Individual Details
Count Louis III of Flandre
(25 Nov 1330 - 9 Jan 1384)
Louis was born at Mâle near Bruges on 25 October 1330, and was thereafter known as Louis 'de Mâle'. He was the son of Louis II, count of Flanders, and Marguerite de France, daughter of Philippe V 'le Long', king of France, and Jeanne de Bourgogne.
On his father's death at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Louis inherited the counties of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel. On 6 June 1347 in Paris he married Margaretha of Brabant, daughter of Jan III, duke of Brabant and Limburg, and Marie d'Evreux. They had one daughter, Margarethe, who first married Philippe de Rouvre, duc de Bourgogne; after his early death she married Philippe 'the Bold', duc de Bourgogne. Louis also left several illegitimate children; three illegitimate sons were killed at the Battle of Nicopolis on 25 September 1396.
On the death of his father-in-law in 1355, Louis took the title of Duke of Brabant, but was unable to wrest the duchy from his sister-in-law Johanna, duchess of Brabant and Limburg.
The reign of Louis was one long struggle for political supremacy with the Flemish communes, headed by the town of Ghent, for political supremacy. Louis was as strong in his French sympathies as his father Louis II, and relied upon French help in enforcing his will upon his refractory subjects, who resented his arbitrary methods of government and the heavy taxation imposed upon them by his extravagance and love of display. Had the great towns with their organised guilds and great wealth held together in their opposition to Louis' despotism, they would have proved successful, but Ghent and Bruges, always keen rivals, broke out into open feud. The power of Ghent reached its height under Philip van Artevelde in 1382. He defeated Louis, took Bruges, and was made regent of Flanders. But the triumph of the White Hoods, as the popular party was called, was of short duration. On 27 November 1382, Artevelde suffered a crushing defeat from a large French army at Roosebeke and was himself slain.
Louis died a little over a year later, on 9 January 1384. As he left no surviving sons, on his death his extensive possessions in the Low Countries were inherited by his daughter Margarethe, duchess of Burgundy. Flanders then became a portion of the great Burgundian domain.
Source: Leo van de Pas
On his father's death at the Battle of Crécy in 1346, Louis inherited the counties of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel. On 6 June 1347 in Paris he married Margaretha of Brabant, daughter of Jan III, duke of Brabant and Limburg, and Marie d'Evreux. They had one daughter, Margarethe, who first married Philippe de Rouvre, duc de Bourgogne; after his early death she married Philippe 'the Bold', duc de Bourgogne. Louis also left several illegitimate children; three illegitimate sons were killed at the Battle of Nicopolis on 25 September 1396.
On the death of his father-in-law in 1355, Louis took the title of Duke of Brabant, but was unable to wrest the duchy from his sister-in-law Johanna, duchess of Brabant and Limburg.
The reign of Louis was one long struggle for political supremacy with the Flemish communes, headed by the town of Ghent, for political supremacy. Louis was as strong in his French sympathies as his father Louis II, and relied upon French help in enforcing his will upon his refractory subjects, who resented his arbitrary methods of government and the heavy taxation imposed upon them by his extravagance and love of display. Had the great towns with their organised guilds and great wealth held together in their opposition to Louis' despotism, they would have proved successful, but Ghent and Bruges, always keen rivals, broke out into open feud. The power of Ghent reached its height under Philip van Artevelde in 1382. He defeated Louis, took Bruges, and was made regent of Flanders. But the triumph of the White Hoods, as the popular party was called, was of short duration. On 27 November 1382, Artevelde suffered a crushing defeat from a large French army at Roosebeke and was himself slain.
Louis died a little over a year later, on 9 January 1384. As he left no surviving sons, on his death his extensive possessions in the Low Countries were inherited by his daughter Margarethe, duchess of Burgundy. Flanders then became a portion of the great Burgundian domain.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | 25 Nov 1330 | Male, Brugge | |||
| Marriage | 6 Jun 1347 | Paris, France - Margaretha of Brabant | |||
| Death | 9 Jan 1384 | Lille |
Families
| Spouse | Margaretha of Brabant (1323 - 1368) |
| Child | Margarethe of Flandre et Brabant (1350 - 1405) |