King Philip I of France

### Relatives

Bertada de Montfort (spouse), King Louis I of France (son), Constance Capet (daughter), Michiel Capet (son), Henry Capet (son)

## Early Life

Philip Capet was born to the one of the founding fathers of the Kingdom of France, Jacques Capet, who intended to make his eldest son, Philip, the first ruler over all of France.

Philip Capet was born in Gonesse, a small commune north of Paris as the eldest of four brothers. Whilst his father, Jacques Capet, was busy plotting to create a Kingdom, Philip Capet received private education. Philip Capet learned how to read, write and calculate. Furthermore, he showed great interest in military tactics which he started learning from an early age on.

## Becoming King of France

At the age of 19, in early 1021, Philip Capet was named King of France by Jacques Capet and his colleagues Pierre-Antoine Loupe and Isaac Dimont who made sure that Philip would become the first ruler over all of France.

There were, however, regions that resisted and did not want a ruler over all of France. This opposition was specifically found in the south of France.

King Philip I named his father, Jacques Capet, Lord of the Army and ordered him to deal with the rebellious South. Jacques Capet and his conspirator-colleague, now Marshal of France Pierre-Antoine Loupe took nearly half of the available French army to march south and deal with the resistance. The mission was a success and in 1023, King Philip I had gained authority over all of France.

## Reign

The death of his father Jacques Capet in 1024 was a deep tragedy for the young king and in this time people started questioning the King's authority again - including former co-conspirator Pierre-Antoine Loupe. Loupe's doubt of the King's leadership abilities reached the King's ears. King Philip I reacted vigorously to set a warning example, even to close relations of the King.

Pierre-Antoine Loupe was punished with 20 public lashes and a public apology to the King.

In 1028, Isaac Dimont was killed in a drunk fight in Nantes. Despite clear evidence of Dimont initiating the fight, King Philip I decided to punish the two civilians involved in his death by publicly executing them. A statue in honours of Dimont was built in the centre of Nantes.

In 1029, King Philip I of France married the French noblewoman Bertada de Montfort who in the following years gave birth to three sons and one daughter which secured the Capet dynasty for then.

In 1031, King Philip I of France visited the Papal States and had a private audience with Pope Gregory VII who agreed to bless Philip as the rightful King of France and to bless the marriage to Bertada de Montfort. In exchange, Philip promised to send troops in case the Pope should call for a crusade.

In 1035, war broke out between France and England, after England unsuccessfully attempted to invade French lands in the North.

King Philip I chose to actively participate in the war himself as a Marshal. The other important Marshals in this war were Guillemot de Lyon and Norbert Courvoisier.

The First Anglo-French War ended with a peace treaty in 1043 after eight years of irregular battles, victories and defeats.

The following years were calm years for King Philip I. No major killings or wars occurred until his natural death in 1064.