Louis X of France

Louis X, known as the Quarrelsome, was the King of France from 1314 until his death in 1316. He was also the King of Navarre from 1305. During his time as king, he made changes that helped some people, like allowing serfs who could pay to become free and letting Jews return to live in the kingdom.

His rule was difficult because he had many arguments with the nobility. These arguments started because of changes his father made to collect money and strengthen the power of the king.

Louis X faced sad times in his personal life. His first wife, Margaret, was involved in a scandal and was found guilty of being unfaithful. She was imprisoned and passed away in 1815. Later that same year, Louis married Clémence of Hungary. Unfortunately, Louis passed away in 1316, and Clémence was expecting a baby at the time. When the baby boy was born, he was named King John I, but he lived only five days. After John I’s passing, Louis’s brother Philip became the next king, known as Philip V of France.

Biography

Louis was born in Paris, the eldest son of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre. He became the ruler of kingdom of Navarre in 1305 after his mother passed away and was crowned in 1307. At just 15 years old, he married Margaret of Burgundy, and they had a daughter named Joan. Louis was called "the Quarrelsome" because of the many disagreements during his time as ruler.

During the later years of his father's rule, Louis and Margaret were linked to a big scandal called the Tour de Nesle affair. In 1314, Margaret and two other queens, Blanche and Joan, were arrested for alleged actions against their husbands. Margaret and Blanche were tried and found guilty, and faced serious consequences, while Joan was proven innocent. After his father died in 1314, Louis became King of France, though Margaret remained in prison and could not be officially crowned as queen. She passed away in 1315, and Louis married again just five days later to Clémence of Hungary. They were crowned together at Reims later that year.

Marriage and issue

In 1305, Louis married Margaret of Burgundy, and they had a daughter named Joan II of Navarre. Sadly, Margaret faced serious troubles and passed away in 1315. Later that same year, Louis married Clémence of Hungary. She had a baby boy named John I of France just a few months after Louis died. The baby boy didn’t live long, and this caused some disagreement about who should be the next king. Louis also had another daughter, Eudeline, with someone else, and she later became a leader in a group of nuns in Paris.

Domestic policy

Louis was king of Navarre for eleven years and king of France for less than two years. His time as king was mostly spent dealing with fights among noble groups in the kingdom. He also worked on changes to bring in more money for the kingdom. One big change was letting French serfs buy their freedom and allowing Jews to return to live in France.

Because of growing anger over taxes and changes made during his father's rule, groups of nobles started to rebel when Louis became king. Some nobles formed groups to demand changes. A man named Charles of Valois helped Louis bring serious charges against a former minister named Enguerrand de Marigny. These charges led to de Marigny's execution, and this helped calm down some of the nobles.

In 1315, Louis made a rule that allowed serfs to be free if they could pay for it. This was meant to help pay for a war against Flanders. Serfs had to buy their freedom, and a group of officials was set up to decide how much each serf would pay.

Louis also changed the rules about Jews in France. His father had made Jews leave France in 1306. Louis decided to let them return, but only for twelve years and with certain rules. Jews had to wear a special mark, live in certain areas, and follow other conditions. This was the first time French Jews had such rules, and their safety depended on the king.

Death and legacy

Louis enjoyed playing a game called jeu de paume, or real tennis. He was the first person to build indoor tennis courts, which he did in Paris around the end of the 13th century. Soon, other royal palaces across Europe followed his example.

Louis passed away on 5 June 1316 at Vincennes after an exhausting game of tennis and drinking a lot of cooled wine. He is believed to have died from either pneumonia or pleurisy. He and his second wife Clémence are buried in Saint Denis Basilica. At the time of his death, Clémence was expecting a baby, which created uncertainty about who would inherit the throne. His brother Philip served as regent until the baby, John I, was born, though the child only lived for five days. After this, Philip claimed the thrones of France and Navarre.

In fiction

King Louis X is an important character in the book series Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings), written by Maurice Druon. This series tells stories about French history. In 1972, there was a French television show based on these books, where Louis was played by an actor named Georges Ser. Later, in 2005, another television show was made, and this time Louis was played by Guillaume Depardieu.