Philip III of France

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Philip III, the Bold, was King of France from 1270 to 1285. Born in 1245, he was the second son of Louis IX and Margaret of Provence and became heir after his older brother died. He was crowned in Reims in 1271 after accompanying his father on the Eighth Crusade to Tunis.

During his reign he expanded the royal domain, adding the County of Toulouse in 1271, and worked to increase French influence in Navarre. He granted the Comtat Venaissin to the Pope in 1274 and pursued various territorial and political aims across the realm. In 1284–1285 he led the controversial Aragonese Crusade against Aragon, a costly campaign that strained the royal treasury.

Philip III died of dysentery in Perpignan on 5 October 1285 at age 40 and was succeeded by his son, Philip IV the Fair.

He was married twice: first Isabella of Aragon (m. 1262; died 1271), then Marie of Brabant (m. 1274). Their children included Philip IV, who became king, along with several other sons and daughters.