Charles VI of France

Lore & Background

Charles VI ascended the throne at age 11, inheriting a favorable military situation from his father Charles V. He was placed under the regency of his uncles: Philip II of Burgundy, Louis I of Anjou, John of Berry, and Louis II of Bourbon. In 1388, at age 20, he emancipated himself and restored the competent Marmousets as advisors, earning the nickname Charles the Beloved. However, in 1392, while leading an expedition against Brittany, he suffered his first attack of delirium in the forest of Le Mans, attacking his own men. A few months later, after the Bal des Ardents in January 1393, he was again placed under regency by his uncles.

From then until his death, Charles alternated between lucidity and mental instability. Power was held by his uncles and his wife, Queen Isabeau. His younger brother, Louis I of Orléans, also sought regency, leading to enmity with John the Fearless of Burgundy and the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War (1407–1435). During this war, the king was successively controlled by one party or the other. In 1415, his army was crushed at Agincourt, and he later signed the Treaty of Troyes, disinheriting his son in favor of Henry V of England, who married Charles's daughter Catherine.

Charles's mental illness included episodes where he forgot his name, did not recognize his wife, claimed to be Saint George, and refused to bathe for five months. He also suffered from glass delusion, believing he was made of glass. The cause of his illness is uncertain, with modern theories including schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, and others. He died on 21 October 1422; Henry V died shortly before him, allowing the House of Valois to continue the fight, leading to eventual victory in 1453.

Reader's Guide

Charles VI's reign is significant for the intersection of royal mental illness with national crisis. His psychotic episodes, beginning in 1392, created a power vacuum exploited by his uncles, wife, and brother, leading to the Armagnac–Burgundian Civil War. This internal conflict weakened France, enabling Henry V of England to win the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and impose the Treaty of Troyes, which disinherited the Dauphin. Charles's death in 1422, shortly after Henry V, allowed the Valois to reclaim the throne under Charles VII, ultimately ending the Hundred Years' War in 1453. His legacy is thus one of a monarch whose personal tragedy shaped the political and military fate of France, illustrating the profound impact of a ruler's health on state stability.

Did You Know?

• Charles VI suffered from glass delusion, believing he was made of glass and needed protection.
• During one episode in 1393, he could not remember his name and did not know he was king.
• He attacked his own knights in the forest of Le Mans in 1392, killing several men.
• The Treaty of Troyes disinherited his son in favor of Henry V of England, who married Charles's daughter Catherine.