Philippe VI of France
King of France
"The realm of France cannot pass to a woman, nor through a woman."
Biography
Philippe VI became King of France in 1328 through the Salic Law, which excluded women and their male descendants from the French succession — the very law that Edward III of England used as the pretext for his rival claim. Philippe's reign was a series of humiliations: his fleet was destroyed at Sluys, his army annihilated at Crécy, and his kingdom ravaged by the Black Death. His refusal to cede any territory despite these defeats kept the war alive, and his failure to develop a counter to the English longbow condemned French knights to repeated slaughter.
Did you know?
Philippe VI bought the Dauphiné region (southeastern France) in 1349 — establishing the tradition of the French crown prince being called the 'Dauphin,' a title that persisted until the French Revolution.
Key Battles
Battle of Sluys
England victoryJune 24, 1340 · 22,000 total casualties
England's decisive naval victory at Sluys secured English control of the English Channel for years, allowing Edward to transport armies to France without interference. It was said that so many French knights drowned that the fish learned to speak French. The battle established English naval superiority that would persist for much of the war.
Battle of Crécy
England victoryAugust 26, 1346 · 4,300 total casualties
Crécy shattered the myth of the armored knight's invincibility and demonstrated the dominance of the English longbow. It was one of the earliest battles in which disciplined ranged fire routed a numerically superior cavalry force, foreshadowing the end of the chivalric age of mounted warfare. The Black Prince won his spurs here at age sixteen.
Life Journey
Timeline
1293
🌅 Birth
Born in France, son of Charles of Valois
May 29, 1328
📍 Posting
Crowned King of France at Reims, founding the House of Valois
June 24, 1340
⚔️ Battle
His fleet destroyed at the Battle of Sluys
August 26, 1346
⚔️ Battle
Defeated and flees from the Battle of Crécy
August 22, 1350
✝️ Death
Dies at Nogent-le-Roi, France