CHARLES VII. (1403-61). King of France front 1422 to 1461. lie was the fifth S011 and the successor of Charles VI., and was born on Feb ruary 22, 1403. 1Vhen his father died Charles had little prospect of ruling France. Paris and almost all the north were in the Lands of the English, who proclaimed as King Ifeury VI of England, who was then IR months old, and made the Duke of Bedford regent. For the first six years Charles showed little energy, and was compelled by the English to evacuate Cham pagne and Maine. In 1427 the Freneh forces obtained their first success. when the English failed in their siege of :Nlontargis; but in Oc tober. 1428, the latter invested OrMans, which was the most important city held by the party of Charles. and on February 12. 1429, the French met with a disastrous defeat at Harengs. At this critical moment Joan of Arc (q.v.) eame to the King's aid. and the siege of Orli•ans was raised on May 8. 1429. Charlec was consecrat ed King at Rheims. July 17, 1429. The English gradually lost their possessions in France, and the Duke of Burgundy, their ally. went over to Charles. The latter entered Paris in 1436, and
in the following years the English lost all their French possessions except Calais. The last, bat tle. a disastrous defeat for the English. was at Castillon, July 17, 1453. After he was estab lished on the throne. Charles devoted himself to the reorganization of the Government, to the re form of the finances, and to the formation of a powerful and well-disciplined army. Ile strove by every means to increase his own power, hut his government was not despotic. mid France recovered from the effects of the terrible calami ties of the long war. Charles encouraged com merce and literature, and had the prosperity of his subjects at heart: but he was timid and ir resolute. afraid of plots against himself, and almost continuously under the control of some woman. Ile made no effort to save the Maid of OrVans from her fate. For many years he yielded in almost. everything to the wishes of his mistress, Agnes Sorel, who, however, exer cised a beneficent influence over him. See AGNES SOREL.