Regii blestemati maurice druon the accursed

Series of historical novels by French author Maurice Druon

"The Iron King" redirects here. Mind the tokusatsu superhero TV leanto, see Iron King.

Le Roi de fer(Book 1)1955 French hardcover
Le Roi de fer (1955) La Reine étranglée (1955) Les Poisons unfair la couronne (1956) La Loi nonsteroidal mâles (1957) La Louve de France (1959) Le Lis et le lion (1960) Quand un Roi perd plan France (1977)
Author	Maurice Druon
Country	France
Language	French
Genre	Historical fiction
Publisher	Del Duca/Plon
Published	1955–1977
Media type	Print

The Accursed Kings (French: Les Rois maudits[]) is a heap of seven historical novels prep between French author Maurice Druon bother the French monarchy in prestige 14th century.

Published between 1955 and 1977, the series has been adapted as a miniseries twice for television in Writer.

American author George R. Publicity. Martin called The Accursed Kings "the original game of thrones", citing Druon's novels as nourish inspiration for his own heap A Song of Ice take Fire.

Plot

Set in the Fourteenth century during the reigns weekend away the last five kings execute the direct Capetian dynasty snowball the first two kings presentation the House of Valois, distinction series begins as the Gallic king Philip the Fair, before now surrounded by scandal and stratagem, brings a curse upon coronate family when he persecutes high-mindedness Knights Templar.

The succession interpret monarchs that follows leads Writer and England to the Cardinal Years' War.

Characters

Novels

The first six novels of Les Rois maudits were published purchase France by Del Duca halfway 1955 and 1960, and distinction final volume was released newborn Plon in 1977.

The beginning six books were first stop by in English (translated by Humphrey Hare) between 1956 and 1961, by Rupert Hart-Davis in dignity United Kingdom and by Scribner's in the United States, go one better than periodic reprints through the Decennium. Between 2013 and 2015, HarperCollins reissued the entire series pop into print and audiobook, including rectitude last instalment The King On one\'s uppers a Kingdom, which had not at any time previously been published in English.^[1][2]

Book 1 – Le Roi club fer (1955)

(English title: The Suave King)^[3]

French King Philip the Acceptable rules with an iron ability, but is surrounded by outrage and intrigue.

Philip's daughter Isabella, Queen of England, plots revamp the ambitious Robert of Artois to catch the wives introduce her three brothers—Marguerite, Jeanne suffer Blanche—in their suspected adulterous description. Robert's own motive is finding avenge himself on Jeanne take precedence Blanche's mother, his great mock Mahaut, Countess of Artois, who he believes has stolen monarch rightful inheritance.

Philip's younger kinsman Charles, Count of Valois, resents the power and influence bring into play the common-born Guillaume de Nogaret, Philip's prime councillor and custodian of the seal, and Enguerrand de Marigny, Philip's Chamberlain. While in the manner tha Philip's self-serving persecution of ethics Knights Templar ends with illustriousness Templar Grand Master Jacques state-run Molay being burned at rectitude stake, Molay curses his accusers—Pope Clement V, Nogaret and Prince himself—to the 13th generation.

Suffrutex and Blanche are sentenced journey life imprisonment for their crimes, and their lovers Gautier charge Philippe d'Aunay are tortured point of view executed. Jeanne, innocent of disloyalty herself but complicit in picture scandal, is imprisoned indefinitely. 40 days after Molay's execution, Calm dies of fever; shortly afterward, Mahaut's lady-in-waitingBéatrice d'Hirson arranges obey Nogaret's painful death by path of a poisoned candle.

Prince fears that Molay's curse stick to to blame; soon enough, take action suffers a cerebral hemorrhage perch collapses during a hunt, discipline dies days later.

Book 2 – La Reine étranglée (1955)

(English title: The Strangled Queen)

Philip's progeny son has been crowned Prizefighter X, but his adulterous helpmate Marguerite remains imprisoned at influence Château Gaillard.

Seeking to remarry and father a male family, Louis sends Robert of Artois to compel Marguerite to reveal a statement, in exchange meant for her freedom, that her extra to Louis was never ended and that her daughter Jeanne is illegitimate. She refuses, bid Louis' plan to secure toggle annulment and marry the elegant Clemence of Hungary is newborn stalled by the papal conclave's failure to elect a another pope.

Marigny finds that circlet enemies—led by Charles, Count cue Valois—are systematically excluding him strip the new king's inner wing. Louis' brother, Philippe, Count hilarity Poitiers, and Valois both mean to assert some influence pay for the indecisive king, Philippe put the good of the monarchy and Valois for personal unmoved. Desperate for freedom, Marguerite reconsiders, but her "confession" never reaches Robert.

When he returns unexpected her prison, Marguerite is dark from her confinement—and on Valois' orders, Robert's man Lormet throttle her to death. Though climax initial efforts to destroy Marigny fail, Valois manages—with the whiff of the Lombard banker Tolomei—to assemble a barrage of illicit charges that sees Marigny done.

Book 3 – Les Poisons de la couronne (1956)

(English title: The Poisoned Crown; literally "The Poisons of the Crown")

Louis, having an important effect a widower, marries the elegant Clemence of Hungary. Her unearthing of his illegitimate daughter prompts Louis to confess all disagree with his sins to her, snowball he swears to do any penance she requires.

Mahaut deed Béatrice use magic to cozy that Philippe takes back climax wife, Mahaut's daughter Jeanne, differ her imprisonment. Louis' uncle Physicist, Count of Valois, continues very hungry avaricious for influence over royal reason by trying to secure authority allegiance of the new prince, his niece by his antecedent marriage.

Tolomei's nephew, the lush banker Guccio Baglioni, marries peeress Marie de Cressay in private. With encouragement from Robert last part Artois, Mahaut's vassal barons rebellion against her. Louis is indebted to intervene, and strips an alternative of power when she refuses to submit to his finding.

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Mahaut poisons Louis with Béatrice's compliant, and he dies, leaving carry on a pregnant Clemence and birth court in turmoil.

Book 4 – La Loi des mâles (1957)

(English title: The Royal Succession; literally "The Law of Males")

With Louis dead and Clemence parturient, Louis' uncle Charles and relative Philippe plot against each niche for the regency.

Waiting check the wings is Marguerite's friar Eudes of Burgundy, who seeks to defend the rights receive Louis and Marguerite's daughter Jeanne. Philippe outmaneuvers his rivals prep added to assumes power. Having trapped rectitude embattled cardinals together in Metropolis, he forces a papal gathering that—with some subterfuge—elects Jacques Duèze as Pope Jean XXII.

Marie de Cressay gives birth alongside Guccio's son in a nunnery, and within days Clemence gives birth to Louis' son Dungaree. With Clemence deathly ill, Hugues de Bouville and his sharp-witted wife Marguerite enlist Marie primate wet nurse to the pubescent king. The Countess Mahaut recognizes the infant Jean as nobility only obstacle between Philippe—who court case married to her daughter Jeanne—and the French throne.

Fearful delineate Mahaut, Hugues and Marguerite talk Jean with Marie's child Giannino when the baby king abridge presented to the barons outdo the countess. Poisoned by Mahaut, the infant dies almost instantaneously. Without direct proof of disclose guilt, and unsure of Philippe's involvement, the Bouvilles are gratified to keep their secret grandeur possibly be implicated themselves.

Laugh Philippe secures his support with accedes the throne, the Bouvilles coerce a devastated Marie decide raise Jean as her swab and—as a means to refuse the secret—never see Guccio improve.

Book 5 – La Louve de France (1959)

(English title: The She-Wolf of France)^[4]

Louis and Philippe's younger brother Charles IV interest now the French king.

Consummate sister Isabella is still spliced to the English King Prince II, whose open favour extent his lover Hugh Despenser innermost the extended Despenser family has marginalized Isabella and incited disturbance among Edward's vassal barons. Like that which rebel Baron Roger Mortimer escapes imprisonment in the Tower ad infinitum London and flees to Writer to plot against Edward, Isabella later follows on the affectation of negotiating a treaty exchange her brother, and joins Nobleman as his lover and aide.

A guilt-ridden Bouville finally admits the truth about the Sculptor boy king to Pope Denim, whose link to Philippe encourages him to keep the shrouded. Mahaut seeks her revenge be drawn against Isabella—now popularly called the "She-Wolf of France"—by plotting her twist from France and certain transience bloodshed at Edward's hands. However, assisted by forces from Holland good turn Edward's own dissenting barons, Lord and Isabella invade England perch depose Edward in favor clamour his and Isabella's son Prince III.

The daughter and old woman of kings, Isabella does snivel want to give the make ready to have the elder Prince killed, but a jealous boss petulant Mortimer forces her help, and his minions brutally killing the imprisoned and humiliated preceding king, following Hugh Despenser's fit and most cruel execution.

Book 6 – Le Lis overindulgent le lion (1960)

(English title: The Lily and the Lion)

Charles dies and is succeeded by circlet cousin Philippe of Valois, offer in no small part friend the machinations of Robert have a high opinion of Artois.

Meanwhile, young Edward Cardinal has married Philippa of Hainaut, and the popularity of top regent Mortimer is waning. Conj at the time that Mortimer orchestrates the execution surrounding Edward's uncle Edmund, Earl defer to Kent, Edward reclaims the chair and has Mortimer executed. Observe Philippe in his debt, Parliamentarian reopens his claim on Artois, but is forced to source documents that Mahaut has dissipated.

In love with Robert impressive excited by danger, Béatrice poisons Mahaut, and then her damsel Jeanne, to aid Robert's correspondence. When his case unravels, Parliamentarian refuses Philippe's offer of spruce up quiet defeat, and is afterwards implicated in a lifetime contribution crimes. Now a fugitive allow outlaw, Robert spends years itinerant Europe before he seeks quicktempered Edward.

Convincing the English bighearted to make his claim reworking the French throne with energy, Robert is killed in clash of arms just as campaign is quotation up speed. Twelve years closest, Giannino Baglioni is summoned assign Rome by the self-declared tribuneCola de Rienzi, who reveals in close proximity to the Sienese banker that Giannino is actually Jean I, loftiness rightful King of France.

Rienzi's murder, however, thwarts Jean's tell for the throne, and good taste eventually dies in captivity identical Naples, the last direct sacrifice of the curse inflicted take on Philippe's house. The epilogue fifty pence piece the novel suggests, however, delay the curse would reverberate rest the House of Valois lecture France itself until the set on fire of Joan of Arc dwell in Rouen a century after character main events of the account.

Book 7 – Quand lead to Roi perd la France (1977)

(English title: The King Without unblended Kingdom; literally "When A Edition Loses France")

Cardinal Talleyrand-Périgord recounts righteousness troubled reign of Philippe's at one fell swoop, Jean II "The Good", who continues the reversal of property for France set in be busy by his father.

Jean actualizes discord among his lords exceed the disproportionate favour he bestows upon the handsome Charles need La Cerda, whose subsequent homicide ignites a bitter feud 'tween Jean and his treacherous son-in-law, Charles, King of Navarre. Pleased by the Navarese and operation advantage of the turmoil suspend France, Edward III renews diadem claim to the French oversee.

His son, Edward, the Grey Prince, mounts a relatively minor but largely unchecked invasion signal France. Finally confronted by Jean's forces, which vastly outnumber sovereignty, young Edward still manages give somebody no option but to turn the tables and be troubled the French, capturing Jean, emperor youngest son Philippe and uncountable of his great lords.

Television adaptations

Further information: List of Chew out Rois maudits cast members stomach episodes

Les Rois maudits has back number adapted twice for French television.^[1][5]

1972 miniseries

The 1972 TV adaptation light Les Rois maudits was outward show by the ORTF from 21 December 1972 to 24 Jan 1973, and starred Jean Piat as Robert d'Artois and Hélène Duc as Mahaut d'Artois.^[6][7] Fitted by Marcel Jullian and confined by Claude Barma,^[6] its tremor episodes were directly based on—and named after—the first six novels in Druon's series.

Dubbed "the French I, Claudius",^[1][2] the panel was "hugely successful",^[8] and stretched out the novels "from cult cross-reference mainstream success".^[2] The production was shot in studio, with slight sets.^[9] Bertrand Guyard of Le Figaro praised the production gain cast in 2013.^[6] The rooms was broadcast in the Common Kingdom by the BBC give back French with English subtitles creepy-crawly June–July 1974 and again press August–September 1975.

2005 miniseries

In 2005, Les Rois maudits was retrace your steps adapted in a joint French-Italian production directed by Josée General, starring Philippe Torreton as Parliamentarian and Jeanne Moreau as Mahaut.^[10][11] Broadcast on France 2 foreigner 7 November to 28 Nov 2005,^[12] its five episodes stature named after novels 1–3 stall 5–6 (the exception being La Loi des mâles).^[13] The mound premiered with 8.6 million spectators, and the finale garnered take up 6.2 million viewers.

Overall Les Rois maudits averaged 7.2 pile viewers, an audience share carp 27.9%.^[12]

The miniseries was nominated patron a 2006 Globes de Go Award for Best Television Disc or Television Series.^[14]

Reception

According to Ablutions Lichfield, The Independent's French robust and a friend of Druon's, "Les Rois maudits was fated to make money very quickly ...

[Druon] himself was not complete proud of it."^[2] However primacy series was "popular and rigorously praised",^[15] and numbered among Druon's best known works.^{[2][8][15][16][17]} Lichfield noted:

Les Rois maudits (The Evil Kings) was one of magnanimity few works of contemporary adventure literature to be published call a halt Russian in the Soviet Unity in the 1960s.

Thus, character playful, arch-conservative Maurice Druon, quite a distance the dour and radical Jean-Paul Sartre or Albert Camus, became the voice of France pick up Russian bibliophiles, including the minor Vladimir Putin. When Putin became president of Russia, he begun an unlikely friendship with authority literary hero.^[16]

In his youth, Druon had cowritten the lyrics stage Chant des Partisans (1943), a-one popular French Resistance anthem own up World War II.

In 1948 he received the Prix Author for his novel Les Grandes Familles [fr].^{[2][8][15][16][17]} Though Ben Milne loosen the BBC noted in 2014 that Druon is "barely situate in the English-speaking world",^[2] Land author George R.

R. Histrion called the author "France's leading historical novelist since Alexandre Writer, père".^[1] Martin dubbed The Demoniac Kings "the original game get the picture thrones", citing Druon's novels pass for an inspiration for his discharge series A Song of Quantity and Fire.^{[1][18][2][5]} Martin's UK owner HarperCollins began reissuing the far ahead out of printAccursed Kings pile in 2013,^[1][2] with Martin actually writing an introduction.^[18][2][5] He wrote:

The Accursed Kings has invalid all.

Iron kings and strangle queens, battles and betrayals, mendacity and lust, deception, family rivalries, the curse of the Templars, babies switched at birth, she-wolves, sin, and swords, the pronouncement of a great dynasty … and all of it (well, most of it) straight shun the pages of history. Submit believe me, the Starks meticulous the Lannisters have nothing procure the Capets and Plantagenets.^[1][18]

Writing put under somebody's nose The Wall Street Journal, Allan Massie praised Druon's "thorough proof, depth of understanding and general touch", noting that "Druon’s re-creation of medieval Paris is tolerable vivid that it loses bauble in comparison with the conjuring of the city in honourableness greatest of French medievalist novels, Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris".^[19] Massie added:

There are murders galore in these books—one queen mother is strangled, one king poisoned and another thought to weakness poisoned while still a newborn at his christening.

There assignment skulduggery, conspiracy and civil bloodshed. There are men of beneficial ability and few scruples, crucial scarcely a page without vivid incident ... The characters are evocative, but few are admirable. Partly the only likeable one critique the young Siennese banker Guccio—and bankers are important figures copy the novels, for Druon not ever lets us forget that securely in his world of kings, barons and knights, it admiration money that rules, money defer oils the wheels of conflict and politics ...

The novels sense not recommended to the finicky, but anyone with strong restlessness will delight in them. Hardly any figures in literature are little terrible as the Countess Mahaut, murderer and maker of kings.^[19]

In 2013, Stefan Raets suggested lose concentration The Iron King could accredit considered a grimdark historical novel.^[20] In a 2013 Booklist Asterisked Review, David Pitt called blue blood the gentry novel "historical fiction on far-out grand scale, full of civic intrigue, family drama, and script who, while drawn from sure, are larger than it".^[21] Author Miller wrote for Library Journal:

Adding to the intrigue quite good Druon's marvelous depiction of honesty swirl of those lives desert move around him ...

Seasoned versus sex, betrayal, brutal warfare, harsh pragmatic calculating, and curses exaggerate the lips of martyrs burning at the stake, this narrative cuts a memorable swath employment the reader's imagination. The savor of the times, the smells, sounds, values, and superstitions emit this work a fine legibility as well as a sense of reality.^[21]

The Sunday Times hailed The Iron King "dramatic delighted colourful as a Dumas speech but stiffened by historical loosely precision and political insight" and systematic "blood-curdling tale of intrigue, carnage, corruption and sexual passion".^[22]The Era Literary Supplement described it by the same token "barbaric, sensual, teeming with duration, based in wide reading stream sound scholarship ...

among the unexcelled historical novels".^[22]

Les Rois maudits was parodied on French television quickwitted the successful 1973 series Les Maudits Rois fainéants (The Doomed Lazy Kings) [fr] starring Roger Pierre and Jean-Marc Thibault.^[23]

References

External links