Editing Charles VIII of France

{{short description|King of France from 1483 to 1498}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name         = Charles VIII 
| succession   = [[King of France]]
| moretext     = ([[Style of the French sovereign|more...]])
| image        = Portrait of King Charles VIII of France (1470–1498), by anonymous artist, 16th century (cropped) 2.jpg
| caption      = 16th-century portrait
| reign        = 30 August 1483 – 7 April 1498
| coronation   = 30 May 1484 ([[Reims Cathedral|Reims]])
| cor-type     = france
| predecessor  = [[Louis XI]]
| successor    = [[Louis XII]]
| regent       = [[Anne of France]] and [[Peter II, Duke of Bourbon]] ''(1483–1491)''
| spouse       = {{marriage|[[Anne, Duchess of Brittany]]|December 1491}}
| issue        = [[Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France]]
| issue-link   = #Issue
| issue-pipe   = more...
| house        = [[House of Valois|Valois]]
| father       = [[Louis XI]] of France
| mother       = [[Charlotte of Savoy]]
| birth_date   = 30 June 1470
| birth_place  = [[Château d'Amboise]], France
| death_date   = {{Death date and age|1498|4|7|1470|6|30|df=y}}
| death_place  = Château d'Amboise, France
| burial_date  = 1 May 1498
| burial_place = [[Saint Denis Basilica]] (body)<br>Notre-Dame de Cléry Basilica, [[Cléry-Saint-André]] (heart)
| signature = Charles VIII of France signature.svg
}}
'''Charles VIII''', called '''the Affable''' ({{langx|fr|link=no|l'Affable}}; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was [[King of France]] from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father [[Louis XI]] at the age of 13. His elder sister [[Anne of France|Anne]] acted as [[regent]] jointly with her husband [[Peter II, Duke of Bourbon]] until 1491, when the young king turned 21 years of age. During Anne's regency, the great lords rebelled against royal [[Centralized government|centralisation]] efforts in a conflict known as the [[Mad War]] (1485–1488), which resulted in a victory for the royal government.

In a remarkable stroke of audacity, Charles married [[Anne of Brittany]] in 1491 after she had already been married by proxy to the [[Habsburg]] [[Holy Roman Emperor]] [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]] in a ceremony of questionable validity. Preoccupied by the problematic succession in the [[Kingdom of Hungary in the Middle Ages|Kingdom of Hungary]], Maximilian failed to press his claim. Upon his marriage, Charles became administrator of [[Brittany]] and established a [[Union of Brittany and France|personal union]] that enabled France to avoid total encirclement by [[Habsburg monarchy|Habsburg territories]].

To secure his rights to the [[List of monarchs of Naples|Neapolitan throne]] that [[René of Anjou]] had left to his father, Charles made a series of concessions to neighbouring monarchs and, due to his revolutionary artillery, conquered the [[Italian Peninsula]] without much opposition. A coalition formed against the [[Italian War of 1494–1498|French invasion]] of 1494–1498 attempted to stop Charles' army at Fornovo, but failed and Charles marched his army back to France.

Charles died in 1498 after supposedly striking his head accidentally on the [[Lintel (architecture)|lintel]] of a door at the [[Château d'Amboise]], his place of birth, but that has been subject to re-analysis. Since he had no male heir, he was succeeded by his second cousin once removed and brother-in-law at the time, [[Louis XII]], from the Orléans [[cadet branch]] of the [[House of Valois]].

==Youth==
Charles was born at the [[Château d'Amboise]] in France, the only surviving son of King [[Louis XI]] by his second wife [[Charlotte of Savoy]].{{sfn|Fletcher|1999|p=76}} His godparents were [[Charles II, Duke of Bourbon]] (the godchild's namesake), [[Joan of Valois, Duchess of Bourbon]], and the teenage [[Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales|Edward of Westminster]], the son of [[Henry VI of England]] who had been living in France since the deposition of his father by [[Edward IV]]. Charles succeeded to the throne on 30 August 1483 at the age of 13.{{sfn|Kendall|1971|pp=373–374}} His health was poor. He was regarded by his contemporaries as possessing a pleasant disposition, but also as foolish and unsuited for the business of the state. In accordance with the wishes of Louis XI, the regency of the kingdom was granted to Charles' elder sister [[Anne of France|Anne]], a formidably intelligent and shrewd woman described by her father as "the least foolish woman in France".{{sfn|Hand|2013|p=24}} She ruled as regent, together with her husband Peter of Bourbon, until 1491.{{sfn|Kendall|1971|pp=373–374}}{{sfn|Fletcher|1999|p=76}}

==Marriage==
{{further|French–Breton War}}

Charles was [[betrothal|betrothed]] on 22 July 1483 to the 3-year-old [[Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy|Margaret of Austria]], daughter of the Archduke Maximilian of Austria (later Holy Roman Emperor [[Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor|Maximilian I]]) and [[Mary, Duchess of Burgundy]].{{sfn|Drees|2000|p=339}} The marriage was arranged by Louis XI, Maximilian, and the Estates of the Low Countries as part of the 1482 [[Treaty of Arras (1482)|Peace of Arras]] between France and the [[Duchy of Burgundy]]. Margaret brought the counties of Artois and Franche-Comté to France as her dowry,{{sfn|Blockmans|Prevenier|1999|p=211}} and she was raised in the French court as a prospective queen.

In 1488, however, [[Francis II, Duke of Brittany]], died in a riding accident, leaving his 11-year-old daughter [[Anne of Brittany|Anne]] as his heir. Anne, who feared for the independence of her duchy against the ambitions of France, arranged a marriage in 1490 between herself and the widower Maximilian. The regent Anne of France and her husband Peter refused to countenance such a marriage, however, since it would place Maximilian and his family, the Habsburgs, on two French borders. The French army invaded Brittany, taking advantage of the preoccupation of Maximilian and his father, Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]], with the disputed succession to [[Mathias Corvinus]], [[King of Hungary]]. Anne of Brittany was forced to renounce Maximilian (whom she had only married by proxy) and agree to be married to Charles VIII instead.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hare|first=Christopher|title=The high and puissant princess Marguerite of Austria, princess dowager of Spain, duchess dowager of Savoy, regent of the Netherlands|year=1907|publisher=Harper & Brothers|pages=[https://archive.org/details/highpuissantprin00hare/page/43 43]–44|url=https://archive.org/details/highpuissantprin00hare}}</ref>

[[File:Loire Indre Langeais tango7174.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Marriage to Anne of Brittany at the [[Château de Langeais]].]]

In December 1491, in an elaborate ceremony at the [[Château de Langeais]], Charles and Anne of Brittany were married. The 14-year-old Duchess Anne, not happy with the [[arranged marriage]], arrived for her wedding with her entourage carrying two beds. However, Charles's marriage brought him independence from his relatives and thereafter he managed affairs according to his own inclinations. Queen Anne lived at the [[Clos Lucé]] in Amboise.

There still remained the matter of Charles' first betrothed, the young Margaret of Austria. Although the cancellation of her betrothal meant that she by rights should have been returned to her family, Charles did not initially do so, intending to marry her usefully elsewhere in France. Eventually, in 1493, she was returned to her family, together with her [[dowry]] – though the Duchy of Burgundy was retained in the [[Treaty of Senlis]].

Around the king there was a circle of court poets, the most memorable being the Italian humanist [[Publio Fausto Andrelini]] from [[Forlì]], who spread [[Renaissance humanism]] in France. During a pilgrimage to pay respects to his father's remains, Charles observed [[Mont Aiguille]] and ordered Antoine de Ville to ascend to the summit in an early technical alpine climb, later alluded to by [[Rabelais]].<ref name=Histoire>{{cite web
 |url          = http://montaiguille.free.fr/frames_histoire.htm
 |title        = Histoire et Événements
 |page         = Le Mont Aiguille – Supereminet invius
 |language     = fr
 |access-date  = 31 December 2012
|archive-date = 20 May 2016
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20160520234148/http://montaiguille.free.fr/frames_histoire.htm
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref><ref name=Mont-aiguilleA>{{cite web
 |url          =http://www.mont-aiguille.com/montaigu/histoire.html
 |title        =L'ascension historique de 1492
 |date         =12 January 2009
 |publisher    =Mont-Aiguille.com
 |language     =fr
 |trans-title=The historic ascent of 1492
 |access-date   =3 January 2013
|archive-url   =https://web.archive.org/web/20090616140030/http://www.mont-aiguille.com/montaigu/histoire.html
 |archive-date  =16 June 2009
}}</ref>

==Italian War==
{{further|Italian War of 1494–1498}}

To secure France against invasions, Charles made treaties with [[Maximilian I of Austria]] (the [[Treaty of Senlis]] with Maximilian of Austria on 23 May 1493),<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Lesaffer |first=Randall |date=2006 |title=The three peace treaties of 1492-1493 |url=https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/en/publications/the-three-peace-treaties-of-1492-1493 |journal=Kalkül-Transfer-Symbol: Europaische Friedensvertrage der Vormoderne}}</ref>{{sfn|Mallet|Shaw|2012|p=32}} [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] (The [[Treaty of Barcelona (1493)|Treaty of Barcelona]] on 19 January, 1493),<ref name=":0" /> and England (the [[Treaty of Étaples]] with England on 3 November 1492),<ref name=":0" />{{sfn|Mallet|Shaw|2012|p=13}} buying their neutrality with large concessions. The English monarch [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] had forced Charles to abandon his support for the pretender [[Perkin Warbeck]] by despatching an expedition which [[Siege of Boulogne (1492)|laid siege to Boulogne]]. He devoted France's resources to building up a large army, including one of Europe's first [[siege train]]s with [[artillery]].

In 1489, [[Pope Innocent VIII]] (1484–1492), then being at odds with [[Ferdinand I of Naples]], offered Naples to Charles, who had a vague claim to the [[Kingdom of Naples]] through his paternal grandmother, [[Marie of Anjou]]. Innocent's policy of meddling in the affairs of other Italian states<ref>Robert S. Hoyt and Stanley Chodorow, ''Europe in the Middle Ages'' (New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., 1976) pp. 618–619.</ref> was continued by his successor, [[Pope Alexander VI]] (1492–1503), when the latter supported a plan for a carving out a new state in central Italy. The new state would have impacted on Milan more than any of the other states involved.{{citation needed|date=March 2016}} Consequently, in 1493, [[Ludovico Sforza]], the [[Duke of Milan]], appealed for help to Charles VIII.<ref>Robert S. Hoyt and Stanley Chodorow, ''Europe in the Middle Ages'', p. 619.</ref> Charles then returned [[Perpignan]] to Ferdinand II of Aragon to free up forces for the invasion of Italy.{{sfn|Pigaillem|2008|p=109}} The next year in 1494, Milan faced an additional threat. On 25 January 1494, [[Ferdinand I of Naples|Ferdinand I, King of Naples]], died unexpectedly.{{sfn|Mallet|Shaw|2012|p=14}} His death made [[Alfonso II of Naples|Alfonso II]], king of Naples. Alfonso II laid claim to the Milanese duchy.<ref>Robert S. Hoyt and Stanely Chodorow, ''Europe in the Middle Ages'', p. 619.</ref> Alfonso II now urged Charles to take Milan militarily. Charles was also urged on in this adventure by his favorite courtier, [[Étienne de Vesc]]. Thus, Charles came to imagine himself capable of actually taking Naples, and invaded Italy.
[[File:French troops under Charles VIII entering Florence 17 November 1494 by Francesco Granacci.jpg|thumb|French troops under Charles VIII entering [[Florence]], 17 November 1494, by [[Francesco Granacci]]]]
In an event that was to prove a watershed in Italian history,<ref>Robert S. Hoyt, ''Europe in the Middle Ages'', p. 619.</ref> Charles invaded Italy with 25,000 men (including 8,000 [[Swiss mercenaries]]) in September 1494 and marched across the peninsula virtually unopposed, using gunpowder artillery powerful enough to rapidly reduce Italian fortifications not designed to endure it. He arrived in [[Pavia]] on 21 October 1494 and entered [[Pisa]] on 8 November 1494.{{sfn|Mallet|Shaw|2012|p=20-21}} The French army subdued [[Florence]] in passing on their way south. Reaching Naples on 22 February 1495,<ref name="Ritchie64">R. Ritchie, ''Historical Atlas of the Renaissance'', 64.</ref> the French Army took Naples without a pitched battle or siege; Alfonso was expelled, and Charles was crowned King of Naples.

There were those in the Republic of Florence who appreciated the presence of the French king and his Army. The famous friar [[Savonarola]] believed that King Charles VIII was God's tool to purify the corruption of Florence. He believed that once Charles had ousted the evil sinners of Florence, the city would become a center of morality. Thus, Florence was the appropriate place to restructure the Church. This situation would eventually spill over into another conflict between [[Pope Alexander VI]], who despised the idea of having the king in northern Italy where the Pope feared the King of France would interfere with the Papal States,{{sfn|Mallet|Shaw|2012|p=11}} and Savonarola, who called for the king's intervention. This conflict would eventually lead Savonarola to be suspected of heresy and to be executed by the State.

The speed and power of the French advance frightened the other Italian rulers, including the Pope and even Ludovico of Milan. They formed an anti-French coalition, the [[Italian War of 1494–1498#League of Venice|League of Venice]] on 31 March 1495.  The formation of the League of Venice, which included the northern Italian states of Duchy of Milan, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Mantua, and the Republic of Florence in addition to the [[Kingdom of Spain]], the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of Naples, appeared to have trapped Charles in southern Italy and blocked his return to France.  Charles would have to cross the territory of at least some of the League members to return home to France.  At [[Battle of Fornovo|Fornovo]] in July 1495, the League was unable to stop Charles from marching his army out of Italy.{{sfn|Mallet|Shaw|2012|p=31}} The League lost 2,000 men to Charles' 1,000 and, although Charles lost nearly all the booty of the campaign, the League was unable to stop him from crossing their territory on his way back to France. Meanwhile, Charles' remaining garrisons in Naples were quickly subdued by Aragonese forces sent by [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]], ally of Alfonso on 6–7 July 1495.{{sfn|Mallet|Shaw|2012|p=32-33}} Thus in the end, Charles VIII lost all the gains that he had made in Italy.

Over the next few years, Charles VIII tried to rebuild his army and resume the campaign, but he was hampered by the large debts incurred in 1494–95. He never succeeded in gaining anything substantive.

==Death==
Charles died in 1498, two and a half years after his retreat from Italy, as the result of an accident. While on his way to watch a game of ''jeu de paume'' ([[real tennis]]) in Amboise he struck his head on the [[lintel]] of a door.<ref>Heiner Gillmeister, ''Tennis: A Cultural History'' (London: Leicester University Press, 1998) p. 21. ({{ISBN|978-0718501471}})</ref> At around 2:00&nbsp;p.m., while returning from the game, he fell into a sudden coma and died nine hours later. However, more recent analysis disputes this narrative of his death with a 2021 study concluding that such an injury would cause only minor trauma. That same study also hypothesized Charles actually died of severe brain injuries that could have been caused by an [[Epilepsy|epileptic condition]], itself a result of [[neurosyphilis]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zanello |first1=Marc |last2=Roux |first2=Alexandre |last3=Gavaret |first3=Martine |last4=Bartolomei |first4=Fabrice |last5=Huberfeld |first5=Gilles |last6=Charlier |first6=Philippe |last7=Georges-Zimmermann |first7=Patrice |last8=Carron |first8=Romain |last9=Pallud |first9=Johan |date=December 2021 |title=King Charles VIII of France's Death: From an Unsubstantiated Traumatic Brain Injury to More Realistic Hypotheses |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34537407/ |journal=World Neurosurgery |volume=156 |pages=60–67 |doi=10.1016/j.wneu.2021.09.056 |issn=1878-8769 |pmid=34537407}}</ref>

[[File:Armes charles 8 france et naples.png|thumb|Coat of arms of Charles VIII, showing ''[[France Moderne]]'' and ''[[France Ancient]]'' quartered with [[Jerusalem cross]], representing Charles's claim to the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]]]]

Charles bequeathed a meagre legacy: he left France in debt and in disarray as a result of his ambition. However, his expedition did strengthen cultural ties to Italy, energizing French art and literature in the latter part of the [[Renaissance]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rorimer |first=James J. |date=1954 |title=The Glorification of Charles VIII |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3257546 |journal=The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin |volume=12 |issue=10 |pages=281–299 |doi=10.2307/3257546 |jstor=3257546 |issn=0026-1521}}</ref> Since his children predeceased him, Charles was the last of the elder branch of the [[Valois Dynasty|House of Valois]]. Upon his death, the throne passed to his brother-in-law and second cousin once removed, [[Louis XII]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rorimer |first=James J. |date=1954 |title=The Glorification of Charles VIII |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3257546 |journal=The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin |volume=12 |issue=10 |pages=281–299 |doi=10.2307/3257546 |jstor=3257546 |issn=0026-1521}}</ref> Anne returned to Brittany and began taking steps to regain the independence of her duchy. In order to stymie these efforts, Louis XII had his 24-year childless marriage to Charles's sister, [[Joan of France, Duchess of Berry|Joan]], [[Annulment|annulled]] and married Anne.<ref>Frederic J. Baumgartner, ''Louis XII'' (New York: St. Martin Press, 1996) p. 79.</ref>

==Issue==
[[File:Tomb of the children of Charles VIII Tours 2.jpg|thumb|Monument to the children of Charles VIII, Tours Cathedral]]
Charles and Anne had:
* [[Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France]] (11 October 1492 – 16 December 1495), died of the measles when three years old.{{sfn|Broomhall|2004|p=188}} Buried at Tours Cathedral.
* Francis (August 1493), was premature and stillborn. Buried at Notre-Dame de Cléry.{{efn|Anderson indicates this child born August 1493 was unnamed.{{sfn|Anderson|2014|p=163}}}}
* Stillborn daughter (March 1495){{sfn|Broomhall|2004|p=189}}
* Charles, Dauphin of France (8 September 1496 – 2 October 1496).{{sfn|Gobry|2012|loc=Genealogie de Charles VIII}} Buried at Tours Cathedral.
* Francis, Dauphin of France (July 1497). He died several hours after his birth. Buried at Tours Cathedral.{{sfn|Broomhall|2004|p=189}}
* Anne of France (20 March 1498). She died on the day of her birth at [[Château de Plessis-lez-Tours]]. Buried at Tours Cathedral.{{sfn|Broomhall|2004|p=189}}

==Media==
The 1671 English play ''[[Charles VIII of France (play)|Charles VIII of France]]'' by [[John Crowne]] depicts his reign.

Charles VIII's invasion of Italy and his relations with Pope Alexander VI are depicted in the novel ''The Sultan's Helmsman''.

In the 2011 [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] series ''[[The Borgias (2011 TV series)|The Borgias]]'', Charles VIII is portrayed by French actor [[Michel Muller]].
 
In the 2011 French-German historical drama ''[[Borgia (TV series)|Borgia]]'', Charles VIII is played by Simon Larvaron. The event of the king's death is depicted in the TV series ''Borgia'' with a small twist: in the episode, Charles ''himself'' plays a game of [[jeu de paume]] with [[Cesare Borgia]] and loses; while ''leaving'' the game, Charles strikes his head on the lintel of a door.

The 2012 Spanish TV series [[Isabel (TV series)|Isabel]] also depicts the death of Charles VIII. In that series, Charles was played by the actor Héctor Carballo.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/television/series/20131125/54394832286/isabel-fichajes-tercera-temporada.html | title='Isabel' se refuerza de cara a la tercera temporada | date=25 November 2013 }}</ref>

In the 2017 German-Austrian historical drama [[Maximilian (miniseries)|''Maximilian'']], a young Charles when he was Dauphin is portrayed by French actor Max Baissette de Malglaive. Made available by American cable network [[Starz]] in 2018.

== Ancestry ==
{{ahnentafel 
|collapsed=yes |align=center 
|boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; 
|boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; 
|boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; 
|boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; 
| 1 = '''Charles VIII of France''' 
| 2 = [[Louis XI]] of France 
| 3 = [[Charlotte of Savoy]]
| 4 = [[Charles VII of France]]
| 5 = [[Marie of Anjou]] 
| 6 = [[Louis, Duke of Savoy]] 
| 7 = [[Anne of Cyprus]] 
| 8 = [[Charles VI of France]] 
| 9 = [[Isabeau of Bavaria]] 
| 10= [[Louis II of Anjou|Louis II, Duke of Anjou]] 
| 11= [[Yolande of Aragon]] 
| 12= [[Antipope Felix V]] 
| 13= [[Mary of Burgundy, Duchess of Savoy|Mary of Burgundy]] 
| 14= [[Janus of Cyprus]] 
| 15= [[Charlotte of Bourbon, Queen of Cyprus|Charlotte of Bourbon]] 
}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*[[First Italian War]]
*[[Louis III of France]], another French king who died after hitting his head on a lintel
{{clear}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book |title=St. Anne in Renaissance Music: Devotion and Politics |first=Michael Alan |last=Anderson |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2014 }}
*{{cite book |title=The Promised Lands: The Low Countries Under Burgundian Rule, 1369-153 |first1=Wim |last1=Blockmans |first2=Walter |last2=Prevenier |translator-first=Elizabeth |translator-last=Fackelman |editor-first=Edward |editor-last=Peters |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |year=1999 }}211
*{{cite book |title=Women's Medical Work in Early Modern France |first=Susan |last=Broomhall |publisher=Manchester University Press |year=2004 }}
*{{cite book |title=The Late Medieval Age of Crisis and Renewal, 1300-1500: A Biographical Dictionary |editor-first=Clayton J. |editor-last=Drees |publisher=Greenwod Press |year=2000 }}339
*{{cite book |first= Stella |last=Fletcher |title=The Longman Companion to Renaissance Europe, 1390–1530 |publisher=Routledge |year=1999 }}
*{{cite book |first=Joni M. |last=Hand |title=Women, Manuscripts and Identity in Northern Europe, 1350–1550 |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |year=2013 }}
*{{cite book |first=Paul Murray |last=Kendall |title=Louis XI: The Universal Spider |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |year=1971 }}
*{{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=Mallet |first2=Christine |last2=Shaw |title=The Italian Wars: 1494–1559 |publisher=Pearson Education, Limited |year=2012 }}
*{{cite book |title=Anne de Bretagne epouse de Charles VIII et de Louis XII |first=Henri |last=Pigaillem |publisher=Pygmalion |year=2008 }}
*{{cite book |title= Charles VIII (1483-1498) |first=Ivan |last=Gobry |publisher=Pygmalion |year=2012 }}
*{{cite book|author=Francesco Malaguzzi Valeri|date=1913|location=Milano|publisher=Hoepli|ref=Malaguzzi Valeri|title=La corte di Lodovico il Moro: la vita privata e l'arte a Milano nella seconda metà del Quattrocento|url=https://archive.org/details/lacortedilodovic01mala|volume=1}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-hou|[[House of Valois]]|30 June|1470|7 April|1498|[[Capetian dynasty]]}}
|-
{{S-reg|}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Louis XI]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[King of France]]|years=30 August 1483 – 7 April 1498}}
{{S-aft|rows=1|after=[[Louis XII]]}}
|-
{{S-bef|before=[[Ferdinand II of Naples|Ferdinand II]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[King of Naples]]|years=1495}}
{{S-aft|after=[[Ferdinand II of Naples|Ferdinand II]]}}
|-
{{S-roy|fr}}
|-
{{S-vac|last=[[Francis, Dauphin of France (1466)|Francis]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[Dauphin of France]]|years=1470–1483}}
{{S-vac|next=[[Charles Orlando, Dauphin of France|Charles Orlando]]}}
|-
{{s-pre|}}
|-
{{s-bef
| before = [[Andreas Palaiologos]]
}}
{{s-tul
| title = [[List of Byzantine emperors|Emperor of Constantinople]]
| years = 1494–1498
}}
{{s-aft
| after = [[Andreas Palaiologos]] or [[Louis XII]]<br><small>(claimed by both)</small>
}}
|-
{{S-end}}

{{Monarchs of France}}
{{Dauphins of France}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles 08 of France}}
[[Category:Charles VIII of France| ]]
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[[Category:French people of Cypriot descent]]
[[Category:French real tennis players]]
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