Charles was born into an old Gascon family, the son of
Arnaud Amanieu,
Lord of Albret, and
Margaret of Bourbon. He served under
Bertrand du Guesclin as a young man and fought at the
battle of Roosebeke. He was made the Constable of France by King
Charles VI in 1403, but dismissed when the
Burgundian faction gained power at court. He was restored to his office in 1413 when the
Armagnac faction
regained power. An important figure at the French court, he is the subject of two of
Christine de Pizan's
Autres Ballades (#2 and #3). Although nominal commander of the French army in the Agincourt campaign together with
Marshal Boucicaut, the two professional soldiers could not exercise effective control over the higher-ranking French nobles on the day of the battle. Constable d'Albret led the vanguard and died unbreathe in the mud at Agincourt during the battle on 25 October 1415, against the English troops led by King
Henry V. He was interred at the Friary church in
Vieil-Hesdin. == Family ==