 Born in 1421, possibly at Lizy in Picardy, he was brought up in the Burgundian court with his younger half-brother, the Count of Charolais, later Charles the Bold, last of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy, to whom he grew very close.Together with his older illegitimate half-brother Corneille, bastard of Burgundy (died 1452), he was the favourite amongst the many natural children of Philip the Good.In 1459, he married Marie de la Viesville by whom he had five children.