Charles VII of France

Hello! My name is Charles, and I became the king of France a very long time ago. I was born in a big palace in Paris on February 22nd, 1403. When I was a boy, my country was in the middle of a long, long war with England. It was a sad time, and there was a big argument about who should be the real king of France. Even though I was a prince, many people didn't think I would ever get to be king because the English army was winning so many battles.

For many years, it seemed like things would not get better. I was often called the 'King of Bourges' because I could only rule over a small part of France. Then, one day in the year 1429, something amazing happened. A brave young woman named Joan of Arc came to see me. She told me she had a message from God: I was the true king, and she would help me save France. At first, I wasn't sure what to think. But Joan was so brave and full of hope. She helped lead my soldiers and won a super important battle in a city called Orléans. After that, everyone started to believe we could win the war.

Because of Joan's victory, we could travel safely to the city of Reims. It was very important to be crowned king there. On July 17th, 1429, I was finally crowned the king in a beautiful, tall church called a cathedral, just like all the French kings before me. It was one of the happiest days of my life. Being king was a big job, but I worked hard to make my army stronger and my country peaceful again. It took a long time, but in the year 1453, the Hundred Years' War finally ended, and France was free.

I ruled for many more years, helping France grow strong and united after the long war. I made sure we had a good army to protect our home. I lived to be 58 years old. Today, people remember me as Charles the Victorious, the king who, with the help of the amazing Joan of Arc, won the war and brought peace back to my kingdom. I'm proud that I never gave up hope for my country.