VALOIS, FAMILY. - The family descends from CHARLES, the younger son of King Philip III of France, who received from his father the Duchy of Valois.
With the death without male heirs of the three sons of Philip IV, the throne of France passed in 1328 to the son of Charles, who was the brother of Philip IV, under the name of Philip VI. He was succeeded by his son JOHN II, who in turn left four sons: the heir to the throne CHARLES V, Louis Duke of Anjou, JOHN Duke of Berry, and Philip the Bold Duke of Burgundy. The descendants of CHARLES V reigned in France until 1498 with CHARLES VI, CHARLES VII, LOUIS XI, and CHARLES VIII. Upon the death of the latter without heirs, he was succeeded by LOUIS XII, a descendant of Duke Louis I of Orléans, the younger brother of King CHARLES VI. Louis XII married in second nuptials Anne of Brittany, widow of CHARLES VIII, by whom he had only two daughters, Claudia and Renata. Upon the death of Louis XII in 1515, the crown passed to Francis Duke of Angoulême, great-grandson of Duke Louis I of Orléans. FRANCIS I, d. in 1547, was succeeded by his son HENRY II (from 1547 to 1559), husband of Catherine de' Medici, then by his grandsons FRANCIS II (1559-60), CHARLES IX (1560-74), and HENRY III (1574-80). After him, the crown of France passed, with Henry IV, to the Bourbons.