General Notes

Alias:<ALIA> The /Beloved/
REFN: 12803AN
Charles VI the Well-Beloved, later known as the Mad (French: Charl
es VI le Bien-Aimé, later known as le Fol) (December 3, 1368 – October 2
1, 1422) was a King of France (1380 – 1422) and a member of the Valois Dyn
asty.
He was born in Paris, the son of King Charles V and Jeanne de Bourbo
n. At the age of eleven, he was crowned King of France in 1380 in the cath
edral at Reims. He married Isabeau of Bavaria in 1385. Until he took compl
ete charge as king in 1388, France was ruled by his uncle, Philip the Bold
.
Charles VI was known both as Charles the Well Beloved and later as Charl
es the Mad, since, beginning in his mid-twenties, he experienced bou
ts of psychosis. These fits of madness would recur for the rest of his lif
e. Based on his symptoms, doctors believe the king may have suffered fr
om schizophrenia, porphyria or Bipolar disorder.
His first known fit occurred in 1392 when his friend and advisor, Olivi
er de Clisson, was the victim of an attempted murder. Although Clisson sur
vived, Charles was determined to punish the would-be assassin Pierre de Cr
aon who had taken refuge in Brittany. Contemporaries said Charles appear
ed to be in a "fever" to begin the campaign and appeared disconnected in h
is speech. Charles set off with an army on July 1, 1392. The progress of t
he army was slow, nearly driving Charles into a frenzy of impatience.
While travelling through a forest on a hot August morning, a barefoot m
an dressed in rags rushed up to the King's horse and grabbed his bridle. "
Ride no further, noble King!" he yelled. "Turn back! You are betrayed!" T
he king's escorts beat the man back but did not arrest him, and he follow
ed the procession for a half-hour, repeating his cries.
The company emerged from the forest at noon. A page who was drowsy from t
he sun dropped the king's lance, which clanged loudly against a steel helm
et carried by another page. Charles shuddered, drew his sword and yelled "
Forward against the traitors! They wish to deliver me to the enemy!" The k
ing spurred his horse and began swinging his sword at his companions, figh
ting until his chamberlain and a group of soldiers were able to grab him f
rom his mount and lay him on the ground. He laid still and did not reac
t, falling into a coma. The king killed at least one knight in his deliriu
m, and possibly more (the exact numbers differ in the chronicles from t
he time).
Charles' uncle Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (aka Philip the Bold) assumed t
he regency on the spot, dismissing Charles' advisers in the process. Th
is was to be the start of a major feud which would divide the Kings of Fra
nce and the Dukes of Burgundy for the next 85 years.
The king would suffer from periods of mental illness throughout his lif
e. During one attack in 1393, Charles could not remember his name, did n
ot know he was king and fled in terror from his wife. He did not recogni
ze his children, though he knew his brother and councillors and remember
ed the names of people who had died. In later attacks, he roamed his palac
es howling like a wolf, refused to bathe for months on end and suffered fr
om delusions that he was made of glass.
In January 1393, Queen Isabeau de Bavière organised a party to celebrate t
he marriage of one of her ladies-in-waiting. The King and five other lor
ds dressed up as wild men and danced about chained to one another. The Kin
g's brother, Louis of Valois, Duke of Orléans, approached with a lighted t
orch. One of the dancers caught fire and there was panic. The Duches
se de Berry, who recognized Charles, threw her robe over him and saved h
is life. Four of the other men perished. This incident became known as t
he Bal des Ardents (the 'Ball of the Burning Men').
Most accounts seem to agree that Louis' action was an accident; he was mer
ely trying to find his brother. Be that as it may, Louis soon afterwards p
ursued an affair with the Que