Valois

(proper noun)

A cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, succeeding the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") as kings of France from 1328 to 1589. A cadet branch of the family reigned as dukes of Burgundy from 1363 to 1482. They were descendants of Charles of Valois, the fourth son of King Philip III. They based their claim on the Salic law, which excluded females (Joan II of Navarre) as well as male descendants through the distaff line (Edward III of England), from the succession to the French throne.

Related Terms

Examples of Valois in the following topics:

  • Chartreuse de Champmol

    • The monastery was founded in 1383, by Duke Philip the Bold, to provide a dynastic burial place for the Valois Dukes of Burgundy, and operated until it was dissolved in 1791, during the French Revolution.
    • The Valois dynasty of Burgundy had less than a century to run when the monastery was founded.
    • The number of Valois tombs never approached that of their Capetian predecessors at CĂ®teaux, as the choir of the church was not large enough to accommodate them.
    • Discuss how the Carthusian monastery Chartreuse de Champmol became "the grandest project in a reign renowned for extravagance" under the Valois dynasty of Burgundy