| Philip II the Bold | |
|---|---|
 Later copy of an early 15th-century portrait of Philip, possibly byJean Malouel | |
| Duke of Burgundy | |
| Reign | 6 September 1363 – 27 April 1404 |
| Predecessor | Philip I |
| Successor | John the Fearless |
| Regent of France | |
| Regency | 1382–1388 |
| Monarch | Charles VI |
| Co-Regent | John, Duke of Berry Louis II, Duke of Bourbon |
| Born | 17 January 1342 Pontoise,Kingdom of France |
| Died | 27 April 1404 (aged 62) Halle,County of Hainaut |
| Spouse | |
| Issue among others | |
| House | Valois-Burgundy |
| Father | John II of France |
| Mother | Bonne of Bohemia |
Philip II the Bold (French:Philippe II le Hardi;Dutch:Filips de Stoute; 17 January 1342 – 27 April 1404) wasDuke of Burgundy andjure uxorisCount of Flanders,Artois andBurgundy. He was the fourth and youngest son of KingJohn II of France andBonne of Luxembourg.[1]
Philip was the founder of theBurgundian branch of theHouse of Valois. Hisvast collection of territories made him the undisputed premier peer of theKingdom of France and made his successors formidable subjects, and later rivals, of thekings of France.
Philip played an important role in the development ofgunpowder artillery in European warfare, making extensive and successful use of it in his military campaigns.[2]By political marriage, from 1384 Philip gained control over Flanders, one of the wealthiest provinces of Europe in that time. He and his successors ruled it until 1482. This period is referred to as theBurgundian Netherlands.
Philip was born inPontoise in 1342 toJohn and Bonne of Luxembourg.[3] His father, John, was the eldest son ofPhilip VI of France andJoan of Burgundy.[3] His father becameking of France in 1350. Philip became known as "the Bold" at the age of 14, when he fought beside his father at theBattle of Poitiers in 1356.[4] They were captured during the battle by the English.[5] He remained in custody with his father until the terms of their ransom were agreed to in theTreaty of Brétigny of 1360. He was createdduke of Touraine in 1360, but in 1363, he returned this duchy to the crown to receive instead theDuchy of Burgundy inapanage from his father as a reward for his courage at the Battle of Poitiers.[6]
On 19 June 1369, Philip married the 19-year-oldMargaret, daughter of CountLouis II of Flanders, who in 1382 inherited theCounty of Flanders, theDuchy of Brabant, theCounty of Artois, and theFree County of Burgundy.[7]
From 1379 to 1382, Philip helped his father-in-law Louis II put down revolts in Flanders, particularly inGhent, by organising an army againstPhilip van Artevelde.[5] The revolts were finally ended in 1385, following the death of Louis II, with thePeace of Tournai. Asjure uxoris Count of Flanders, he would keep in mind the economic interests of theFlemish cities, which mainly made their money from weaving and spinning. He was aided in this by the expansion of the Three Members – a parliament consisting of representatives from the towns ofBruges,Ghent andYpres – to theFour Members through the addition of the rural areaFranc of Bruges.
In 1390, Philip also became the Count ofCharolais, a title used byPhilip the Good andCharles the Bold as the heirs of Burgundy.
Philip was very active at the court of France, particularly after the death in 1380 of his brother KingCharles V, whose successorCharles VI became king at the age of 11. During Charles'minority, a council ofRegents was set up to govern France that was made up of four of his uncles:Louis, Duke of Anjou,John, Duke of Berry, and Philip himself from his father's side, and from his mother's side,Louis II, Duke of Bourbon. Among Philip's acts while regent was the suppression of a tax revolt in 1382 known as theHarelle. The regency lasted until 1388, always with Philip assuming the dominant role: Louis of Anjou spent much effort fighting for his claim to theKingdom of Naples after 1382 and died in 1384, John of Berry was interested mainly in theLanguedoc[8] and not particularly interested in politics, and Louis of Bourbon was largely an unimportant figure due to his personality (he showed signs of mental instability) and his status (since he was not the son of a king). However, Philip, along with John of Berry and Louis of Bourbon, lost most of their power at court in 1388, when Charles VI chose to favour the advice of theMarmousets, his personal advisors, over that of his uncles when he attained his majority.[9]
In 1392, events conspired to allow Philip to seize power once more in France. Charles VI's friend and advisorOlivier de Clisson had recently been the target of an assassination attempt by agents ofJohn V, Duke of Brittany. The would-be assassin,Pierre de Craon, had taken refuge inBrittany. Charles, outraged at these events, determined to punish Craon, and on 1 July 1392 led an expedition against Brittany. While travelling to Brittany, the king, already overwrought by the slow progress, was shocked by a madman who spent half-an-hour following the procession to warn the king that he had been betrayed. When a page dropped a lance, the king reacted by killing several of his knights and had to be wrestled to the ground. Philip, who was present, immediately assumed command and appointed himself regent, dismissing Charles' advisors. He was the principal ruler of France until 1402.[9]
His seizure of power, however, had disastrous consequences for the unity of theHouse of Valois and of France itself. The king's brotherLouis, Duke of Orléans, resented his uncle taking over as regent instead of himself; the result was a feud between Philip and Louis that continued after their deaths by their families. In particular, both quarreled over royal funds, which each desired to appropriate for his own ends: Louis to fund his extravagant lifestyle, Philip to further his expansionist ambitions in Burgundy and theLow Countries. This struggle only served to enhance the reputation of Philip, since he appeared to be a sober and honest reformer in comparison to the profligate and irresponsible Louis. Although Charles VI confirmed his brother as regent in 1402 in a rare moment of sanity, Louis's misrule allowed Philip to regain control of France as regent in 1404, shortly before his death.[10]
In 1395, Philip the Bold outlawed cultivation of theGamay grape in favour ofPinot Noir in an early example of agricultural regulation related to wine quality.[11][12]
Philip died inHalle,County of Hainaut (modernBelgium), on 27 April 1404. His territories were bequeathed to his eldest sonJohn the Fearless, who also inherited Philip's political position in France and the leadership of the Burgundian branch of the Valois family against the Orléans branch.
In 1378, Philip the Bold acquired the domain of Champmol, just outsideDijon, to build theChartreuse de Champmol (1383–1388), aCarthusian monastery ("Charterhouse"), which he intended to house the tombs of his dynasty. His tomb, withpleurants and his recumbenteffigy, is an outstanding work of Burgundian sculpture. They were created byJean de Marville (1381–1389),Claus Sluter (1389–1406) andClaus de Werve (1406–1410).Jean Malouel, official painter to the duke, was responsible for the polychrome and gilt decoration. After his death, the body of Philip the Bold was eviscerated and embalmed, then placed in a lead coffin. It was then deposited in the choir of Chartreuse de Champmol on 16 June 1404. His internal organs were sent to the church ofSaint Martin at Halle. In 1792, his body was transferred toDijon Cathedral, and in the following year, his tomb was damaged by revolutionaries and looters. It was restored in the first half of the 19th century and today it is in housed the former palace of the dukes, now part of theMusée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon.
Philip the Bold married the future CountessMargaret III of Flanders on 19 June 1369,[7] a marriage that would eventually reunite not only the Duchy of Burgundy with the Free County of Burgundy and the County of Artois, but also unite it to the rich County of Flanders. Philip and Margaret had the following children:
In arranging the marriages of his children, Philip followed an intelligent diplomatic and strategic design that would be followed by his successors in Burgundy as far asEmperor Maximilian I. For example, the double marriage in 1385 atCambrai of his son,John the Fearless, and his daughter,Margaret, toMargaret of Bavaria andWilliam of Bavaria, son and daughter ofAlbert, Count of Hainault and Holland, prepared the later union of Hainault and Holland with Burgundy and Flanders, as carried out by Philip's grandson,Philip the Good. The marriages also inserted the new Valois Burgundy dynasty into theWittelsbach network of alliances: the other daughters of Count Albert marriedWilliam I,Duke of Guelders andWenceslaus, King of Bohemia; their cousin,Isabeau of Bavaria marriedCharles VI of France, and becameQueen of France.
In addition to his alliance with the Netherlandish Bavarians, Philip also made links with the Dukes ofAustria and ofSavoy by marrying his daughter Catherine toLeopold IV of Austria and his daughter Mary toAmadeus VIII of Savoy.
Few of Philip the Bold's residences are still extant. Apart from several elements of the ducal palace in Dijon (Tour de Bar), theChâteau de Germolles is largely preserved. This residence was offered to his wife,Margaret III, Countess of Flanders in 1381. The princess transformed the old fortress into a luxurious home with the help of artists from the Burgundian SchoolClaus Sluter andJean de Beaumetz.
Philip the Bold Cadet branch of theHouse of Valois Born: 15 January 1342 Died: 27 April 1404 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| New title | Duke of Touraine 1360–1363 | Succeeded by |
| Vacant Title last held by Philip I | Duke of Burgundy 1363–1404 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Count of Charolais 1390–1404 | |
| Preceded by | Count of Nevers 1384 withMargaret | |
| Count Palatine of Burgundy Count of Artois andFlanders 1384–1404 withMargaret II & III | Succeeded byas sole ruler | |
| Count of Rethel 1384–1402 withMargaret | Succeeded by | |
