The rivalry between Charles and his brother, the Dauphin Henry, was potentially dangerous. However, it solved itself with the death of Charles. In the autumn of 1545, Charles was on his way (with his brother, the Dauphin) to
Boulogne, which was under siege.
On 6 September, they came across a cluster of houses that had been emptied and sealed off "from the plague"—probably a form of influenza. Stating that "no son of a King of France ever died of plague", Charles entered some of the infected houses with his brother.[SUP][7][/SUP] Laughing, he slashed at bedding with his sword and started a pillow fight with some of his traveling companions. Stories have also been told of him (on a dare) lying down on one of the infected beds and rolling around on the bedding. Later that evening, after dining with his father and brother, he took suddenly ill, suffering from pain, a high fever, vomiting and shaking limbs. Dauphin Henry rushed to his sickroom immediately, but was barred from entering, being physically restrained on three occasions.
Charles died on 9 September 1545. Some thought that he had been poisoned, but most agreed that it was the "plague" that killed him. He is buried next to his father, Francis I and his brother, the Dauphin Francis at the
Abbey of Saint-Denis. During his funeral, the future King Henry II wept for Charles even though his friend, François de Scépeaux, argued that Charles "never loved or esteemed you."[SUP]
[8][/SUP]
At the time of his death, he possessed the Duchies of Angoulême, Bourbon, and Châtellerault.
