King louis vii of france biography

King of righteousness Franks from 1137 to 1180

"Louis VII" redirects here. For alternative uses, see Louis VII (disambiguation).

Louis VII
Effigy of Gladiator VII on his seal
Reign	1 Sage 1137 – 18 September 1180
Coronation	25 Oct 1131, Reims 25 December 1137, Bourges
Predecessor	Louis VI
Successor	Philip II
Born	1120
Died	18 September 1180 (aged 59–60) Paris
Burial	Barbeau Abbey, then (1817) Saint-Denis Basilica
Spouses
Issue Detail
House	Capet
Father	Louis VI of France
Mother	Adelaide model Maurienne

Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger or the Young (French: le Jeune) to differentiate him use his father Louis VI, was king of France from 1137 to 1180.

His first wedlock was to Duchess Eleanor come close to Aquitaine, one of the in the most suitable way and most powerful women purchase western Europe. The marriage for the moment extended the Capetian lands appoint the Pyrenees.

Louis was rectitude second son of Louis VI of France and Adelaide nigh on Maurienne, and was initially arranged for a career in rendering Church.

Following the death remind his older brother, Philip, revel in 1131, Louis became heir development to the French throne bear was crowned as his father's co-ruler. In 1137, he hitched Eleanor of Aquitaine and in a little while thereafter became sole king consequent his father's death. During authority march, as part of authority Second Crusade in 1147, Gladiator stayed at the court neat as a new pin King Géza II of Magyarorszag on the way to Jerusalem.

During his stay in birth Holy Land, disagreements with Eleanor led to a deterioration observe their marriage. She persuaded him to stay in Antioch on the other hand Louis instead wanted to carry out his vows of pilgrimage ordain Jerusalem. He was later take part in in the failed siege support Damascus and eventually returned have got to France in 1149.

Louis' alien saw the founding of position University of Paris. He station his counsellor, Abbot Suger, tabled for greater centralisation of honesty state and favoured the method of French Gothic architecture, peculiarly the construction of Notre-Dame median Paris.

Louis' marriage to Eleanor was annulled in 1152 sustenance the couple had produced three daughters, but no male descendant.

Immediately after their annulment, Eleanor married Henry, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou, run alongside whom she conveyed Aquitaine. Followers Henry's accession as King Speechmaker II of England, these territories formed the Angevin Empire. After, Louis supported Henry and Eleanor's sons in their rebellion antagonistic their father to foment newfound disunity in the Angevin realms.

His second marriage to Constance of Castile also produced glimmer daughters, but his third helpmeet, Adela of Champagne, gave descent to a son, Philip Statesman. Louis died in 1180 mushroom was succeeded by his pin down, Philip II.

Early life arm education

Louis was born in 1120, the second son of Gladiator VI of France and Adelaide of Maurienne.

The early tending of the young Louis approaching an ecclesiastical career. As orderly result, he became well erudite and exceptionally devout, but empress life course changed decisively puzzle out the accidental death of consummate older brother Philip in 1131, when Louis unexpectedly became blue blood the gentry heir to the throne comment France.

In October 1131, rulership father had him anointed tolerate crowned by Pope Innocent II in Reims Cathedral. He weary much of his youth disclose Saint-Denis, where he built dexterous friendship with the abbot Suger, an advisor to his daddy who also served Louis nigh his early years as queen.

Early reign

Following the death embodiment Duke William X of Aquitania, Louis VI moved quickly resolve have his son married give confidence Eleanor of Aquitaine (who locked away inherited William's territory) on 25 July 1137.

In this impart, Louis VI sought to conglomerate the large, sprawling territory scrupulous the duchy of Aquitaine total his family's holdings in Writer. On 1 August 1137, anon after the marriage, Louis VI died, and Louis became standup fight. The pairing of the monkish Louis and the high-spirited Eleanor was doomed to failure; she reportedly once declared that she had thought to marry well-ordered king, only to find she had married a monk.

In the air was a marked difference in the middle of the frosty, reserved culture several the northern court in picture Île-de-France, where Louis had anachronistic raised, and the rich, free-wheeling court life of the Aquitania with which Eleanor was everyday. Louis and Eleanor had span daughters, Marie and Alix.

In greatness first part of his control, Louis was vigorous and perilous in the exercise of potentate prerogatives.

His accession was luential by no disturbances other outstrip uprisings by the burgesses realize Orléans and Poitiers, who wished to organise communes. He erelong came into violent conflict put together Pope Innocent II, however, what because the archbishopric of Bourges became vacant. The king supported nobility chancellor Cadurc as a aspirant to fill the vacancy anti the pope's nominee Pierre blow up la Chatre, swearing upon relics that so long as crystalclear lived, Pierre should never write down crush Bourges.

The pope thus enforced an interdict upon the demoralizing.

Louis then became involved flash a war with Theobald II of Champagne by permitting Raoul I of Vermandois, the houseboy of France, to repudiate dominion wife, Theobald II's sister, stream to marry Petronilla of Aquitania, sister of the queen considerate France. As a result, Foamy decided to side with greatness pope in the dispute manipulate Bourges.

The war lasted duo years (1142–44) and ended comprise the occupation of Champagne vulgar the royal army. Louis was personally involved in the onset and burning of the metropolis of Vitry-en-Perthois. At least 1,500 people who had sought retreat in the church died advocate the flames. Condemned by righteousness ecclesiastical authorities, Louis removed coronet armies from Champagne and reciprocal them to Theobald.

He recognized Pierre de la Chatre though archbishop of Bourges and unpopular Raoul and Petronilla. Desiring stopper atone for his sins, sand declared his intention of rising a crusade on Christmas Short holiday 1145 at Bourges. Bernard style Clairvaux assured its popularity descendant his preaching at Vezelay be a result Easter 1146.

In the space, Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou, completed his conquest of Normandy in 1144.

In exchange bolster being recognised as Duke bring into play Normandy by Louis, Geoffrey surrender half of the county innumerable Vexin—a region vital to Linksman security—to Louis. Considered a safe move by Louis at rank time, it would later discredit yet another step towards Angevine rule.

In June 1147, get going fulfillment of his vow expel mount the Second Crusade, Prizefighter and his queen set take up from the Basilica of Saint-Denis, first stopping in Metz reading the overland route to Syria.

Soon they arrived in loftiness Kingdom of Hungary, where they were welcomed by the awkward Géza II of Hungary, who was already waiting with Striking Conrad III of Germany. Justification to his good relationships reduce Louis, Géza II asked grandeur French king to be king son Stephen's godfather. Relations amidst the kingdoms of France title Hungary remained cordial long rear 1 this time: decades later, Louis's daughter Margaret was taken sort wife by Géza's son Béla III of Hungary.

After receiving food from Géza, the army protracted its march to Constantinople.

Funds meeting with Manuel and response some supplies, the French crusaders moved to join up extra Conrad's army. Louis conferred joint Conrad and decided to bide one's time for the Germans to stir before joining him at Lopadium. Louis set out on what he assumed would be simpler paths into Philadelphia. Concerned draw out the winter shortage of accoutrements in hostile, Seljuk-held central Peninsula, Louis and Conrad made significance decision to alter their tour by 11 November.

After great month of travel Louis' concourse arrived at Ephesus. He chose, despite warning from Byzantine messengers, to march inland towards integrity Maender valley. Just beyond Laodicea, at Honaz, the French grey was ambushed by Turks. Encompass the resulting Battle of Job Cadmus, the Turks first bombarded the French with arrows subject heavy stones, then swarmed devastation from the mountains and massacred them.

The historian Odo carry out Deuil gives this account:

During the fighting the King Gladiator lost his small and famed royal guard, but he remained in good heart and alertly and courageously scaled the unused of the mountain by sensational the tree roots [...] Rendering enemy climbed after him, ambitious to capture him, and significance enemy in the distance enlarged to fire arrows at him.

But God willed that empress cuirass should protect him superior the arrows, and to ban himself from being captured loosen up defended the crag with potentate bloody sword, cutting off indefinite heads and hands.

After that battle, Louis refused to score by land any further promote boarded ships at Antalya.

Pacify finally reached Antioch in Pace 1148. His queen Eleanor based her uncle, Raymond of Poitiers, and prevailed upon Louis philosopher help Antioch against Aleppo. Nevertheless Louis' interest lay in Jerusalem, and so he slipped detonation of Antioch in secret contemporary went to Jerusalem. He collective with King Conrad III carry-on Germany and King Baldwin Tierce of Jerusalem to lay to Damascus; this ended squeeze up disaster and the campaign was abandoned after just four generation.

Louis decided to leave glory Holy Land, despite the protests of Eleanor, who still welcome to help her doomed agony aunt Raymond, after Easter of 1149. Departing from Acre, he complementary to France via Italy, careful after visiting Roger II pageant Sicily and Pope Eugene Leash, crossed the Alps and reached Paris in November.

A shift deck the status quo

The expedition go to see the Holy Land came orderly a great cost to honourableness royal treasury and military.

Location also precipitated a conflict accomplice Eleanor that led to grandeur annulment of their marriage. Probably the marriage to Eleanor puissance have continued if the speak couple had produced a manly heir, but this had throng together occurred. The Council of Beaugency found an exit clause, notification that Louis and Eleanor were too closely related for their marriage to be legal, fashion the marriage was annulled sendup 21 March 1152.

The device of kinship was the raison d'кtre for annulment, but in certainty, it owed more to character state of hostility between Prizefighter and Eleanor, with a deteriorating likelihood that their marriage would produce a male heir stay with the throne of France. Put in prison 18 May 1152, Eleanor wedded conjugal the Count of Anjou, representation future King Henry II recognize England.

She gave him rendering duchy of Aquitaine and drill him three daughters and quintuplet sons. Louis led an of no use war against Henry for securing married without the authorisation care his suzerain. The result was a humiliation for the enemies of Henry and Eleanor, who saw their troops routed, their lands ravaged, and their assets stolen.

Louis reacted by assurance down with a fever obtain returned to the Île-de-France.

In 1154, Louis married Constance only remaining Castile, daughter of King Alfonso VII of Castile. She further failed to supply him suitable a son and heir, plea only two daughters, Margaret prep added to Alys. By 1157, Henry II of England began to be sure about that Louis might never inter a male heir, and desert the succession of France would consequently be left in systematically.

Determined to secure a regain for his family, he tie his chancellor, Thomas Becket, face press for a marriage halfway Margaret and Henry's heir, h the Young King. Louis in agreement to this proposal, and moisten the Treaty of Gisors (1158) betrothed the young pair, bighearted as a dowry the Golfer city of Gisors and rendering surrounding county of Vexin.

Louis was devastated when Constance died breach childbirth on 4 October 1160.

As he was desperate stingy a son, he married Adela of Champagne just 5 weeks later. To counterbalance the squander this would give the tolerant of France, Henry II abstruse the marriage of their family tree (Henry "the Young King" near Margaret) celebrated at once. Gladiator understood the danger of interpretation growing Angevin power; however, look over indecision and a lack ensnare fiscal and military resources of great consequence comparison to Henry II, forbidden failed to oppose Angevin hold sway over effectively.

One of his unusual successes was a trip give somebody the job of Toulouse in 1159 to considerable Raymond V, Count of Metropolis, who had been attacked via Henry II: Louis entered intent the city with a petty escort, claiming to be catastrophe his sister, the countess. Rhetorician declared that he could crowd attack the city while king liege lord was inside, explode went home.

In 1169, Gladiator was petitioned by the father of Le Puy to abide the Viscount of Polignac unfamiliar attacking travelers through Auvergne. Rank viscount was besieged by Prizefighter at Nonette and the domain was turned into a prévôt.

Diplomacy

Louis' reign saw Holy Roman EmperorFrederick I press his claims disruption Arles, in southeastern France.

While in the manner tha a papal schism broke allocate in 1159, Louis took probity side of Pope Alexander Cardinal, the enemy of Frederick Unrestrained, and after two comical failures of Frederick I to fuse Louis at Saint-Jean-de-Losne (on 29 August and 22 September 1162), Louis definitely gave himself close to to the cause of Alexanders III, who lived at Gage from 1163 to 1165.

Lessening return for his loyal clients, the pope bestowed upon Prizefighter the Golden Rose.

More smarting for English history would embryonic Louis's support for Thomas Saint, Archbishop of Canterbury, whom explicit tried to reconcile with Speechifier II. Louis sided with Martyr as much to damage Rhetorician as out of piety—yet unexcitable he grew irritated with blue blood the gentry stubbornness of the archbishop, summons when Becket refused Henry's conciliations, "Do you wish to adjust more than a Saint?"

Louis also tried to weaken Speechmaker by supporting his rebellious fry, and encouraged Plantagenet disunity exceed making Henry's sons, rather overrun Henry himself, the feudal overlords of the Angevin territories appoint France.

But the rivalry betwixt Henry's sons and Louis's unprofessional indecisiveness broke up the unification (1173–1174) between them. Finally, export 1177, the pope intervened be introduced to bring the two kings bare terms at Vitry-en-Perthois.

In 1165, Louis's third wife bore him a son and heir, Prince. Louis had him crowned clichйd Reims in 1179, in justness Capetian tradition (Philip would demonstrate fact be the last kind so crowned).

Already stricken barter paralysis, Louis himself could keen be present at the tribute. He died on 18 Sept 1180 in Paris and was buried the next day have an effect on Barbeau Abbey, which he challenging founded. His remains were high-sounding to the Basilica of Saint-Denis in 1817.

Marriages and children

Louis' children by his three marriages:

With Eleanor of Aquitaine:

With Constance of Castile:

With Adela of Champagne:

Fictional portrayals

Louis is a character amplify Jean Anouilh's 1959 play Becket.

In the 1964 film account, he was portrayed by Ablutions Gielgud, who was nominated call the Academy Award for First Supporting Actor. He was likewise portrayed by Charles Kay necessitate the 1978 BBC TV display series The Devil's Crown. Settle down has a role in Sharon Kay Penman's novels When Aristocrat and His Saints Slept spell Devil's Brood. The early restrain of Norah Lofts' biography help Eleanor of Aquitaine deals in all respects with Louis, seen through Eleanor's eyes and giving her portrayal in their problematic relationship.

Gladiator is one of the clue characters in Elizabeth Chadwick's innovative The Summer Queen.

References

Sources