Louis VIII of France

Who was Louis VIII of France?

Louis VIII the Lion was a Capetian King of France who reigned from 1223 to 1226, he was also disputed King of England from 1216 to 1217. Louis VIII was born in Paris, the son of Philip II and Isabelle of Hainaut from who he inherited the County of Artois.

While Louis VIII only briefly ruled as king for three years, he was an active leader in his years as crown prince. During his father's wars against the Angevins under John of England, his military prowess earned him the epithet the Lion. After his victory at the battle of Roche-au-Moine, he invaded southern England and was proclaimed "King of England" in London on the 2 June 1216, before being repelled. In 1217, Louis VIII started the conquest of Guyenne, leaving only a small region around Bordeaux to Henry III of England.

His short reign is marked by his intervention with royal forces into the Albigensian Crusade in southern France which decisively moved the conflict towards a conclusion. He died in 1226 and was succeeded by his son Louis IX.