ith her and for the first twelve years of the marriage, he remained relatively faithful to her with just a few amours on the side.
Charlotte’s first four children were born in Burgundy. A son Louis was born in 1458 and lived until 1460. Joachim, born in 1459, died shortly after birth as did Louise in 1460. A daughter Anne was born on April 3, 1461, just before Louis became king. She would marry Peter II, Duke of Bourbon and would serve as regent of France for her young brother Charles when he became king upon their father’s death.
On July 17, 1461, Louis received word that his father was dying. He made a hasty retreat from Burgundy to Paris to claim his crown, without saying goodbye to the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy. Charlotte was left behind at their temporary home in Genappe and Louis instructed her to borrow whatever carts she could find from Isabella, the Countess of Charolais who lived nearby in Quesnoy. Isabella sent her equerry with carts, carriages and wagons. Charlotte packed up and also left without saying goodbye or thanks to the Duke, Duchess or Countess.
King Charles VII died on July 22, 1461 and Louis and Charlotte became King and Queen of France. Louis was preoccupied with the affairs of his kingdom and didn’t really hold court like other comparable monarchs. Charlotte played no political role in her husband’s administration. Louis kept her in isolation in the Château of Amboise on the Loire in an effort to keep her and her servants away from court intrigue.
As Queen, Charlotte had four more children. Jeanne was born on April 23, 1464 and would live until 1505. She was briefly Queen of France as the first wife of King Louis XII. On December 4, 1466, Charlotte gave birth to a baby boy, who was baptized quickly and named Francois. He died shortly thereafter. Charlotte’s grief was great as this would have been the much wanted heir. Finally on June 30, 1470, Charlotte gave birth to the future King Charles VIII. Another boy named Francis was born in 1472 but he only lived until he was three months short of his first birthday. A chronicler stated that after the death of this child, Louis swore he would be faithful to Charlotte from then on. The chronicler Phillip de Commynes confirms he kept this vow.
Charlotte’s life at Amboise was monotonous and secluded. She was surrounded by her children, her servants and several of her sisters. She spent her time playing chess and marbles, listening to her lute player, doing needlework and following devotional pursuits. Phillip de Commynes described Charlotte saying she “was not one of those women in whom a man would take great pleasure but in all a very good lady.” A diarist from a Bohemian embassy in 1466 described the Queen: “verily it was a pity she was but a middling handsome woman”. Despite this she was virtuous and considered very stylish by the French court.
While Louis was in charge of the education of their son Charles, Charlotte supervised her daughters’ education. Louis would visit Charlotte at Amboise where he enjoyed the hunting and the rustic atmosphere of the castle. On June 8, 1470, Louis had a meeting with the powerful Earl of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence from England. They were taken to Amboise and greeted by the heavily pregnant Queen. She received kisses from them both.
Charlotte was an avid reader and acquired many books. She had a splendid library in her home. Louis did not always fund her household to the fullest so she couldn’t print her own books but she managed to keep a bookseller at all times. Upon her death her collection consisted of about one hundred manuscripts, mostly devotional works. Her library would become the genesis of the Bibliothèque nationale of France.
Louis died on August 30, 1483. Charlotte followed him in death on the first of December that same year. They were both buried in the Notre-Dame de Clery Basilica in Clery-Saint-André. Charlotte was devoted to her husband all her life.
Further reading: “Louis XI: The Universal Spider” by Paul Murray Kendall, “Isabel of Portugal: The Duchess Who Played Politics in the Age of Joa