Charles VI
King of France
Biography
Charles VI, known as 'the Beloved' (le Bien-Aimรฉ) and later as 'the Mad' (le Fou), ruled France during a critical period of the Hundred Years' War.
Beginning in his mid-twenties, he experienced increasingly severe bouts of mental illness. During these episodes, he sometimes failed to recognize his own wife and children, or suffered from the delusion that he was made of glass and would shatter if touched.
His incapacity created a power vacuum that led to a bitter civil war among French nobles. Taking advantage of this chaos, King Henry V of England invaded France and won a crushing victory at Agincourt.
In 1420, a mentally incapacitated Charles VI was forced to sign the disastrous Treaty of Troyes. This treaty disinherited his own son, Dauphin Charles (the future Charles VII), and recognized Henry V of England as his heir. His tragic illness profoundly destabilized France and nearly brought the kingdom to its complete destruction.