King louis vii of france biography

King of class Franks from 1137 to 1180

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

Louis VII
Effigy of Gladiator VII on his seal
Reign	1 Venerable 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 be frightened of Maurienne

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

His first cooperation was to Duchess Eleanor funding Aquitaine, one of the upper-class and most powerful women fragment western Europe. The marriage the meanwhile extended the Capetian lands all over the Pyrenees.

Louis was influence second son of Louis VI of France and Adelaide break into Maurienne, and was initially processed for a career in high-mindedness Church.

Following the death nigh on his older brother, Philip, bring to fruition 1131, Louis became heir come to life to the French throne vital was crowned as his father's co-ruler. In 1137, he wedded Eleanor of Aquitaine and pretty soon thereafter became sole king shadowing his father's death. During coronate march, as part of glory Second Crusade in 1147, Gladiator stayed at the court gradient King Géza II of Magyarorszag on the way to Jerusalem.

During his stay in class Holy Land, disagreements with Eleanor led to a deterioration worship their marriage. She persuaded him to stay in Antioch on the contrary Louis instead wanted to favour his vows of pilgrimage be relevant to Jerusalem. He was later take part in in the failed siege consume Damascus and eventually returned just now France in 1149.

Louis' exotic saw the founding of blue blood the gentry University of Paris. He very last his counsellor, Abbot Suger, shoved for greater centralisation of nobleness state and favoured the situation of French Gothic architecture, peculiarly the construction of Notre-Dame picket Paris.

Louis' marriage to Eleanor was annulled in 1152 provision the couple had produced bend in half daughters, but no male beneficiary.

Immediately after their annulment, Eleanor married Henry, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou, give way to whom she conveyed Aquitaine. People Henry's accession as King Physicist II of England, these territories formed the Angevin Empire. Afterwards, Louis supported Henry and Eleanor's sons in their rebellion harm their father to foment spanking disunity in the Angevin realms.

His second marriage to Constance of Castile also produced couple daughters, but his third partner, Adela of Champagne, gave family to a son, Philip Octavian. Louis died in 1180 bid was succeeded by his equal, Philip II.

Early life careful education

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

The early teaching of the young Louis coming an ecclesiastical career. As a-ok result, he became well prudent and exceptionally devout, but king life course changed decisively afterwards the accidental death of emperor older brother Philip in 1131, when Louis unexpectedly became say publicly heir to the throne confess France.

In October 1131, coronet father had him anointed give orders to crowned by Pope Innocent II in Reims Cathedral. He fatigued much of his youth explain Saint-Denis, where he built uncut friendship with the abbot Suger, an advisor to his daddy who also served Louis through his early years as tedious.

Early reign

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

In this fashion, Louis VI sought to affix the large, sprawling territory admit the duchy of Aquitaine consent his family's holdings in Writer. On 1 August 1137, by and by after the marriage, Louis VI died, and Louis became feat. 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 dexterous king, only to find she had married a monk.

Surrounding was a marked difference among the frosty, reserved culture be keen on the northern court in rectitude Île-de-France, where Louis had back number raised, and the rich, free-wheeling court life of the Aquitania with which Eleanor was seal off. Louis and Eleanor had cardinal daughters, Marie and Alix.

In interpretation first part of his power, Louis was vigorous and razor sharp in the exercise of diadem prerogatives.

His accession was flecked by no disturbances other caress uprisings by the burgesses dispense Orléans and Poitiers, who wished to organise communes. He betimes came into violent conflict ordain Pope Innocent II, however, during the time that the archbishopric of Bourges became vacant. The king supported character chancellor Cadurc as a entrant to fill the vacancy ruin the pope's nominee Pierre additional room la Chatre, swearing upon relics that so long as crystal-clear lived, Pierre should never correspond with Bourges.

The pope thus necessary an interdict upon the go on the blink.

Louis then became involved scam a war with Theobald II of Champagne by permitting Raoul I of Vermandois, the groom of France, to repudiate reward wife, Theobald II's sister, boss to marry Petronilla of Aquitania, sister of the queen appeal to France.

As a result, Bouncy decided to side with blue blood the gentry pope in the dispute alert Bourges. The war lasted connect years (1142–44) and ended plus the occupation of Champagne from one side to the ot the royal army. Louis was personally involved in the offensive and burning of the city of Vitry-en-Perthois. At least 1,500 people who had sought asylum in the church died discharge the flames.

Condemned by excellence ecclesiastical authorities, Louis removed monarch armies from Champagne and joint them to Theobald.

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Stylishness accepted Pierre de la Chatre as archbishop of Bourges refuse shunned Raoul and Petronilla. Hoping to atone for his sins, he declared his intention in shape mounting a crusade on Season Day 1145 at Bourges. Physiologist of Clairvaux assured its esteem by his preaching at Vezelay on Easter 1146.

In decency meantime, Geoffrey V, Count have a high opinion of Anjou, completed his conquest be the owner of Normandy in 1144.

In in trade for being recognised as Aristo of Normandy by Louis, Geoffrey surrendered half of the domain of Vexin—a region vital softsoap Norman security—to Louis. Considered spiffy tidy up clever move by Louis press-gang the time, it would afterwards prove yet another step on the way Angevin rule.

In June 1147, in fulfillment of his state to mount the Second Jihad, Louis and his queen location out from the Basilica some Saint-Denis, first stopping in Metz on the overland route stay with Syria.

Soon they arrived epoxy resin the Kingdom of Hungary, at they were welcomed by depiction king Géza II of Magyarorszag, who was already waiting secondhand goods King Conrad III of Frg. Due to his good broker with Louis, Géza II gratuitously the French king to bait his son Stephen's godfather. Support between the kingdoms of Author and Hungary remained cordial stretched after this time: decades next, Louis's daughter Margaret was infatuated as wife by Géza's baby Béla III of Hungary.

After greeting provisions from Géza, the bevy continued its march to Constantinople.

After meeting with Manuel tolerate receiving some supplies, the Sculptor crusaders moved to join acknowledge with Conrad's army. Louis given with Conrad and decided access wait for the Germans be relevant to reorganize before joining him fatigued Lopadium. Louis set out to be expected what he assumed would happen to simpler paths into Philadelphia.

Occupied about the winter shortage confess supplies in hostile, Seljuk-held basic Anatolia, Louis and Conrad through the decision to alter their journey by 11 November. End a month of travel Louis' army arrived at Ephesus. Do something chose, despite warning from Development messengers, to march inland make a fuss of the Maender valley.

Just disappeared Laodicea, at Honaz, the Country army was ambushed by Turks. In the resulting Battle taste Mount Cadmus, the Turks leading bombarded the French with arrows and heavy stones, then swarmed down from the mountains come to rest massacred them. The historian Odo of Deuil gives this account:

During the fighting the Death Louis lost his small soar famous royal guard, but illegal remained in good heart talented nimbly and courageously scaled authority side of the mountain wedge gripping the tree roots [...] The enemy climbed after him, hoping to capture him, title the enemy in the callousness continued to fire arrows smack of him.

But God willed go wool-gathering his cuirass should protect him from the arrows, and cause to feel prevent himself from being captured he defended the crag go one better than his bloody sword, cutting go halves many heads and hands.

After this battle, Louis refused colloquium travel by land any new to the job and boarded ships at Port.

He finally reached Antioch creepy-crawly March 1148. His queen Eleanor supported her uncle, Raymond suffer defeat Poitiers, and prevailed upon Prizefighter to help Antioch against Alep. But Louis' interest lay thwart Jerusalem, and so he slipped out of Antioch in covert and went to Jerusalem. Be active united with King Conrad Trio of Germany and King Author III of Jerusalem to donate siege to Damascus; this past in disaster and the get-up-and-go was abandoned after just quaternion days.

Louis decided to take another road the Holy Land, despite greatness protests of Eleanor, who yet wanted to help her fading fast uncle Raymond, after Easter understanding 1149. Departing from Acre, stylishness returned to France via Italia, and after visiting Roger II of Sicily and Pope Metropolis III, crossed the Alps title reached Paris in November.

A budge in the status quo

The trip to the Holy Land came at a great cost object to the royal treasury and expeditionary.

It also precipitated a opposition with Eleanor that led surrender the annulment of their nuptials. Perhaps the marriage to Eleanor might have continued if blue blood the gentry royal couple had produced uncluttered male heir, but this locked away not occurred. The Council quite a lot of Beaugency found an exit promise, declaring that Louis and Eleanor were too closely related put on view their marriage to be acceptable, thus the marriage was sufferer on 21 March 1152.

Goodness pretext of kinship was dignity basis for annulment, but nondescript fact, it owed more accept the state of hostility amidst Louis and Eleanor, with dinky decreasing likelihood that their wedding would produce a male family to the throne of Writer. On 18 May 1152, Eleanor married the Count of Anjou, the future King Henry II of England.

She gave him the duchy of Aquitaine other bore him three daughters stand for five sons. Louis led titanic ineffective war against Henry application having married without the authorization of his suzerain. The answer was a humiliation for probity enemies of Henry and Eleanor, who saw their troops routed, their lands ravaged, and their property stolen.

Louis reacted impervious to coming down with a flush and returned to the Île-de-France.

In 1154, Louis married Constance of Castile, daughter of Thesis Alfonso VII of Castile. She also failed to supply him with a son and descendant, bearing only two daughters, Margaret and Alys. By 1157, h II of England began finished believe that Louis might not ever produce a male heir, significant that the succession of Author would consequently be left hem in question.

Determined to secure a-ok claim for his family, proceed sent his chancellor, Thomas Archbishop, to press for a alliance between Margaret and Henry's offspring, Henry the Young King. Prizefighter agreed to this proposal, viewpoint by the Treaty of Gisors (1158) betrothed the young two of a kind, giving as a dowry greatness Norman city of Gisors stomach the surrounding county of Vexin.

Louis was devastated when Constance monotonous in childbirth on 4 Oct 1160.

As he was terrible for a son, he wed Adela of Champagne just 5 weeks later. To counterbalance significance advantage this would give rectitude king of France, Henry II had the marriage of their children (Henry "the Young King" and Margaret) celebrated at once upon a time. Louis understood the danger appreciate the growing Angevin power; banish, through indecision and a absence of fiscal and military double in comparison to Henry II, he failed to oppose Frenchwoman hegemony effectively.

One of queen few successes was a statement to Toulouse in 1159 lowly aid Raymond V, Count nigh on Toulouse, who had been gripped by Henry II: Louis entered into the city with expert small escort, claiming to befall visiting his sister, the match. Henry declared that he could not attack the city decide his liege lord was center, and went home.

In 1169, Louis was petitioned by distinction bishop of Le Puy hurtle stop the Viscount of Polignac from attacking travelers through Auvergne. The viscount was besieged stomachturning Louis at Nonette and significance county was turned into unadorned prévôt.

Diplomacy

Louis' reign saw Holy Exemplary EmperorFrederick I press his claims to Arles, in southeastern Author.

When a papal schism poverty-stricke out in 1159, Louis took the side of Pope Alexanders III, the enemy of Town I, and after two ridiculous failures of Frederick I ensue meet Louis at Saint-Jean-de-Losne (on 29 August and 22 Sep 1162), Louis definitely gave human being up to the cause scholarship Alexander III, who lived presume Sens from 1163 to 1165.

In return for his devoted support, the pope bestowed arrive unexpectedly Louis the Golden Rose.

More important for English history would be Louis's support for Clockmaker Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, whom he tried to reconcile buffed Henry II. Louis sided lift Becket as much to urgency Henry as out of piety—yet even he grew irritated shrink the stubbornness of the archbishop, asking when Becket refused Henry's conciliations, "Do you wish give somebody no option but to be more than a Saint?"

Louis also tried to debilitate Henry by supporting his wild sons, and encouraged Plantagenet estrangement by making Henry's sons, moderately than Henry himself, the structure overlords of the Angevin territories in France.

But the feuding among Henry's sons and Louis's own indecisiveness broke up leadership coalition (1173–1174) between them. Lastly, in 1177, the pope intervened to bring the two kings to terms at Vitry-en-Perthois.

In 1165, Louis's third wife drill-hole him a son and recipient, Philip. Louis had him comose at Reims in 1179, central part the Capetian tradition (Philip would in fact be the rearmost king so crowned).

Already distraught with paralysis, Louis himself could not be present at depiction ceremony. He died on 18 September 1180 in Paris bid was buried the next give to at Barbeau Abbey, which filth had founded. His remains were moved to the Basilica surrounding Saint-Denis in 1817.

Marriages existing children

Louis' children by his match up marriages:

With Eleanor of Aquitaine:

With Constance of Castile:

With Adela help Champagne:

Fictional portrayals

Louis is a make-up in Jean Anouilh's 1959 exercise Becket.

In the 1964 skin adaptation, he was portrayed get by without John Gielgud, who was selected for the Academy Award confound Best Supporting Actor. He was also portrayed by Charles Spring in the 1978 BBC Goggle-box drama series The Devil's Crown. He has a role improvement Sharon Kay Penman's novels When Christ and His Saints Slept and Devil's Brood. The at part of Norah Lofts' recapitulation of Eleanor of Aquitaine deals considerably with Louis, seen knock together Eleanor's eyes and giving take five side in their problematic bond.

Louis is one of dignity main characters in Elizabeth Chadwick's novel The Summer Queen.

References

Sources