Charles VII

Charles VII., of France (1403-1461), was the third son of Charles VI., and succeeded his father in 1422, being born in the stormy time that followed upon the English victory of Agincourt, which led to the acknowledgment of the claims of Henry V. of England, and to the marriage to him of Charles VI.'s daughter Catherine. Although King Charles VII. had no great qualities, his reign was memorable, since it restored France from subjection to independence, and produced such characters as Dunois, La Hire, and Joan of Arc. The Duke of Bedford in 1427 laid siege to Orleans, and in 1429 was forced by Joan of Arc to raise the siege. In 1435 a treaty between France and Burgundy marked the beginning of the end of the English rule, and in 1453 the death of Talbot at Castillon virtually ended the long war. After this Charles VI. was enabled to give his attention to once more consolidating the country, and in this work he is said to have been aided by his mistress, the noted Agnes Sorel, after whose death he did little that was worthy of note.