Charles, Duke of Berry, later and then Duke of Aquitaine was a son of Charles VII, King of France.
Background
Charles was born at Tours, last child and fourth son of Charles VII and Marie of Anjou. As his elder brother, the Dauphin Louis, had repeatedly run into conflict with his father and since 1456 was living in exile at the court of Burgundy, some expected the crown to pass to Charles.
Career
When Charles VII died in 1461, however, Louis XI succeeded nonetheless. Dissatisfied with this, Charles joined with Charles, Count of Charolais, the Burgundian heir, and other powerful nobles such as Francis II, Duke of Brittany in the League of the Public Weal in May 1465. This started the Guerre folle (Mad War), which ended in October with the Treaty of Conflans between Louis XI and the Count of Charolais.
Under the treaty, Charles was granted the Duchy of Normandy as an additional appanage.
Louis dispatched the royal army to Normandy and assumed direct royal control of the Duchy. Charles, now reconciled with Duke Francis, fled to Brittany, where he remained until September 1468, when he and Francis signed the Treaty of Ancenis with Louis, promising to abandon the former Count of Charolais, now Duke of Burgundy.
In October 1468 Louis was imprisoned by Charles of Burgundy during a conference at Péronne. At the time, Charles also agreed with the Duke of Burgundy to marry the latter"s only child and heir, Mary of Burgundy.
Louis was unsuccessful in this endeavour, as the Pope granted the dispensation.
Still, the marriage plan came to nothing as Charles died at Bordeaux in May 1472, probably from a combination of tuberculosis and a venereal disease contracted from his mistress, Colette de Chambes. According to legend, Colette had been federal poisoned fish by her aged but jealous husband, Louis d"Amboise, viscount of Thouars. Since Charles left no legitimate issue, his apanage returned to the crown.