How King Charles of France died and Lord Philip of Valois, by common accord, was crowned King of France.

Now you have heard how a truce was soundly established between the kings of England and Scotland, and how the Scottish king passed from this world having commissioned and instructed the worthiest lord of his kingdom to carry his heart to the Holy Sepulchre because his body couldn't make the journey, and how Sir James Douglas set out on this pilgrimage and how he and all his company were killed. Now I shall turn to another story: that is, of King Charles of France, uncle of the young King Edward of England, for it is relevant to our main theme.

This King Charles was married three times but died without male issue, which was to prove a grave misfortune for the kingdom as you'll hear in due course. The first of his wives was one of the most beautiful ladies in the world and was the daughter of the Countess of Artois; but she was unfaithful to her marriage vows and spent a long while wretchedly imprisoned at Château-gaillard before her husband became king. When he'd succeeded to the throne and been crowned, the twelve peers and the barons of France didn't wish the kingdom to remain without a male heir if they could avoid it. They sought a way of arranging King Charles's marriage to the daughter of the Emperor, Henry of Luxembourg, and sister of the noble King of Bohemia; so they had his first marriage – to the lady still imprisoned – dissolved and annulled by papal decree.