Editing Charles the Bold (section)

=== Religion ===
[[File:Lieven van Lathem (Flemish - Charles the Bold Presented by Saint George - Google Art Project.jpg|alt=Charles wears a cloth of gold and Saint George stands behind him, wearing an armour|thumb|left|''Charles the Bold presented by Saint George'', [[Lieven van Lathem]], opening of the Prayer Book of Charles the Bold, {{Circa|1471}}]]

Charles the Bold was religious, and regarded himself as more devout and pious than any ruler of his day.{{Sfn|Vaughan|Paravicini|2002|p=161}} He considered his sovereignty as bestowed upon him by God and thus owed his power to God alone.{{Sfn|Blockmans|Pervenier|1999|p=185}} From a young age, Charles chose [[Saint George]] as his [[patron saint]].{{Sfn|Schryver|2008|p=16}} He kept a sword purported to have belonged to Saint George in his treasury, and he revered other [[warrior saint]]s, such as [[Saint Michael in the Catholic Church|Saint Michael]].{{Sfn|Schnitker|2004|p=107}} He commissioned a [[prayer book]], from [[Lieven van Lathem]], which was completed in 1469.{{Sfn|Schryver|2008|p=11}} The opening [[diptych]] of the manuscript, as well as two other pieces, demonstrate Charles's devotion to Saint George.{{Sfn|Schryver|2008|p=16}} In Margaret of York's copy of ''La Vie de [[Colette of Corbie|Sainte Colette]]'', she and Charles are shown as devotees of [[Saint Anne]]. Multiple modern scholars, such as [[Jeffrey Chipps Smith]], have made a connection between the saint and the duke from the fact that both were married three times. According to Nancy Bradley Warren, the portrayal of Charles and Saint Anne may have been a way to legitimise his marriage to Margaret and reassure those who were dubious regarding an alliance with England.{{Sfn|Woodacre|McGlynn|2014|p=115}}

Throughout his reign, Charles faced multiple requests to pledge his men to a crusade against the [[Ottoman Empire]].{{Sfn|Walsh|1977|p=53}} [[Pope Sixtus IV]] sent three instructions to the [[papal legate]] at the Burgundian court, Lucas de Tollentis, directing him to encourage Charles to undertake a crusade against the Ottomans.{{Sfn|Jenks|2018|p=215}} Tollentis reported to the Pope on 23 June 1472 that Charles was "resolved in our favour", and the welfare of [[Christendom]] was never far from his mind.<ref>{{harvnb|Vaughan|Paravicini|2002|p=161}}; {{harvnb|Walsh|1977|p=68}}</ref> Charles may have considered an expedition to the east as the climax of his life's work; however, during his lifetime, he never undertook a crusade nor did he make preparations for it as his father had.{{Sfn|Walsh|1977|p=68}} Only for a short time, between late 1475 and early 1476, did he seriously consider a crusade and that was only after a meeting with [[Andreas Palaiologos]], the deposed [[Despotate of the Morea|Despot of the Morea]], who agreed to cede his claim as the Emperor of [[Empire of Trebizond|Trebizond]] and [[Byzantine Empire|Constantinople]] to Charles.{{Sfn|Walsh|1977|p=73}}{{Sfn|Harris|1995|p=539}}{{Efn|Andreas inherited the claims to the Byzantine and Trebizond empires with the death of the main claimants from the empires' dynasties, [[Palaiologos]] and [[Komnenos]], respectively.{{sfn|Walsh|1977|p=73}}}}