Born in 1396 in Dijon, Philip was the son of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria.
His father succeeded Philip's grandfather Philip the Bold as Duke of Burgundy in 1404.
On 28 January 1405, Philip was named Count of Charolais in appanage of the duke and probably became engaged on the same day, at the age of 8, to Michelle of Valois, a daughter of King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria.
They were married in June 1409.

After Michelle's death in 1422, Philip married Bonne of Artois, a daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, and also the widow of his uncle, Philip II, Count of Nevers, in Moulins-les-Engelbert on 30 November 1424.
Bonne of Artois is sometimes confused with Philip's biological aunt, also named Bonne (a sister of John the Fearless who lived from 1379 to 1399), in part due to the papal dispensation required for the marriage, which made no distinction between a marital aunt and a biological aunt.
Bonne of Artois lived only a year after Philip married her.

Philip was married for a third time to Isabella of Portugal, a daughter of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, in Bruges on 7 January 1430, after a proxy marriage the year before.
This marriage produced three sons:
Anthony (30 September 1430, Brussels – 5 February 1432, Brussels), Count of Charolais;
Josse (24 April 1432 – aft.
6 May 1432), Count of Charolais;
Charles (10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), Count of Charolais and Philip's successor as Duke of Burgundy, known as "Charles the Bold" or "Charles the Rash"
Philip also had at least eighteen illegitimate children by various of his 24 documented mistresses, of whom these are the best known:
Corneille of Burgundy (c. 1420 – 1452), captain-general/governor of Luxembourg, killed in the Battle of Bazel (1452);
Anthony, bastard of Burgundy (1421–1504), lord of La Roche, Sainte-Menehould, Guînes, Lord of Crèvecoeur and Beveren;
David of Burgundy (c. 1427 – 1496), bishop of Therouanne and bishop of Utrecht, a fine amateur artist, and the subject of a biography in 1529;
Anne of Burgundy (c. 1435 – 1508), governess of Mary of Burgundy, married Adrian of Borssele and later Adolph of Cleves, Lord of Ravenstein;
Raphaël of Burgundy, also called Raphaël de Marcatellis (c. 1437 – 1508), abbot of the Saint-Bavo Abbey in Ghent and the Saint-Peter Abbey in Oudenburg;
Baldwin of Burgundy (c. 1446 – 1508), Lord of Fallais, Peer, Boudour, Sint-Annaland, Lovendegem, Zomergem en Fromont;
Philip of Burgundy (1464–1524), Bishop of Utrecht.

Corneille and Anthony were his favorite bastard sons and successively bore the title Grand bâtard de Bourgogne (first Corneille and after his death, Anthony).
Born in 1396 in Dijon, Philip was the son of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria. His father succeeded Philip's grandfather Philip the Bold as Duke of Burgundy in 1404. On 28 January 1405, Philip was named Count of Charolais in appanage of the duke and probably became engaged on the same day, at the age of 8, to Michelle of Valois, a daughter of King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. They were married in June 1409.
After Michelle's death in 1422, Philip married Bonne of Artois, a daughter of Philip of Artois, Count of Eu, and also the widow of his uncle, Philip II, Count of Nevers, in Moulins-les-Engelbert on 30 November 1424. Bonne of Artois is sometimes confused with Philip's biological aunt, also named Bonne (a sister of John the Fearless who lived from 1379 to 1399), in part due to the papal dispensation required for the marriage, which made no distinction between a marital aunt and a biological aunt. Bonne of Artois lived only a year after Philip married her.
Philip was married for a third time to Isabella of Portugal, a daughter of John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, in Bruges on 7 January 1430, after a proxy marriage the year before. This marriage produced three sons:
Anthony (30 September 1430, Brussels – 5 February 1432, Brussels), Count of Charolais;
Josse (24 April 1432 – aft. 6 May 1432), Count of Charolais;
Charles (10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), Count of Charolais and Philip's successor as Duke of Burgundy, known as "Charles the Bold" or "Charles the Rash"
Philip also had at least eighteen illegitimate children by various of his 24 documented mistresses, of whom these are the best known:
Corneille of Burgundy (c. 1420 – 1452), captain-general/governor of Luxembourg, killed in the Battle of Bazel (1452);
Anthony, bastard of Burgundy (1421–1504), lord of La Roche, Sainte-Menehould, Guînes, Lord of Crèvecoeur and Beveren;
David of Burgundy (c. 1427 – 1496), bishop of Therouanne and bishop of Utrecht, a fine amateur artist, and the subject of a biography in 1529;
Anne of Burgundy (c. 1435 – 1508), governess of Mary of Burgundy, married Adrian of Borssele and later Adolph of Cleves, Lord of Ravenstein;
Raphaël of Burgundy, also called Raphaël de Marcatellis (c. 1437 – 1508), abbot of the Saint-Bavo Abbey in Ghent and the Saint-Peter Abbey in Oudenburg;
Baldwin of Burgundy (c. 1446 – 1508), Lord of Fallais, Peer, Boudour, Sint-Annaland, Lovendegem, Zomergem en Fromont;
Philip of Burgundy (1464–1524), Bishop of Utrecht.
Corneille and Anthony were his favorite bastard sons and successively bore the title Grand bâtard de Bourgogne (first Corneille and after his death, Anthony).
Philip the Good