Charles of Valois 1270 – 1325

Biography

Born into French royalty at Vincennes in 1270, Charles of Valois embodied the political clout and dynastic ambition that defined medieval European nobility. As a prince during a transformative era, he commanded influence across the shifting landscape of late thirteenth-century France, leveraging his royal bloodline to navigate the complex web of courtly politics and continental power plays that shaped his century.

For fifty-five years, Charles moved through the highest echelons of French society, wielding the privileges and responsibilities of his rank during a period when princely lineage meant everything. His life spanned two centuries, positioning him as a witness to—and participant in—the evolution of French power and European statecraft. He died on Christmas Eve 1325 in Nogent-le-Roi, his final honor a burial at the prestigious Couvent des Jacobins de la rue Saint-Jacques in Paris, a resting place befitting his stature within the royal family and his era.