Ballades and Rondeaux of Charles d’Orléans

Charles I of Orléans, born in Paris on November 24, 1394, dying at Amboise on January 5, 1465, was Duke of Orléans and Valois. Notable for his poetic contributions, he was the son of Louis I, Duke of Orléans, and Valentine Visconti. He later fathered King Louis XII of France.

Following his own father’s assassination in 1407, Charles, at 13 years old, became leader of the Armagnac party, a key faction in French feudalism.

In 1406, Charles married his cousin Isabelle de Valois, daughter of King Charles VI, who died in childbirth three years later. His second marriage in 1410 to Bonne d’Armagnac, daughter of Count Bernard VII of Armagnac, solidified his political position.

Charles was captured during the Battle of Agincourt in 1415 and held in England for 25 years. His long imprisonment fuelled his prolific composition of ballads and rondels. He is credited as the author of a considerable body of work including 131 songs, 102 ballads, 7 laments and no less than 400 rondeaux. He was also the author of various poetic pieces in English.

He was released from captivity in 1440 through negotiations instituted by Philip the Good. His, Bonne d'Armagnac, having died some five years previously, he subsequently married Marie de Cleves marking a reconciliation between the houses of Orléans and Burgundy. He played a role in brokering the 1444 Truce of Tours, temporarily halting the Hundred Years’ War.

Charles also pursued his maternal claims (via his mother Valentine Visconti) to the County of Asti. Following the Duke of Milan’s death, however, Aragon secured the duchy, leading to military conflict. Charles’ defeat at Bosco Marengo in 1448 ended his political endeavours in this regard.

Retiring to Blois, Charles established a literary circle, hosting poetic contests and welcoming poets. He died in 1465 and was initially buried in Blois, but later reinterred in Paris on the orders of King Louis XII.

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