Charles of Valois

Charles of Valois was a French prince, brother of Philip IV, and father of Philip VI, the first Valois king of France. His ambitions and marriages connected him to several European dynastic struggles in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries.

In Maurice Druon’s The Strangled Queen, the rival factions around Charles of Valois, Philip of Poitiers, Mahaut of Artois and Robert of Artois compete for influence over the inexperienced king. In Maurice Druon’s The Poisoned Crown, Court decisions remain shaped by Charles of Valois, Philip of Poitiers and the continuing feud between Mahaut and Robert of Artois. Other novels featuring Charles of Valois include Maurice Druon’s The Royal Succession.