On 21 October 1422 - 600 years ago - King Charles VI of France died at the age of 53 after reigning for 42 years. He was known as both Charles le Bien-Aimé (the Beloved) and Charles le Fou (the Mad) - the latter a reference to the mental health episodes that frequently dogged his life. Because he was a king, his health is better documented than most cases of mental illness in the Medieval period.

In this explainer episode of Gone Medieval, Matt Lewis recounts the story of a man whose life was plagued with personal tragedy and illness, played out on the international stage - because he was a king.

The Senior Producer on this episode was Elena Guthrie. It was edited by Aidan Lonergan and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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King Charles VI of France 34:18 Share

Gone Medieval

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King Charles VI of France