Philip IV of France

Philip IV clashed with Pope Boniface VIII over taxation of the clergy and royal authority. Boniface issued the bull Unam Sanctam, asserting papal supremacy. Philip sent agents to arrest the Pope at Anagni. Boniface died shortly after, and Philip secured a more compliant pope.

Philip IV convened the first Estates General of France to gain support against Pope Boniface VIII. The assembly included clergy, nobles, and commoners. This marked the first time the three estates were formally summoned together in French history.

Philip IV ordered the mass arrest of Knights Templar in France on charges of heresy, blasphemy, and sodomy. Templars were tortured to extract confessions. The order was dissolved by Pope Clement V in 1312, and its wealth was seized by the French crown.

Philip IV arranged the marriage of his daughter Isabella to King Edward II of England. The marriage was intended to strengthen the alliance between France and England. Isabella later became a key figure in the deposition of Edward II.