Charles VI of France

King of France from 1380 to 1422, Charles VI ruled during the Hundred Years’ War and suffered recurring episodes of severe mental illness.

Isabeau of Bavaria: Queen consort of France and wife of Charles VI, she played a major political role during his reign. Her authority grew as Charles’s recurring illness left the crown’s government contested.
Regency: A system in which a regent governs a state on behalf of a monarch unable to rule. Charles’s minority and later illness repeatedly raised the question of who could exercise royal authority.
Battle of Agincourt: A 1415 English victory over a much larger French force during the Hundred Years’ War. The defeat weakened France and strengthened Henry V’s bargaining position with Charles’s court.
Hundred Years’ War: A series of conflicts between England and France from 1337 to 1453 over dynastic claims and territorial control. Charles VI’s reign saw renewed English invasion and a major reversal of French fortunes.
Louis I, Duke of Orléans: A younger brother of Charles VI and a leading French prince, he competed for influence at court. His rivalry with John the Fearless intensified factional conflict during Charles’s incapacity.
Bal des Ardents: A 1393 court masque in Paris in which several performers caught fire, prompting Charles VI to flee in terror. The disaster became an early public sign of the king’s vulnerability and courtly crisis.
Siege of Orléans: An English siege of the French city of Orléans from 1428 to 1429, lifted by French forces led by Joan of Arc. It followed Charles VI’s death and exposed the consequences of the succession crisis he left behind.
Valois dynasty: A branch of the Capetian dynasty that ruled France from 1328 to 1589. Charles inherited and endangered Valois rule through the succession crisis of 1420.
John the Fearless: Duke of Burgundy from 1404, he led a powerful French faction and ordered Louis of Orléans’s murder. His struggle for control of the royal government unfolded during Charles’s illness.
Cabochien revolt: A 1413 Parisian uprising led by members of the butchers’ guild and allies aligned with Burgundy. It briefly allowed Burgundian supporters to dominate the capital and pressure Charles’s government.

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