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Charles de France, duc de Berry (31 July 1686 – 5 May 1714) was, as a son of the Dauphin, a Fils de France. He was a member of the House of Bourbon.
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Birth
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The factual accuracy of this section is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.(August 2008) |
Born at the Château de Versailles, he was the youngest son of Louis de France (known as "le Grand Dauphin") and Maria Anna of Bavaria, and therefore was a grandson of Louis XIV of France.
He was given the title "duc de Berry" at his birth and would hold it till his death. In 1714, Berry received the duchies of Alençon and of Angoulême, but predominantly continued to use the title of Berry. He was also comte de Ponthieu.
As the third son of the Dauphin, Berry was never born to be inherit the throne; and at his father's death in 1711, it was his oldest brother Louis de France, duc de Bourgogne who was to become Dauphin.
Marriage
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The factual accuracy of this section is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.(August 2008) |
In spite of the fact that it was not considered likely, at his birth, that he should succeed to the throne, he was still a Fils de France and, as a male-line descendant of Hugh Capet, had rights to the succession. As a result of the prestige of such a match with such a prince, many cadet branches of the royal family sought to marry one of their daughters to him. For instance, Berry's illegitimate aunt, Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, princesse de Condé proposed her beautiful daughter, Louise-Élisabeth de Bourbon-Condé; but the marriage proposal was later abandoned, much to the annoyance of the House of Bourbon-Condé.
Her sister, Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, duchesse d'Orléans, then suggested a union with her eldest daughter, Marie Louise Elisabeth d'Orléans (20 August 1695 – 21 July 1719). The union with Marie Louise Elisabeth, daughter of Philippe II, duc d'Orléans, future Regent of France, happened on 6 July 1710. It was an unhappy marriage, and after a miscarriage during Marie Louise Elisabeth's first pregnancy, she never gave birth to a child that lived for more than a day.
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Duchess Dowager and the grandmother of Berry's wife, nicknamed him "Berry-Bon Coeur" ("Berry Good Heart") and later wrote on the marriage between him and her granddaughter:
At first he was passionately fond of his wife; but at the end of three months he fell in love with a little, ugly, femme de chambre. The Duchess, who had sufficient penetration, was not slow in discovering this, and told her husband immediately that, if he continued to live upon good terms with her, as he had done at first, she would say nothing about it, and act as if she were not acquainted with it; but if he behaved ill, she would tell the whole affair to the King, and have the femme de chambre sent away, so that he should never hear of her again. By this threat she held the Duke, who was a very simple man, so completely in check, that he lived very well with her up to his death, leaving her to do as she pleased, and dying himself as fond as ever of the femme de chambre. A year before his death he had her married, but on the condition that the husband should not exercise his marital rights. He left her pregnant as well as his wife, both of whom lay-in after his decease. Madame de Berry, who was not jealous, retained this woman, and took care of her and her child.history source needed
 Charles de France, duc de Berry |
 (L-R) le Grand Dauphin; Philippe, duc d'Anjou sitting on the floor; Berry on his mother's lap with Louis, duc de Bourgogne on the right |
Anticipated regency and death
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The factual accuracy of this section is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page.(August 2008) |
Following the death of Berry's eldest brother, Louis, in 1712, it appeared very likely, given the old age of the King, Louis XIV, and the youth of Louis XIV's great-grandson and heir, that a regency should ensue upon his death and that Berry would be the future Regent of France in that likelihood. Berry, however, had until then been largely untutored in statecraft and governance, due in part to the fear of ambitious younger sons seizing power. Accordingly, he began to attend the councils of state, in preparation for his new intended role as future Regent of France.
However, on 5 May 1714, Berry died from internal injuries sustained in a hunting accident. Berry's death led Louis XIV, not eager for the regency to be overly controlled by his nephew Philippe II, duc d'Orléans, to increase the power of his illegitimate sons——Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine and Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse——by making them Princes du Sang and giving them many offices.
Children
From the marriage between Berry and his wife came three children. Unfortunately, none of them lived past their first year. As a result, the Bourbon-Berry line of the House of Bourbon became extinct at Berry's death. The children were:
- Louise de Berry (Born and died in 1711)
- Charles de Berry, duc d’Alençon (1713 - 1713)
- Marie-Louise-Élisabeth de Berry (1714 - 1714)
Ancestors
References
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- Mitford, Nancy, The Sun King
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