Editing Louis VII of France (section)

==Diplomacy==
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Louis' reign saw [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick I]] press his claims to [[Arles]], in southeastern France. When a [[papal schism]] broke out in 1159, Louis took the side of [[Pope Alexander III]], the enemy of Frederick I, and after two comical failures of Frederick I to meet Louis at [[Saint-Jean-de-Losne]] (on 29 August and 22 September 1162), Louis definitely gave himself up to the cause of Alexander III, who lived at [[Sens]] from 1163 to 1165. In return for his loyal support, the pope bestowed upon Louis the [[Golden Rose]].

[[File:Becket and the kings part - Becket Leaves (c.1220-1240), f. 2v - BL Loan MS 88.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|[[Thomas Becket]] leaves Louis VII and Henry II in January 1169, illustration from c. 1220–1240, possibly by [[Matthew Paris]]]]
More important for English history would be Louis's support for Thomas Becket, [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], whom he tried to reconcile with Henry II. Louis sided with Becket as much to damage Henry as out of piety—yet even he grew irritated with the stubbornness of the archbishop, asking when Becket refused Henry's conciliations, "Do you wish to be more than a Saint?"

Louis also tried to weaken Henry by supporting his rebellious sons, and encouraged [[Plantagenet]] disunity by making Henry's sons, rather than Henry himself, the feudal overlords of the Angevin territories in France. But the rivalry among Henry's sons and Louis's own indecisiveness broke up the coalition (1173–1174) between them. Finally, in 1177, the pope intervened to bring the two kings to terms at [[Vitry-en-Perthois]].

In 1165, Louis's third wife bore him a son and heir, [[Philip II of France|Philip]]. Louis had him crowned at [[Reims]] in 1179,{{sfn|Bradbury|2007|p=168}} in the Capetian tradition (Philip would in fact be the last king so crowned). Already stricken with paralysis, Louis himself could not be present at the ceremony.{{sfn|Bradbury|2007|p=168}} He died on 18 September 1180 in Paris and was buried the next day at [[Barbeau Abbey]],{{sfn|Bradbury|2007|p=168}} which he had founded. His remains were moved to the [[Basilica of Saint-Denis]] in 1817.