Philip III of France

French Monarchy-
Capetian Dynasty
(direct Capetians branch)

Hugh Capet Children    Robert II Robert II Children    Henry I    Robert I, Duke of Burgundy Henry I Children    Philip I    Hugh, Count of Vermandois Philip I Children    Louis VI Louis VI Children    Louis VII    Robert I of Dreux Louis VII Children    Mary, Countess of Champagne    Alix    Marguerite    Alys, Countess of the Vexin    Philip II    Agnes, Empress of Constantinople Philip II (Philip Augustus) Children    Louis VIII Louis VIII Children    Louis IX    Robert I, Count of Artois    Alphonse, Count of Poitou and Toulouse    Isabel of France    Charles I of Anjou and Sicily Louis IX Children    Philip III    Robert, Count of Clermont    Agnes, Duchess of Burgundy Philip III Children    Philip IV    Charles III, Count of Valois    Louis d'Evreux    Margaret of France Philip IV Children    Louis X    Philip V    Isabella of France    Charles IV Louis X Children    Joan II of Navarre    John I John I Philip V Charles IV

Philip III (French: Philippe III; April 30, 1245– October 5, 1285) reigned as King of France from 1270 to 1285. A member of the Capetian dynasty, he was born in Poissy, the son of Louis IX of France and of Marguerite Berenger of Provence (1221-1295). He is nicknamed the Bold (le Hardi).

At the age of 25 he ascended to the throne. Indecisive, and dominated by the policies of his father, he followed the dictates of others, first of Pierre de la Broce and then of his uncle Charles I of Anjou, king of Naples.

In 1284, the last year of his reign, Philip, in order to help his uncle Charles, who had lost Sicily to King Pedro III of Aragon, joined the unsuccessful attempt to conquer Aragon, the Aragonese Crusade. In the aftermath of this struggle, while retreating from Girona, Philippe III died on October 5, 1285 at Perpignan (in the present-day département of Pyrénées-Orientales). He lies buried with his wife, Isabella of Aragon (1247 - 1271) in Saint Denis Basilica.

Marriage and Children

On 28 May 1262, Philip III married Isabella of Aragon, daughter of James I of Aragon and his second wife Yolande of Hungary, daughter of Andrew II of Hungary, and had the following children:

1. Louis - (1266 - May 1276)
2. Philippe IV - (1268 - November 29, 1314)
3. Charles de Valois - (March 12, 1270 - December 16, 1325)

After Isabella's death, he married on August 21, 1274, Marie de Brabant, daughter of Henry III of Brabant and Adelaide of Burgundy.

The children of Philippe III and Marie de Brabant were:

1. Louis d'Evreux - (May 1276 - May 19, 1319) (married: Marguerite d' Artois)
2. Blanche - (1278 - March 19, 1305) (married: Rudolph III, duke of Austria)
3. Marguerite - (1282 - February 14, 1317) (married: Edward I of England)

King Philippe III's son, Philippe IV, succeeded him on the throne.

Miscellaneous

In the Divine Comedy Dante sees Philip's spirit outside the gates of Purgatory with a number of other contemporary European rulers. Dante does not name Philip directly, but refers to him as "the small-nosed" and "the father of the Pest of France".

Preceded by: Louis IX

King of France 1270–1285

Succeeded by: Philip IV