Editing Louis VI of France (section)

==Early life==

Louis was born around 1081 in Paris, the son of [[Philip I of France]] and [[Bertha of Holland]].{{efn|"Probably in 1072, Philip married Bertha, daughter of the late count of Holland, Florent I, and stepdaughter of Robert of Frisia, count of Flanders. [...] For some years Philip and Bertha were troubled by their failure to have a son. The birth of the future Louis VI in 1081 was striking enough for a miracle story to grow up around the event [...]."{{sfn|Bouchard|2004|p=126}}}}

Abbot Suger of Saint Denis, who wrote a biography of Louis VI, tells us: "In his youth, growing courage matured his spirit with youthful vigour, making him bored with hunting and the boyish games with which others of his age used to enjoy themselves and forget the pursuit of arms." And "How valiant he was in youth, and with what energy he repelled the king of the English, [[William Rufus]], when he attacked Louis' inherited kingdom."{{sfn|Suger|1999|loc=ch. 1}}

In 1098, Louis was knighted by [[Guy I of Ponthieu]]. On Christmas Day 1100 he attended the royal court of [[Henry I of England]] in London, where according to [[Symeon of Durham]], Louis appeared as "king elect of the Franks". By 1103 his father Philip I had already associated him with the government of the kingdom.{{sfn|Luchaire|1890|pp=289-293}}

Louis married [[Lucienne de Rochefort]], the daughter of his father's [[Guy II the Red of Rochefort|seneschal]], in 1104, but repudiated her three years later. They had no children. On 3 August 1115 Louis married [[Adelaide of Maurienne]], daughter of [[Humbert II of Savoy]] and of [[Gisela of Burgundy, Marchioness of Montferrat|Gisela of Burgundy]], and niece of [[Pope Callixtus II]]. They had eight children. Adelaide was one of the most politically active of all France's medieval queens. Her name appears on 45 royal charters from the reign of Louis VI. During her time as queen (1115–1137), royal charters were dated with both her regnal year and that of the king.

Suger became Louis's adviser even before he succeeded his father as king at the age of 26 on 29 July 1108. Louis's half-brother prevented him from reaching [[Rheims]], and so [[Daimbert, Archbishop of Sens]], crowned him in the cathedral of [[Orléans]] on 3 August.{{sfn|Naus|2014|p=112}} {{ill|Raoul le Vert|fr}} (Ralph the Green), [[Archbishop of Rheims]], sent envoys to challenge the validity of the coronation and anointing, but to no avail.{{sfn|Naus|2014|p=112}}

[[File:Couronnement de Louis VI le Gros.jpg|right|thumb|upright|The crowning of Louis VI in [[Orléans]].]]