Valois

Valois, dynasty that occupied the throne of France from 1328 to 1589. The name is derived from that of an area north-east of Paris, in what are now the departments of Aisne and Oise. Charles, Count of Valois, was a brother of Philip IV of France, who belonged to the Capetian dynasty (see Capet). When the last of Philip IV's sons died in 1328, the Capetian male line became extinct, and Charles's eldest son became king of France as Philip VI. His right to the throne was challenged by Edward III of England, whose mother was a daughter of Philip IV, and the dispute between them led to the Hundred Years' War, in which large areas of France were occupied by the English. In the 1420s, when the Valois appeared to have lost out to their English rivals, Joan of Arc roused the country to support them, and by the middle of the 15th century they were once again firmly in control. The monarchy was strengthened further during the reign of Louis XI; his successors tried to extend French power into Italy, but had no lasting success. Francis I, one of the greatest of the Valois kings, was a noted patron of Renaissance art and scholarship. During the last decades of the dynasty, France was divided by religious wars. The Valois were succeeded by the House of Bourbon.

The reigns of the 13 Valois kings were as follows: Philip VI, 1328-1350; John II, 1350-1364; Charles V, 1364-1380; Charles VI, 1380-1422; Charles VII, 1422-1461; Louis XI, 1461-1483; Charles VIII, 1483-1498; Louis XII, 1498-1515; Francis I, 1515-1547; Henry II, 1547-1559; Francis II, 1559-1560; Charles IX, 1560-1574; and Henry III, 1574-1589.