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King Charles VII of France

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Monarch

The Resume

    (February 22, 1403-July 22, 1461)
    Born in Paris, France
    King of France (1422-1461)

Why he might be annoying:

    Shortly after being named dauphin (heir to the throne), he had to flee Paris when the forces of John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, occupied the city (May 29, 1418).
    He is suspected of having ordered his men at arms to assassinate John the Fearless during a diplomatic meeting (September 10, 1419).
    He was not crowned king until seven years into his reign (July 17, 1429), after the French captured Reims, the traditional site for the coronation of French monarchs, from the English.
    He showed his gratitude to Joan of Arc, who had led the army that captured Reims, by not lifting a finger to help when she was put on trial for heresy.
    He fathered three daughters out of wedlock with his mistress, Agnes Sorel.
    He feuded with his son and heir, the future King Louis XI, eventually banning him from court.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He reformed the French army, replacing feudal levies with a professional standing army.
    He led the army in a successful conquest of Normandy (1450).
    By the end of his reign, the English had been expelled from all of France except the port of Calais.
    He got Joan of Arc’s conviction overturned posthumously (1456).
    He starved to death after an abscess in his mouth grew so large that he was unable to swallow food or water.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 130 Votes: 54.62% Annoying