.org
• Burgundy in the 1907 Catholic Encyclopedia at BibleWiki
• Burgundy in the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia at NewAdvent.org

See also

• Dukes of Burgundy family tree

Philip the Good House of Valois-Burgundy Cadet branch of the House of Valois Born: 31 July 1396 Died: 15 June 1467
Preceded by John the Fearless	Duke of Burgundy 10 September 1419 – 15 July 1467	Succeeded by Charles the Bold
	Count of Artois and Flanders , Count Palatine of Burgundy 10 September 1419 – 15 July 1467
Preceded by John of Dampierre	Margrave of Namur 1 March 1429 – 15 July 1467
Preceded by Philip of Saint Pol	Duke of Brabant, Limburg and Lothier 14 August 1430 – 15 July 1467
Preceded by Jacqueline of Bavaria	Count of Hainaut , Holland and Zeeland April 1432 – 15 July 1467
Preceded by Elisabeth of Görlitz	Duke of Luxemburg 1443 – 15 July 1467
Preceded by John the Fearless	Count of Charolais 28 January 1405 – January 1431; 5 February 1432 – April 1432; August 1432 – November 1433	Succeeded by Anthony
Preceded by Anthony		Succeeded by Joseph
Preceded by Joseph		Succeeded by Charles the Bold

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