Philip III the Bold | |
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Coronation of King Philip III
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King of France (more...) | |
Reign | 25 August 1270 – 5 October 1285 |
Coronation | 30 August 1271 |
Predecessor | Louis IX |
Successor | Philip IV |
Born |
Poissy |
30 April 1245
Died | 5 October 1285 Perpignan |
(aged 40)
Burial | Initially Narbonne, later Saint Denis Basilica |
Spouse |
Isabella of Aragon Maria of Brabant |
Issue |
Louis of France Philip IV of France Charles, Count of Valois Louis, Count of Évreux Blanche, Duchess of Austria Margaret, Queen of England |
House | Capet |
Father | Louis IX of France |
Mother | Margaret of Provence |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Philip III (30 April 1245 – 5 October 1285), called the Bold (French: le Hardi), was King of France from 1270 to 1285, a member of the House of Capet.
Philip proved indecisive, soft in nature, and timid. The strong personalities of his parents apparently crushed him, and policies of his father dominated him. People called him "the Bold" on the basis of his abilities in combat and on horseback and not on the basis of his political or personal character. He was pious but not cultivated. He followed the suggestions of others, first of Pierre de La Broce and then of his uncle King Charles I of Naples, Sicily, and Albania.
His father, Louis IX, died in Tunis during the Eighth Crusade. Philip, who was accompanying him, came back to France to claim his throne and was anointed at Reims in 1271.
Philip made numerous territorial acquisitions during his reign, the most notable being the County of Toulouse which was annexed to the Crown lands of France in 1271. Following the Sicilian Vespers, a rebellion triggered by Peter III of Aragon against Philip's uncle Charles I of Naples, Philip led an unsuccessful Aragonese Crusade in support of his uncle. Philip was forced to retreat and died from dysentry in Perpignan in 1285. He was succeeded by his son Philip the Fair.
Philip was born in Poissy to King Saint Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence, queen consort of France. As a younger son, Philip was not expected to rule a kingdom. At the death of his elder brother Louis in 1260, he became the heir to the throne. He was then 15 years old and has less skill than his brother, being of a gentle character, submissive, timid and versatile, almost crushed by the strong personalities of his parents.