On 29 May 1328, King Philip VI was crowned at Reims Cathedral and ascended the throne of France under extraordinary circumstances. Although he was a member of the Valois royal family, his claim to the throne was untenable to the onlookers. During his reign, people nicknamed him "Lucky One". Perhaps this reflects his ability to retain power in the face of adversity, as he has been battling potential usurpers, long wars, and the Black Death that swept through France and much of Europe in the mid-14th century.
Philip's legacy lies largely in the effects of the Hundred Years' War, which broke down from 1337 to 1453, reshaping the balance of power in Europe and shaping the national boundaries of modern England and France. In 1328, King Charles IV of France died, leaving no male heir, and controversy arose about his successor. King Edward III of England was indeed closest in blood to the late king— he was the son of Charles IV's sister Isabella, the nephew of the late king. However, Philip of Valois, the cousin of Charles IV, became the first French king of the House of Valois by invoking the Salic Succession Act. The Salic Succession Law is an ancient code of law dating back to the time of Clovis in the 6th century AD, when Clovis was the first Frankish king. After a meeting of French nobles and clergy, the Salic Succession Act made women ineligible to inherit the French throne and held that subsequent succession to the throne by female blood was invalid.
The Battle of Cércy was an important victory for England in the Hundred Years' War, which put King Philip VI of France in a difficult position
Therefore, Isabella could not pass the throne to her son, because she herself never had the right to the throne in law. When Charles IV died, his widow, Jeanne de Évle, was pregnant. If she gave birth to a boy, she would be the heir to the throne. Philip served as regent until 1 April 1328, when Charles IV's daughter Blanche was born, which opened the door for Philip to ascend to the throne.
Although Edward III acquiesced to the coronation of Philip VI and the two maintained a fairly harmonious relationship for several years, a series of disagreements eventually led to the outbreak of the Hundred Years' War. During that period, the kings and barons of England controlled fiefs or ducal fiefs, large tracts of land on the European continent that later became part of today's France. When Edward was forced to pay tribute to Philip for his French territory in Aquitaine and elsewhere, the English monarch delivered a speech that raised questions about his loyalty by many.
During France's most turbulent decades, King Philip VI ruled for more than 20 years
Soon after becoming king, Philip responded to a plea for help from Louis I, Count of Flanders. Over the past five years, a peasant uprising against excessive taxation and Louis's pro-French policies has erupted from time to time. Philip sent French troops to intervene, ruthlessly suppressed the rebellion, and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Caselle in August 1328. In 1334, the King of France angered Edward III because he had sheltered King David II of Scotland and vowed to protect the interests of the Bruce family during the ongoing conflict between England and Scotland. Three years later, Edward fought back and allied himself with Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
As tensions grew, relations between the two countries reached a tipping point: Robert III of Artois (a former adviser trusted by Philip), who fled to England after committing a serious crime. His crimes included attempting to forge documents in order to obtain the title of Count of Artois in the event of opposition from members of the French royal family. In December 1336, Philip demanded that Robert be extradited to France for trial, but was refused, much to his indignation. On 24 May 1337, Philip announced the confiscation of Edward III's province of Aquitaine, as he was now a sworn enemy of France.
After the Battle of Clécy, King Philip VI took refuge in the Castle of Blois
Edward III regained the French throne, and the Subsequent Hundred Years' War turned into a tug-of-war due to the ups and downs of the fate of enemies and their allies. During the first three years, there was little military action, but in 1340 at the Battle of Sluis, Philip's navy suffered a devastating blow, which limited France's offensive capabilities. At the same time, divisions among the French nobility weakened Philip's power.
Fearing the growing influence of the Dukes of Burgundy, in 1343 a Great Council was convened in France. In August 1346, the English again severely wounded the French at the Battle of Crécy and besieged Calais. In July 1347, Philip led an army to the city, intending to rescue it. However, Edward's camp was strong, and philip retreated in August, and Calais fell into English hands, which lasted for 200 years. These major setbacks led to the refusal of the Council of the Three Estates (a class congress in France) to assess the tax revenues that continued to support the war. Philip's grand plan for a retaliatory invasion of England failed.
Queen Jeanne the Cripple served as regent, while her husband, King Philip VI, was not in the court
A few months later, the Black Death roared into France from Eastern Europe. About a third of the country's population died from the plague that lasted until 1353. The effects of this plague are widespread. The size of the labor force and army has been drastically reduced, production has been affected, and economic inflation has spiraled out of control. Efforts to control inflation, while successful, have further destabilized the French economy.
After the death of Philip's queen Jeanne of Burgundy in 1349, he became estranged from his son John and many French nobles. In January 1350, he married the beautiful Blanche of Navarre, 40 years his junior, a woman who had previously been engaged to his son John. Seven months later, Philip VI died at the age of 57. After his death, France remained in turmoil.
(Source: "Hundred Years' War")