Charles the Bold
Charles the Bold was born on November 10, 1433. See ranking, bio blurb, and everyone else born that day.
About Charles the Bold
Charles the Bold (Charles Martin; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), also called the Rash, was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. A member of the House of Valois-Burgundy, he was the only surviving legitimate son of Philip the Good and his third wife, Isabella of Portugal. As heir and as ruler, Charles competed for power with rivals including his overlord, King Louis XI of France. In 1465, Charles played a leading role in the War of the Public Weal. After becoming duke, Charles pursued the creation of an independent Burgundian kingdom stretching from the North Sea to the borders of Savoy. To this end, he acquired Guelders and Upper Alsace, sought recognition as King of the Romans, and became increasingly involved in conflicts within the Holy Roman Empire. He married Margaret of York to secure an English alliance, and arranged the betrothal of his only child, Mary, to Maximilian of Austria. Charles was a patron of music and the arts, especially illuminated manuscripts, and his court was noted for its chivalric culture and elaborate etiquette. His government issued detailed ordinances regulating military, legal, and administrative affairs. He was personally devout, had Saint George as his patron saint, and repeatedly declined papal and Venetian requests to undertake a crusade against the Ottoman Empire. In the final years of his reign, Charles fought the Burgundian Wars against an alliance of Swiss, German, and Alsatian powers while trying to retain control of Upper Alsace. After his unsuccessful siege of Neuss, he was defeated by the Swiss at the battles of Grandson and Morat. He was killed at the Battle of Nancy on 5 January 1477 while fighting René II of Lorraine and his Swiss allies. His death triggered the War of the Burgundian Succession and contributed to the collapse of the Burgundian State. His daughter Mary succeeded him, and her son, Philip of Austria, later inherited the Burgundian Netherlands.