Philip IV of France Biography

(King of France (1285 - 1314) and King of Navarre (1284 - 1305))

Birthday: June 1, 1268 (Gemini)

Born In: Fontainebleau, France

Philip IV, also known as Philip the Fair, was the king of France from 1285 to 1314, and became the king of Navarre and the count of Champagne through his marriage to Joan I of Navarre. During his rule as the king of France, for nearly 3 decades, Philip and his advisors played a key role in transforming the nation from a feudal country to a centralized state. While ruling, he would rely on skilled civil servants instead of nobles. He remained influential in European affairs and aimed at making his relatives rule foreign kingdoms. Although he managed to place princes from his house to the thrones of Hungary and Naples, he failed in case of the Holy Roman Emperor. He expanded France eastward, through the control of scattered fiefs. Two of his notable victories were in the Anglo–French War (1294–1303) and the Franco–Flemish War (1297 and 1305). He was deeply in debt to the order of the ‘Knights Templar’ and to the Jews and completely destroyed the former and expelled the latter. His final year was marked with the royal family scandal called the ‘Tour de Nesle’ affair. His eldest son, Louis X, succeeded him as the king of France.

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Quick Facts

French Celebrities Born In June

Also Known As: Philip the Fair, The Iron King

Died At Age: 46

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Joan I of Navarre (m. 1284)

father: Philip III of France

mother: Isabella of Aragon, Queen of France

siblings: Charles, Count of Valois

children: Charles IV of France, Isabella of France, Louis X of France, Philip V of France

Born Country: France

Emperors & Kings French Men

Died on: November 29, 1314

place of death: Fontainebleau, France

Cause of Death: Horse-riding Accident

  • 1

    What were the key achievements of Philip IV of France during his reign?

    Philip IV of France, also known as Philip the Fair, achieved significant centralization of power, strengthened the monarchy, reformed the administration and legal system, and successfully clashed with the papacy during the Avignon Papacy.
  • 2

    How did Philip IV of France handle the Templar Order?

    Philip IV ordered the arrest and suppression of the Templar Order in 1307, accusing them of heresy and other offenses. This led to the dissolution of the order and the execution of many of its members.
  • 3

    What was the impact of Philip IV's expulsion of the Jews from France in 1306?

    Philip IV's expulsion of the Jews from France in 1306, had significant economic consequences as the Jewish community played a key role in financial activities. It also led to social tensions and affected the kingdom's financial stability.

  • 4

    How did Philip IV of France contribute to the development of Paris as a cultural and political center?

    Philip IV played a crucial role in promoting Paris as a cultural and political center by supporting the construction of key landmarks such as the Louvre Palace and by establishing institutions that enhanced the city's prestige.
  • 5

    What was the significance of Philip IV's conflict with Pope Boniface VIII?

    Philip IV's conflict with Pope Boniface VIII, known as the "Boniface VIII vs. Philip IV" controversy, highlighted the struggle for power between the monarchy and the papacy, ultimately asserting the authority of the French crown over the church in certain matters.
Childhood & Early Life

Philip IV was born in 1268, at the ‘Palace of Fontainebleau’ in France, to the future Philip III, the Bold, a member of the ‘House of Capet,’ and his first wife, Isabella of Aragon. He was the second of their four sons. At the time of his birth, his grandfather, Louis IX, was the king of France, while his father was the heir apparent of the kingdom.

After Louis IX died on August 25, 1270, Philip III became the king of France and Philip IV’s elder brother, Louis, became the heir apparent. Philip’s mother suffered a fall from her horse while she was 6 months pregnant and died on January 28, 1271, before his father’s coronation ceremony was held in August that year. Philip also lost one of his younger brothers, Robert, that year.

After Louis died in May 1276, possibly under mysterious circumstances, Philip IV became the heir apparent to the French throne. Guillaume d'Ercuis, the almoner of Philip III, was his tutor.

The Aragonese Crusade carried out against Peter III of Aragon during 1284–1285 concluded with an Aragonese victory. It is speculated that Philip IV may have been involved in negotiations regarding the safe removal of Crusader troops, but historical records on this are inconclusive.

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Reign
Philip’s marriage with Joan I of Navarre, who was the queen of Navarre and the countess of Champagne, on August 16, 1284, led him to become King of Navarre Philip I and also the count of Champagne. His royal domain expanded after this union, as Champagne and Brie, inherited by Joan I, were annexed to his kingdom. The addition of the prosperous Champagne saw a considerable increase in the French royal revenue and the withdrawal of the autonomy of a large semi-independent fief.
Following his father’s death on October 5, 1285, Philip became the king of France. His coronation ceremony was held on January 6, 1286, at the ‘Reims Cathedral.’ He maintained distance from the public. He executed certain policies for his ministers, including the ones considered unpopular, and trusted and depended on a professional bureaucracy of legalists. Philip aimed at strengthening and expanding his kingdom. His rule saw the transition of France into a more bureaucratic kingdom, considered by many as a step toward modernity.
With the Aragonese affair being settled during the initial stage of his reign, Philip focussed in reinforcing the efforts of his predecessors in reforming and rationalizing the administration. He gave instructions to look into the conduct of royal officials. His moves, however, were not taken well by the ecclesiastics, nobles, and townsmen of his kingdom, who had earlier made profits from the more lenient policies of his predecessors.
One of the most notable wars during Philip’s reign was the Anglo–French War that revolved around Gascony and occurred from 1294 to 1298 and from 1300 to 1303. King of England Edward I held the Duchy of Aquitaine as a fief and a vassal to Philip and paid homage to Philip. The relation between the two allies, however, strained after the Fall of Acre in 1291.
Things started deteriorating after a naval dispute between the English and the Normans (an ethnic group that originated in Normandy) in 1293. Following this, Edward I attempted to use his family connections to avoid war. Edward I also got engaged to Philip's sister, Margaret. In view of their upcoming wedding, it was decided that Edward I would voluntarily relinquish his continental lands to Philip as a sign of submission in his capacity as the duke of Aquitaine. In return, Philip would forgive Edward and restore his land after a grace period. This agreement maintained peace until 1294.
The outbreak of hostilities with England in 1294 was the inevitable result of the competitive expansionist monarchies.
Although the Gascony campaign of 1294 that lasted till 1303 witnessed French military victory, the war concluded after Philip and Edward I signed the ‘Treaty of Paris’ on May 20, 1303. The treaty restored the English possession of Aquitaine and Gascony, apart from confirming Philip's daughter Isabella’s marriage with Edward I’s son, Edward of Caernarvon (later King Edward II of England). The war, nevertheless, set the stage for future conflicts between France and England, paving way for the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453).
Another major conflict that occurred during his reign was the Franco–Flemish War fought between the French kingdom and the County of Flanders between 1297 and 1305. The Flemish victory on July 11, 1302, during the Battle of the Golden Spurs, a conflict between royal French army and rebellious forces of the County of Flanders, in pursuit of suppressing an uprising in Flanders, caused a lot of embarrassment to Philip.
He wanted to avenge the defeat of the Battle of the Golden Spurs and led the French army in person in the Battle of Mons-en-Pévèle on August 18, 1304. The latter resulted in a decisive French victory and the signing of the ‘Treaty of Athis-sur-Orge’ on June 23, 1305. According to the somewhat harsh treaty that the Flemish were compelled to accept, Walloon Flanders, comprising the burgraviates of Lille, Douai, and Orchies, was added to the French kingdom, while the independence of the Flanders as a fief of the French kingdom was recognized.
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He maintained diplomacy with the Mongols and had contacts with the mighty Mongols in the Middle East. Although Franco–Mongol alliances against the Muslim Mamluks were planned several times, Philip never executed military plans related to this venture.
When Philip ascended to the French throne, the kingdom was already under heavy debt incurred from his father’s war with Aragon. Although he managed to pay off the debt, his subsequent wars with Aragon, England, and Flanders, along with the decline in silver production in Saxony, led his government into fiscal deficits.
Philip was in debt to both the Jews of France and the order of the ‘Knights Templar’ and considered them as a "state within the state.” On July 22, 1306, he ordered the expulsion of the Jews. He confiscated their property on August 23 that year. He also destroyed the order of the ‘Knights Templar’ the following year, thus erasing his debt against both.
In pursuit of bolstering his monarchy, Philip attempted to raise the tax of the French clergy. This was followed by a fierce conflict with Pope Boniface VIII, leading to the arrest and maltreatment of the Pope by Philip, the former’s death in 1303, and the eventual transfer of the papal court to the enclave of Avignon in 1309.
In 1312, he won Lyon for France.
Philip’s last year witnessed a scandal in the French royal family, the ‘Tour de Nesle’ affair, when his three daughters-in-law, Margaret, Blanche, and Joan were accused of adultery. It led to tortures, imprisonments, and executions.
Family & Personal Life
Philip had a fulfilling married life with Joan I, palpable from the fact that he refrained from remarriage following her death in 1305. Their children included Louis X, Philip V, Charles IV, and Isabella.
Philip died on November 29, 1314, in Fontainebleau, after suffering a cerebral stroke a few weeks earlier, while hunting at Pont-Sainte-Maxence. He was interred in the ‘Basilica of St. Denis.’ Louis X, who had earlier succeeded Joan I as King of Navarre Louis I following her death, succeeded Philip as the king of France.
Facts About Philip IV of France
Philip IV of France was known for his keen interest in astrology and alchemy, often seeking out practitioners of these arts for guidance and advice.
He established the first royal library in France, known as the Bibliothèque Royale, which housed a vast collection of manuscripts and rare books.
Philip IV was a patron of the arts and commissioned many important works of art during his reign, contributing to the cultural flourishing of France during the 14th century.
He is credited with modernizing the French tax system and implementing reforms that strengthened the economy and centralized power in the monarchy.

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