PHILIP VI. (1293-1350). King of France from 1328 to 1350, the first King of the house of Valois. He was the son of Charles of Valois. younger brother of Philip IV. At first Regent of France on the death of Charles 1V., the proclamation of a king being deferred on account of the pregnancy of Charles IV.'s widow, he was crowned at Rheims on Nay 29, 1328, after the Queen had given birth to a girl. His right to the throne was denied by Edward III. of England, the grandson of Philip TV., who de clared that females, though excluded by the Salle law, could transmit their rights to their children, and, therefore, insisted upon the superiority of his own claims. Philip's reign commenced glori ously, for, marching into Flanders to support the Count against his rebellious subjects, lie wiped out the disgrace of Courtrai by vanquishing the Flemings at Cassel. August 23, 1328. The rela tions with England were very strained, and in 1337 the Hundred Years' War (q.v.) began, mainly through Philip's own fault. It was car ried on languidly for several years. the only prominent incident being the destruetion of the French fleet off Sluis, June 24, 1340. Philip was very extravagant and delighted in maintain ing a brilliant court. The constant round of
fries and tournaments was never interrupted, even when the war had well nigh exhausted the wealth of the country, for the money to carry them on was immediately provided by some new tax, by an arbitrary change in the coinage, or by sonic fresh confiscation. In 133S the States-Gen eral declared that their consent was necessary for the imposition of new taxes. but Philip evad ed all restraints which were imposed. In 1346 Edward III. landed in Normandy, ravaged the country to the environs of Paris, and totally defeated Philip at Cif.:cy (q.v.). A truce was then concluded by Papal mediation in 1347, but the kingdom had no sooner been released from war than destruetion in another and more ter rible form, that of the 'black death' (q.v.), ap peared. Nevertheless the extravagance at the Court was as great as ever. During Philip's reign the royal domain was increased by the addition of Valois, Chartres, Anjou, Maine, ( 'han)pagne, Brie, and Dauphine, but diminished by the ex change of Navarre for Champagne and Brie. ('on ult and Rambaud. Histoirc fp'nirale, iii. (Paris. 1894), for a good general sketch and bibliography. See FRANCE.