He had detached Armand d’Albret from the English cause and married him to Marguérite, one of the Queen’s sisters, to the indignation of the Black Prince, who spoke “_moult rudement_” about it.[54] As Armand d’Albret had before seized the castle of La Motte d’Epineul, it was made part of the dowry of the young princess, who often appears in descriptions of festivities at her sister’s court.
In 1371 she was godmother, with the Princess Jeanne, daughter of Philippe VI., to her niece, Marie de France. Her husband and son were killed at Azincourt, and, like her sister Bonne, Comtesse de Savoie, she undertook the guardianship of her grandson, Charles d’Albret, for whom in 1416 she obtained letters from Charles VI. admitting him to do homage for his lands though under fifteen years old.
Hitherto every King of France had held his court either in the palais de la Cité or the Louvre. Those who only know the Louvre as the magnificent Renaissance palace of François I. and Henri II., can perhaps hardly picture it as the most romantic royal castle that ever existed. The buildings formed an oblong court, with round towers at the angles and in the middle of the sides, while nearly in the centre of the court stood a massive round keep, and to the south and east were well defended gateways. All this was moated, and on the side towards the river were other walls and towers.[55] It was outside Paris until Charles included it within the walls. He altered the internal arrangements, heightening the rooms and also the towers, so that it was more beautiful than ever. It was he who built the long line of towers all along the river. They were of all sizes and shapes, and each had a captain of its own. The names of many of them are known from the registers in the Chambre des Comptes. The Tour du Fer-de-cheval, Tour de l’Orgueil, du Bois, de l’Ecluse, Jean de l’Etang, de l’Armoirie, de la Taillerie, de la grande Chapelle, la petite Chapelle, Grosse Tour du Louvre, Tour de la Librairie, and many others. The Grosse Tour, built by Philippe Auguste, was enormously thick and strong, and had a dungeon. The great portal was on the river, flanked with towers; the second entrance was narrow, with two towers, on which were sculptured the figures of Charles V. and Jeanne de Bourbon.