Duke of Berry
Duke of Berry (French: Duc de Berry) or Duchess of Berry (French: Duchesse de Berry) was a title in the Peerage of France that was created several times for junior members of the French royal family. It was frequently granted to women, either members of the royal family or married into it. The last official holder was Charles Ferdinand of Artois, son of Charles X. The Berry region is now the departments of Cher, Indre and Vienne.
Dukedom of Berry | |
---|---|
Arms of the Duke of Berry after 1376 | |
Creation date | October 1360 |
Monarch | John II of France |
Peerage | Peerage of France |
First holder | John of Berry |
Last holder | Charles Ferdinand of Artois |
Status | Extinct |
Extinction date | 14 February 1820 |
First creation
On October 1360, King John II created the title for his third-born son, John of Poitiers, maybe in occasion of his marriage with Joan of Armagnac.[1] Despite two marriages, John of Berry had only 5 children, with only one son who could inherit the title, John, Count of Montpensier, who died in 1397 with no issue.[2] After John's death in 1416, the dukedom was forfeited and granted to his grandnephew, John, Dauphin of France, who integrated it into the Dauphiné's titles.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
John of France Other titles List
|
30 November 1340 Château de Vincennes Son of John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg |
October 1360 – 15 June 1416 |
15 June 1416 Paris Died by natural causes (aged 75) |
(1) Joan of Armagnac (m. 1360; d. 1387) 5 children (2) Joan II of Auvergne (m. 1389; wid. 1416) Childless |
Second creation
In 1461, new king Louis XI re-created the dukedom to his younger brother, Charles. However, Charles had a long-time rivalry with his brother and joined other French overlords headed by the Count of Charolais into the League of the Public Weal, starting a short war against Louis XI which was concluded with the Treaty of Conflans in 1465. Under the Treaty, Charles gained also the Duchy of Normandy (1465), exchanged with the Guyenne in 1469. Charles' fortunes ended with his death in 1472 due to syphilis, although some suspicions of poisoning.[3] With no male heir, the title was forfeited once again.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charles of France Other titles List
|
26 December 1446 Château de Tours Son of Charles VII of France and Marie of Anjou |
November 1461 – 24 May 1472 |
24 May 1472 Bordeux Died by syphilis (aged 25) |
Never married |
Third creation
In 1498, king Louis XII re-created the dukedom for his former wife Joan of France, daughter of Louis XI, as compensation for their marriage's annulment.[4] She was the first suo jure Duchess, and after her death the title was forfeited, both according to the succession law and her unmarried and childless status.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Joan of France |
23 April 1464 Nogent-le-Roi Daughter of Louis XI of France and Charlotte of Savoy |
7 April 1498 – 4 February 1505 |
4 February 1505 Bourges, Berry Died by natural causes (aged 40) |
Louis II, Duke of Orléans (then Louis XII) (m. 1476; ann. 1498) Childless |
Fourth creation
In 1527, King Francis I created his sister Marguerite "Duchess of Berry", probably on the occasion of her marriage to Henry II of Navarre.[5] After her death, the title was forfeited.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Margaret of Navarre Other titles List
|
11 April 1492 Château d'Angoulême Daughter of Charles of Orléans and Louise of Savoy |
24 January 1527 – 21 December 1549 |
21 December 1549 Odos, Navarre Died by natural causes (aged 57) |
(1) Charles IV of Alençon (m. 1509; d. 1525) Childless (2) Henry II of Navarre (m. 1527; wid. 1549) 1 children |
Fifth creation
In 1550, King Henry II granted the appanage of Berry to his sister Margaret, like his father.[6]
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Margaret of France Other titles List
|
5 June 1523 Saint-Germain-en-Laye Daughter of Francis I and Claude of Britanny |
29 April 1550 – 15 September 1574 |
15 September 1574 Turin, Savoy Died by natural causes (aged 51) |
Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy (m. 1559; wid. 1574) 1 children |
Sixth creation
In 1575, King Henry III granted the appanage of Berry to his sister-in-law and dowager queen Elisabeth of Austria.[7] In addition, she received the title of Countess of La Marche, but in 1577 both titles were forcibly exchanged with the duchies of Auvergne and Bourbon.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Elisabeth of Austria Other titles |
5 July 1554 Vienna, Austria Daughter of Emperor Maximilian II and Mary of Austria |
21 November 1575 – 25 September 1577 (Title forfeited) |
22 January 1592 Vienna, Austria Died by pleurisy (aged 37) |
Charles IX of France (m. 1570; d. 1574) 1 children |
Seventh creation
In 1577, Queen dowager Elisabeth of Austria exchanged the Berry to the Crown who, in the person of King Henry III gave it to his brother Francis, as well other appanages, for his role in the Peace of Monsieur with Huguenots.[8]
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Francis of France Other titles List
|
18 March 1555 Château de Fontainebleau Son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici |
25 September 1577 – 10 June 1584 |
10 June 1584 Château-Thierry Died by malaria (aged 29) |
Never married |
Eighth creation
In 1589, King Henry IV granted the appanage of Berry to the Queen dowager Louise of Lorraine.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Louise of Lorraine |
30 April 1553 Nomeny, Barrois Daughter of Nicolas, Duke of Mercœur and Margaret of Egmont |
August 1589 – 29 January 1601 |
29 January 1601 Moulins, Bourbonnais Died by natural causes (aged 47) |
Henry III of France (m. 1575; d. 1589) Childless |
Ninth creation
In 1686, King Louis XIV granted the dukedom to his newborn third grandson Charles. Although he never gained the relative appanage, he continued to stylize himself as Duke of Berry.[9]
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charles of France Other titles List
|
31 July 1686 Versailles Son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Anna of Bavaria |
31 July 1686 – 5 May 1714 |
5 May 1714 Versailles Died in hunting accident (aged 27) |
Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans (m. 1710; wid. 1714) Childless |
Tenth creation
In 1754, King Louis XV stylized his newborn grandson Louis-Auguste as new "Duke of Berry", until his ascension as Dauphin of France in 1765, after his father death.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Louis-Auguste of France (then Louis XVI) |
23 August 1754 Versailles Son of Louis, Dauphin of France and Maria Josepha of Saxony |
23 August 1754 – 20 December 1765 (Became Dauphin) |
21 January 1793 Place de la Révolution, Paris Executed for treason (aged 38) |
Marie Antoinette of Austria (m. 1770; wid. 1793) 4 children |
Eleventh creation
In 1778, King Louis XVI re-established the appanage for his newborn nephew, Charles Ferdinand of Artois, who was killed in 1820 by Louis Pierre Louvel, a Bonapartist. The title then passed to his widow, Marie-Caroline, until her death in 1870. The title subsequently became extinct.
Duke | Birth | Tenure | Death | Marriage(s) Issue | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Charles Ferdinand of Artois |
24 January 1778 Versailles Son of Charles of Artois and Maria Theresa of Savoy |
24 January 1778 – 14 February 1820 |
14 February 1820 Outside Paris Opera Murdered by Louis Pierre Louvel (aged 42) |
Marie-Caroline of Sicily (m. 1816; wid. 1820) 2 children | |
Marie-Caroline of Sicily |
5 November 1798 Caserta Palace, Naples Daughter of Francis I of the Two Sicilies and Maria Clementina of Austria |
14 February 1820 – 17 April 1870 |
17 April 1870 Brunnsee, Austria-Hungary Died by natural causes (aged 71) |
Charles Ferdinand of Artois (m. 1816; d. 1820) 2 children |
References
- Plumley, Yolanda (2003). Cambridge University Press (ed.). Ars subtilior and the Patronage of French Princes. Early Music History: Volume 22: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Music. pp. 145–146.
- Autrand, Françoise (2000). Fayard (ed.). Jean de Berry: L'art et le pouvoir. p. 263.
- Moisand, Constant (1847). Imprimerie de Moisand (ed.). Histoire du siége de Beauvais en 1472.
- "St. Joan of Valois". Catholic.org. Retrieved: 26 October 2014.
- Michaud-Fréjaville, Françoise (27 June 2006). "L'œuvre et la vie de Marguerite de Navarre, un plaidoyer pour la tolérance". m2navarre.net (in French).
- Marshall, Rosalind K. (2003). Scottish Queens, 1034-1714. Tuckwell Press. p. 10o.
- Nadaud, Joseph (1878). Société historique et archéologique du Limousin (ed.). Nobiliaire du diocèse et de la généralité de Limoges. III. p. 182.
- Knecht, Robert J. (2002). Osprey Publishing (ed.). The French Religious Wars 1562-98. p. 53.
- See the Letters patent: Louis, par la grâce de Dieu, roy de France et de Navarre, à tous présens et à venir, SALUT. (…) Notre très-cher et très-amé petit-fils Charles, fils de France, a dignement répondu à nos espérance (…) Pour ces causes et autres à ce Nous mouvans, de l’avis de notre conseil, Nous avons donné, octroyé et délaissé, et par ces présentes signées de notre main, donnons, octroyons et delaissons à notredit petit-fils Charles, fils de France, et à ses enfans mâles descendans de lui en loyal mariage, pour leur appanage et entretenement, selon la nature des appanages de la Maison de France et les lois de notre royaume, les duchés d’Alençon et d’Angoulême, le comté de Ponthieu et les châtellenies de Coignac et de Merpins, réunis à notre couronne par le décès de notre cousine Elisabeth d’Orléans, duchesse de Guise, ensemble les terres et seigneuries de Noyelles, Hiermont, Coutteville et le Mesnil, par Nous acquises par contrat passé entre les commissaires par Nous nommez, et Marie d’Orléans, duchesse de Nemours, le 16 Decembre 1706, en échange de la baronie, terre et seigneuries de Parthenay (…).