Joanna of Bourbon


Joanna of Bourbon was Queen of France by marriage to King Charles V. She acted as his political adviser and was appointed potential regent in case of a minor regency.

Life

Early life

Born in the Château de Vincennes, Joanna was a daughter of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon, and Isabella of Valois, a half-sister of Philip VI of France.
From October 1340 through at least 1343, negotiations and treaties were made for Joanna to marry Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy. The goal was to bring Savoy more closely under French influence. Following this, her betrothal to Humbert, Dauphin of Viennois, also fell through.

Queen

On 8 April 1350, Joanna married her cousin, the future Charles V of France, at Tain-l'Hermitage. Since they were first cousins once removed, their marriage required a papal dispensation. Born thirteen days apart, they both were 12 years old. When Charles ascended the throne in 1364, Joanna became queen of France. Charles sometimes confided in Joanna on political and cultural issues and relied on her advice.
Joanna was described as mentally fragile, and after the birth of her son Louis in 1373, she suffered a complete mental breakdown. This deeply worried Charles V, who made a pilgrimage and offered many prayers for her recovery. When she did recover and regained her normal state of mind in 1373, Charles V appointed her legal guardian of the heir to the throne should he die when his son and heir was still a minor.

Death and burial

Joanna died at the royal residence Hôtel Saint-Pol in Paris, on 6 February 1378 three days after her 40th birthday, and two days after the birth of her youngest child, Catherine. Froissart recorded that Joanna took a bath against her physicians' advice. Soon after, she went into labour and died two days after giving birth. The king was devastated. Her heart was buried in the Cordeliers Convent and her entrails in the Couvent des Célestins. The Couvent des Célestins in Paris was the most important royal necropolis after the Basilica of St Denis. The rest of her remains were then placed at Saint-Denis.

Issue

Joanna and Charles had eight or nine children. Two of them reached adulthood:
  1. Joanna, interred at Saint-Antoine-des-Champs Abbey.
  2. Bonne, interred beside her older sister.
  3. Joanna, interred at Saint Denis Basilica.
  4. Charles VI, King of France.
  5. Marie.
  6. Louis, Duke of Orléans.
  7. Isabella.
  8. John.
  9. Catherine, m. John of Berry, Count of Montpensier.