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Charles d'Albret (d. 25 October 1415) was Constable of France two different times: from 1402 until 1411, and again from 1413 until 1415. He was also the co-commander of the French army at the Battle of Agincourt where he was killed by the English forces led by King Henry V.
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Biography
He was born into an old Gascon family, the son of Arnaud, Lord of Albret, and Marguerite de Bourbon.[1] He fought under Bertrand du Guesclin as a young man. He was made the constable of France by Charles VI in 1402, but dismissed when the Burgundian faction gained power at court. He was restored to his office in 1413 when the Armagnac faction regained power.
Although nominal commander of the French army in the Agincourt campaign together with Marshal Boucicaut, the two professional soldiers could not exercise effective control over the higher-ranking French nobles on the day of the battle. Constable d'Albret was killed at Agincourt during the celebrated battle on 25 October 1415, against the numerically-smaller English troops led by King Henry V.
Family
He married, as her third husband, Marie de Sully[2], daughter of Louis de Sully and Isabel de Craon[1], on 27 January 1400 and had issue:
- Jeanne d'Albret (1403–1435), married in 1422 Jean I of Foix-Grailly, Count of Foix. They were parents of Gaston IV of Foix.
- Charles II d'Albret (1407–1471), married Anne of Armagnac (born 1402), the daughter of Bernard VII of Armagnac, Count of Charolais and Bonne of Berry, by whom he had seven children. Queen Jeanne III of Navarre was a notable descendant.
- Guillaume d'Albret (d. 1429), Lord of Orval
- Jean d'Albret
- Catherine d'Albret, married Jean de Montagu (1363–1409), vidame of Laon and illegitimate son of Charles V of France.
In film
The character of Constable Charles d'Albret was portrayed by Canadian actor, Richard Easton in Henry V, the 1989 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. Irish actor Kenneth Branagh starred in the title role.
References
- ^ a b Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, Gascony, Dukes and Nobility
- ^ Charles Cawley, Medieval Lands, GASCONY
See also
| Preceded by — |
Count of Dreux 1413?–1415 |
Succeeded by Charles II |
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