| Charles IV | |
|---|---|
| |
| Portrait by Victor Clouet, c. 1550 | |
| King of France | |
| Reign | 1 September 1544- 10 July 1565 |
| Coronation | 19 September 1544 in Reims |
| Predecessor | |
| Successor | Henry III |
| Born | 3 April 1496 |
| Died | 10 July 1565 |
| Spouse |
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| Issue | Henry III |
| House | Přemyslid Dynasty |
| Father | Jaromir, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Mother | Joan of France |
| Religion | Gallicanism |
Charles IV (3 April 1496 - 10 July 1565) was King of France from 1544 until his death in 1565 from tuberculosis. He ascended to the throne following the death of his father Jaromir, who also ruled as king of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, and his mother the queen regnant Joan seven years prior. The ascension of Charles IV marked a split in the Bohemian-French personal union, as his brother Henry X took the thrones of Jaromir's German possessions. Nonetheless, the Přemyslid dynastic union and alliance between the two states remained.
Charles IV is most famous for leading the successful Amiens War of 1547-1551 in the early years of his reign. The conflict saw France invade Lotharingia over the claimed city of Amiens, alongside an alliance of primarily German states. However, disputes between the Kingdom of Arles-Burgundy and France caused this coalition to break down, leading to a war in Burgundy as well. France's victory in the war would see minor territories in the Lowlands ceded to France from Lotharingia, as well as the submission of parts of Burgundy. The war strained French-Bohemian relations and ultimately caused a series of events in Germany; Henry X's support for France over his constituents, and his continued support for antipope Zephyrinus II, led to the papal-backed election of antiking Leopold II of the Duchy of Habsburg, beginning an imperial civil war and the War of the Three Henrys in Bohemia. Bohemia's acceptance of Jungism was seen as a victory by the French, despite the Franco-Bohemian alliance being heavily weakened. The politics of Charles IV would also inadvertedly begin the rise of the Habsburgs, who would come to challenge the Přemyslids by the time of the Forty Years' War.
The earlier policies of Queen Joan were continued by Charles IV, resulting in France's break from the Catholic Church and the beginning of the further protestantization of the Gallican Church of France. As a result Charles IV fought numerous Catholic revolts, which became especially localized in Catholic Occitania. The Foix War would break out in the later days of the Amiens War, forcing a premature peace with Arles, while the 1548 Bishops' War ravaged southern France. Following Charles IV's unexpected death to disease in 1565 he was succeeded by his young son Henry III, beginning a period of instability.
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