Charles VII of France

Overview

Charles VII appears as the surviving Dauphin who escaped Burgundian Paris, was blamed for John the Fearless’s murder, and continued resistance after the Treaty of Troyes disinherited him.

Current Profile

After the deaths of his elder brothers, Charles became Dauphin amid the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War. He escaped south to Bourges when Burgundian forces seized Paris, leaving him politically weak but still able to represent an alternative French legitimacy.

The Montereau killing made reconciliation with Burgundy far harder and helped push Philip the Good toward England. The treaty excluded Charles, but his forces continued fighting, ensuring that Henry V never converted the settlement into uncontested rule.

Key Characteristics

• Younger prince elevated after two elder dauphins died.
• Survivor of Burgundian seizure and massacre in Paris.
• Political rival based south of the Burgundian-English zone.
• Blamed for John the Fearless’s killing at Montereau.
• Disinherited claimant whose continued resistance qualified English triumph.

Evidence

• Succession and escape: 490. Hundred Years’ War: England Triumphant (Part 4) traces Charles’s elevation and flight to Bourges.
• Montereau rupture: 490. Hundred Years’ War: England Triumphant (Part 4) says the Dauphin was blamed after his servants killed John.
• Continued claim: 490. Hundred Years’ War: England Triumphant (Part 4) records both his disinheritance and continuing military resistance.

Qualifications

The source ends at Henry V’s death and does not cover Charles’s later recovery of France. Responsibility and intent at Montereau remain uncertain even though political blame is clear in the episode.

What Changed

• Created Charles VII as the excluded but surviving legitimacy pole that prevented Troyes from becoming a settled succession.

Relationships

• Charles VI of France - father whose succession the treaty redirected away from Charles.
• John the Fearless - Burgundian duke killed at a meeting with Charles.
• Philip the Good - duke driven toward England by his father’s murder.
• Henry V of England - English rival designated heir in Charles’s place.
• Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War - factional conflict shaping Charles’s political isolation.