Birth of King Philip III “The Bold” of France
Philip was born in Poissy 30th April 1245, the son of King Louis IX of France and Margaret of Provence.
As a younger son, Philip was not expected to become King of France.
He had an elder brother Prince Louis, who fell ill after Christmas 1259 and died shortly after New Year, aged fifteen.
Upon the death of his elder brother, Philip became the heir to the throne.
Philip was then 15 years old, he had a gentle character, was submissive and timid.
Having two parents with such strong personalities, Philip often felt overwhelmed.
On 6th May 1262, Philip married Isabella, daughter of King James I of Aragon and his second wife Yolande of Hungary.
They had four sons together.
Louis.
Philippe IV King of France.
Robert.
Charles, Count of Valois.
Philip accompanied his father on the Eighth Crusade to Tunis in 1270.
The army was struck by an epidemic of dysentery.
The disease quickly spread, infecting both the king and Philip.
On 25th August the King died.
To prevent putrefaction of his remains, it was decided to carry out ‘mos Teutonicus’, the process of rendering the flesh from the bones, to make transporting the remains feasible.
Philip, only 25 years old and stricken with dysentery, was proclaimed king in Tunis.
Isabella had accompanied her husband on the Eighth Crusade against Tunis.
On 11th January 1271, while journeying home, Isabella suffered a fall from her horse.
She was six months pregnant with her fifth child.
Isabella gave birth to a premature stillborn son.
She never recovered from her injuries and the childbirth, and died seventeen days later, on 28th January 1271.
Isabella’s death was a devastating blow to her husband.
Heartbroken, Philip took the bodies of Isabella and their stillborn son home.
When he finally returned to France, Philip buried them in the Basilica of St Denis.
Isabella’s tomb, like many others, was desecrated during the French Revolution in 1793.
Philip went on to marry Marie of Brabant in 1274. They had three children:
Louis.
Blanche.
Margaret – Queen of England as the second wife of King Edward I of England.
Philip maintained most of his father’s domestic policies, and made numerous territorial acquisitions during his reign – the most notable being the County of Toulouse.
Philip, at the urging of his wife Marie, and his uncle Charles of Naples, launched a war against the Kingdom of Aragon.
Philip led an unsuccessful Crusade in his uncles name, and was forced to retreat.
Like history repeating itself, an epidemic of dysentery then hit the French camp.
King Philip died of dysentery on 5th October 1285.
Following the ‘mos Teutonicus’ custom, Philip’s body was divided in several parts, with each buried in different places.
His flesh was sent to the Narbonne Cathedral, his entrails to La Noë Abbey in Normandy, his heart to the now-demolished Church of the Couvent des Jacobins in Paris.
His bones were sent to the Basilica of Saint-Denis.
Philip was succeeded by his second surviving son as King Philip IV the Fair, who was crowned King of France on 6th January 1286, in Reims.
Philip’s attempt to conquer Aragon nearly bankrupted the French monarchy, causing financial challenges for his son Philip IV.
