Charles I, Duke of Brittany

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Charles of Blois

Duke of Brittany
Reign	30 April 1341 – 29 September 1364
Predecessor	John III
Successor	John V

Spouse	Joanna, Duchess of Brittany
Issue
John I of Blois-Châtillon Guy Henry Marie, Lady of Guise Marguerite, Countess of Angoulême
House	House of Blois
Father	Guy I of Blois-Châtillon
Mother	Margaret of Valois
Born	c. 1319
Died	29 September 1364 (aged 44-45)

Charles of Blois (1319 – 29 September 1364) claimed the title Duke of Brittany, from 1341 to his death.

Charles was born in Blois, the son of Guy I of Blois-Châtillon, count of Blois, by Margaret of Valois, a sister of king Philip VI of France. He was a devout man, who took piety to the extreme of mortifying his own flesh. It is said that he placed pebbles in his shoes, wore ropes tight with knots near his flesh and confessed every night in fear of sleeping in a state of sin. He was nevertheless an accomplished military leader, who inspired loyalty by his religious fervour.

On 4 June 1337 in Paris, he married Joanna of Dreux, heiress and niece of duke John III. Together, Charles and Joanna fought the House of Montfort in the Breton War of Succession (1341–1364), with the support of the crown of France. Despite his piety, Charles did not hesitate in ordering the massacre of 2000 civilians after the siege of Quimper. After initial successes, Charles was taken prisoner by the English in 1347. Thomas Dagworth was the official captor of Charles of Blois.^[1] He was released nine years afterwards against a ransom of about half a million ecús, and resumed the war against the Montforts.

Family

By his marriage to Joanna, he had five children:

John I of Blois-Châtillon (1340–1404) - also known as Jean de Blois
Guy
Henry (d. 1400)
Marie (1345–1404), Lady of Guise, married in 1360 Louis I, Duke of Anjou
Marguerite, married in 1351 Charles de la Cerda (d. 1354)

Death and legacy

Charles died in 1364 in the Battle of Auray which determined the end of the Breton War of Succession with the victory of the Montforts.

He was canonized as saint of the Roman Catholic church for his devotion to religion. However the canonization process was nullified by Pope Gregory XI at the request of Duke John V of Brittany, Charles' final opponent in the Breton War of Succession and the recognized Duke of Brittany under the first Treaty of Guerande.

Subsequently, in 1904, Charles was beatified and therefore may be referred to as the Blessed Charles of Blois. His Roman Catholic "Feast Day" is September 30.^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Notes

↑ See the Franciscan Description of the Blessed Charles of Blois

References

↑ Historical Note Vagabond by Bernard Cornwell 2002 pg 405

External Links

Regnal titles
Charles I, Duke of Brittany Born: 1319 Died: 1364
Preceded by John III	Duke of Brittany jure uxoris with Joanna disputed with John IV and John V 1341–1364	Succeeded by John V undisputed from 1364 under the Treaty of Guérande
Preceded by Guy	Count of Penthièvre jure uxoris with Joanna 1337–1364	Succeeded by Jean de Blois

Rulers of Brittany

Early monarchs

c. 578–907	Waroch Judicael ap Hoel Morman Wihomarc Nominoe Erispoe Salomon Pascweten Gurvand Judicael Alan I Gourmaëlon

Viking Occupation

c. 907–938	Hroflr Rognvaldr Incon

House of Nantes

938–958	Alan II (938–952) Drogo (952–958) Hoël I (960–981) Guerech (981–988) Alan (III) (988–990)

House of Rennes

958–1072	Conan I (990–992)) Geoffrey I (992–1008) Alan III (1008–1040) Odo I (1008–1034) Conan II (1040–1066) Hawise (1066–1072) with Hoel II (1066–1072)

House of Cornouaille

1072–1156	Alan IV (1072–1112) Conan III (1112–1148) Bertha (1148–1156) with Odo II (1148–1156)

House of Penthièvre

1156–1194	Conan IV (1156–1171) Constance (1171–1194) with Geoffrey II (1181–1186), later Ranulph (1188–1194)

House of Plantagenet

1194–1203	Arthur I (1194–1203)

House of Thouars

1203–1221	Alix (1203-1221) with Peter I (1213-1221)

House of Dreux

1221–1341	John I (1221–1286) John II (1286–1305) Arthur II (1305–1312) John III (1312–1341)

Breton War of Succession

1341–1365	Joan (1341–1364) with Charles I (1341–1364) disputed by John IV (1341–1345) and John V (1345-1365)

House of Montfort

1365–1514	John V (1365-1399) John VI (1399–1442) Francis I (1442–1450) Peter II (1450–1457) Arthur III (1457–1458) Francis II (1458–1488) Anne (1488–1514) with Charles II (1491–1498), later Louis I (1499–1514)

House of Valois

1514–1547	Claude (1514–1524) with Francis (1514–1524) Francis III (1524–1536) Henry (1536–1547)

Courtesy title

1547–present	Louis de France (1704-1705) Louis de France (1707–1712) Francis de Bourbon (1973–1984)

Persondata
Name	Charles, , Duke Of Brittany
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1319
Place of birth
Date of death	29 September 1364
Place of death

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