CHARLES, ST., called THE GOOD (le Bon), or THE DANE (c. 1084-1127), count of Flanders, was the only son of St. Canute or Knut IV., king of Denmark, by Adela, daughter of Robert the Frisian, count of Flanders. On the assassination of Canute in his widow fled to Flanders, with her son. Charles was brought up by his mother and grandfather, Robert the Frisian, on whose death he did great services to his uncle, Robert II., and his cousin, Baldwin VII., counts of Flanders. Baldwin died of a wound in 1119, and, having no issue, left his countship by will to Charles the Dane. Charles had to fight for his heritage, but he soon won, and secured his position by his clemency. He de voted himself to the welfare of his subjects, and exerted himself in the cause of Christianity, both by his bounty and by his ex ample. He well deserved the surname of Le Bon. He refused the crown of Jerusalem on the death of Baldwin, and in 1125 nomina tion as a candidate for the imperial crown in succession to Henry V. He was murdered while praying in the church of St. Donatian at Bruges on March 2, 1127, because, by throwing open granaries there in a famine, he had broken the merchants' monopoly.
See J. Perneel, Histoire du Regne de Charles le Bon, precede d'un resume de l'histoire de Flandres (Brussels, 1830) , and Charles le Bon, Comte de Flandre (Lille, 1853).