Background
Born in 1428 at the Château de la Rochepot, he was the grandson of Régnier Pot, a Crusader, knight of the Golden Fleece, and the chamberlain of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
Born in 1428 at the Château de la Rochepot, he was the grandson of Régnier Pot, a Crusader, knight of the Golden Fleece, and the chamberlain of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.
He was the seigneur of Louisiana Roche and Thorey-sur-Ouche, a Knight of the Golden Fleece, and the Grand Seneschal of Burgundy. Philip"s grandson and heir, Philip the Good, served as Philippe"s godfather. Educated at the ducal court in Dijon, and knighted 11 June 1452 before the battle of Ruppelmonde against the insurgents of Ghent, Philippe, praised by contemporary chroniclers, became chief advisor of the dukes of Burgundy and was deeply involved in all their diplomacy.
Charles in turn agreed to marry Mary of Cleves, Philip"s niece.
In 1446, Philippe obtained the hand in marriage of Catherine of Valois for the Count of Charolais, the future Duke of Burgundy, Charles the Bold. When Catherine died in 1450, Philippe obtained another French princess, Isabelle of Bourbon, for Charles.
The marriage took place in 1454. In December 1456 Duke Philip recompensed Philippe with the grant of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois (which Philippe restored and fortified, giving it the appearance it retains today) and in May 1461, with the Golden Fleece at the Saint-Omer session.
In 1464 he was granted the title Grand Chamberlain, and in 1466 was given the lordship of Lilloise Flanders (Lille, Douai, and Orchies).
After the deaths in 1467 of both Philip the Good and Isabelle of Bourbon, Philippe Pot negotiated a third match for his new patron Charles the Bold with Margaret of York, a union which had been opposed by Philip. In 1468 the marriage sealed an alliance between England and Burgundy. To have Philippe nearby him at Brussels Charles gave him the hôtel of the comte de Nevers,
Mary was suspicious of Philippe and his close connections with the French court, and she confiscated Lille.
In gratitude Louis XI named him first counsellor, knight of Saint Michael, governor of the Dauphin Charles, and Grand Seneschal of Burgundy.
His treatment of Philippe went a long way to restore Louis"s favour with the petty nobles of Burgundy. Louis died in 1483, while Charles VIII was still a minor.
The great nobles of the kingdom, first among them Louis of Orléans, contested the regency with the dead king"s nominee, Anne de Beaujeu, Charles" elder sister. In 1484 she convened the Estates General at Tours.
Philippe was the representative of the nobility and he spoke so eloquently in their favour that he was called the "mouth of Cicero" (bouche de Cicéron).
In his most celebrated speech, on 9 February, he denied the right of the princes to govern and advanced instead the concept of a nation represented by a monarch, and suggested that the nation be governed by regency council. The deputies then voted to accept the choice of the king and declared Anne regent. Philippe was allowed to keep his function of governor of Burgundy, which he held, reconfirmed by Charles VIII, until his death in 1493.
The incipient nationalism in Philippe"s speech, however, frightened the regent. The Estates were quickly dissolved.