After the French lifted the

siege of Orléans The siege of Orléans (12 October 1428 – 8 May 1429) was the watershed of the Hundred Years' War between France and England. The siege took place at the pinnacle of English power during the later stages of the war. The city held strategic an ...

and won a decisive victory at the

Battle of Patay The Battle of Patay, fought on 18 June 1429 during the Hundred Years' War, was the culmination of the Loire Campaign between the French and English in north-central France. In this engagement, the horsemen of the French vanguard inflicted heavy ...

, the English and Burgundians no longer posed a threat.

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...

convinced the Dauphin Charles to go to Reims for his coronation. Successfully marching their army though the heart of territory held by the hostile Burgundians solidified the Dauphin’s grasp on the throne of France. He had been disinherited from it through the

Treaty of Troyes The Treaty of Troyes was an agreement that King Henry V of England and his heirs would inherit the French throne upon the death of King Charles VI of France. It was formally signed in the French city of Troyes on 21 May 1420 in the aftermath of ...

Background

Following the

assassination of John the Fearless John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, was assassinated on the bridge at Montereau on 10 September 1419 during a parley with the French dauphin (the future Charles VII of France), by Tanneguy du Chastel and Jean Louvet, the dauphin's close cou ...

, the Treaty of Troyes in 1420 gave the throne of France to Henry V of England. Henry had married the

daughter A daughter is a female offspring; a girl or a woman in relation to her parents. Daughterhood is the state of being someone's daughter. The male counterpart is a son. Analogously the name is used in several areas to show relations between group ...

of King Charles VI of France, and his son Henry VI was to succeed him to the thrones of both France and England. But Henry V died in 1422 when his son was not yet one year old; the regency was entrusted to

John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford John of Lancaster, Duke of Bedford KG (20 June 138914 September 1435) was a medieval English prince, general and statesman who commanded England's armies in France during a critical phase of the Hundred Years' War. Bedford was the third son of ...

. The intervention of Joan of Arc with the Dauphin Charles was seen as miraculous, even more so after the lifting of the Siege of Orléans and the Battle of Patay. Treaty of Troyes

March to Reims

For the first time in the history of France, the eldest son of the king did not inherit the crown.

Charles VI of France Charles VI (3 December 136821 October 1422), nicknamed the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé) and later the Mad (french: le Fol or ''le Fou''), was King of France from 1380 until his death in 1422. He is known for his mental illness and psychotic ...

disinherited his son, leaving the kingdom of France to Henry VI of England, the son of his daughter

Catherine Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...

. After Charles VI died, his son challenged his disinheritance and claimed the throne. Despite the French victory in the Battle of Patay on 18 June, which caused the English to retreat to Paris, The dauphin refused to continue on to Reims, which was held by the Burgundians. He remained in Sully-sur-Loire then withdrew to

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Louis VI had been. Nevertheless, a

coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the presentation of ot ...

in Reims would have a much greater impact because it would be seen as a new miracle, attesting to his divine legitimacy. After initially meeting the Dauphin on 23 May 1429 at

Loches Loches () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department, central France. It is situated southeast of Tours by road, on the left bank of the river Indre. History Loches (the Roman ''Leucae'') grew up around a monastery founded about 500 by St ...

, Joan of Arc next met him on 21 June at the Fleury Abbey to persuade him to go to Reims. The next day, the dauphin's council met in

Châteauneuf-sur-Loire Châteauneuf-sur-Loire () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Population Twin towns * Amarante, Portugal * Bad Laasphe, Germany See also * Communes of the Loiret department The following is the list of the 325 ...

and ordered the army to gather at

Gien Gien () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. Gien is on the river Loire, from Orléans. Gien station has rail connections to Montargis, Nevers and Paris. The town was bought for the royal domain by Philip II of Fran ...

On 24 June, preceded by her squire, , who held her banner emblazoned ''Jhésus Maria'', Joan of Arc — arriving at Gien wearing her armor forged in

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metro ...

and the sword of Fierbois, found Charles VII. The next day 12000 men of the king's army gathered in Gien, bringing to 33000 the cavalry forces and 40000 foot soldiers. The French army took

Bonny-sur-Loire Bonny-sur-Loire (, literally ''Bonny on Loire'') is a commune in the Loiret department of the Centre-Val de Loire region of north-central France. Place name The name is evidenced historically at least since the beginning of the seventeenth cent ...

and Saint-Fargeau. Joan of Arc broke her sword on the back of a camp follower. Two days later the Dauphin ordered a march to the city of the

: the march began at Gien on 29 June 1429. The ease of the march showed both the fragility of the Anglo-Burgundian rule and the restoration of confidence in the cause of Charles VII of France. According to

Jean de Dunois Jean d'Orléans, Count of Dunois (23 November 1402 – 24 November 1468), known as the "Bastard of Orléans" (french: bâtard d'Orléans) or simply Jean de Dunois, was a French military leader during the Hundred Years' War who participated in m ...

, bluffing was the only tactic that opened the gates of the city. The

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished ( ...

Gilles de Rais Gilles de Rais (c. 1405 – 26 October 1440), Baron de Rais (), was a knight and lord from Brittany, Anjou and Poitou, a leader in the French army, and a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He is best known for his reputation and later conv ...

rode to Reims, hoping to use this victorious march to retrieve a ransom of land taken from "collaborators." Joan of Arc left Gien accompanied by her captains: ,

La Hire Étienne de Vignolles, Sieur de Montmorillon, Chatelain de Longueville (), also known as La Hire (; 1390 – 11 January 1443), was a French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. Nickname One explanation for his nickname of La ...

, André of Lohéac, , Jean V de Bueil, Pierre Bessonneau,

Jacques de Chabannes Jacques de Chabannes (ca. 1400-1453) was a French nobleman and military commander during the reign of King Charles VII. The elder brother of Antoine de Chabannes, he is most notable for his significant role at the Battle of Castillon in 1453. L ...

, , Pierre Bessonneau, and

Jean Poton de Xaintrailles Jean Poton de Xaintrailles (, 1390? – 7 October 1461), a minor noble of Gascon origin, was one of the chief lieutenants of Joan of Arc. He served as master of the royal stables, as royal bailiff in Berry and as seneschal of Limousin. In ...

. On the road to Reims, the Constable

Richemont Compagnie Financière Richemont S.A., commonly known as Richemont, is a Switzerland-based luxury goods holding company founded in 1988 by South African businessman Johann Rupert. Through its various subsidiaries, Richemont produces and sells j ...

sent to ask the dauphin for leave to serve him at his coronation. Rostrenen instead accompanied the constable to

Parthenay Parthenay () is an ancient fortified town and ''commune'' in the Deux-Sèvres department of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. It is sited on a rocky spur that is surrounded on two sides by the River Thouet, and is the su ...

. During the march, the Burgundian garrison in

Auxerre Auxerre ( , ) is the capital of the Yonne department and the fourth-largest city in Burgundy. Auxerre's population today is about 35,000; the urban area (''aire d'attraction'') comprises roughly 113,000 inhabitants. Residents of Auxerre are r ...

refused to open its gates.

Georges de la Trémoille Georges may refer to: Places *Georges River, New South Wales, Australia *Georges Quay (Dublin) * Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses * Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...

, a favorite of the Dauphin, reportedly bribed the minister of the city two thousand gold écus. The city remained neutral and allowed the French army to resupply itself and camp outside its walls on 1 and 2 July. The army of the Dauphin left again; Saint-Florentin submitted immediately, as did Brienon l’Archevêque. On 4 July, the army reached Troyes, occupied by five or six hundred Burgundians, who refused to open the gates. Vigiles misc 03

After four days of siege, the majority of the dauphin's council wanted to lift the siege and continue on the road without entering the city. On the fifth day of the siege, 9 July, Troyes capitulated (for fear of attack), but only Charles VII and the captains were able to enter. The soldiers spent the night in Saint-Phal, under the command of Ambroise de Loré.

was one of the leaders of the army who reduced Troyes to obedience. Fewer than 2000 English soldiers of the captain of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, John of Lancaster, occupied Paris, which had as its provost Simon Morhier, and as Governor

Jean de La Baume Jean de La Baume (dead after 25 January 1435 ) was a Marshal of France from 1422 until his death. Functions He was:Généalogie de la famille de CarnéJean de La Baume, maréchal de France/ref> * Esquire and ordinary cup-bearer of John the Fea ...

. Philip the Good of Burgundy opted to leave

Laon Laon () is a city in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. History Early history The holy district of Laon, which rises a hundred metres above the otherwise flat Picardy plain, has always held strategic importance. ...

for Paris, where he arrived on 10 July, appointed the Master of the Louvre Jean de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam governor, and committed to him the safety of Paris in the absence of Lancaster. Philip sent ambassadors to the Dauphin to sue for peace. On 11 July the Dauphin's army left Troyes to head to

Châlons-en-Champagne Châlons-en-Champagne () is a city in the Grand Est region of France. It is the capital of the department of Marne, despite being only a quarter the size of the city of Reims. Formerly called Châlons-sur-Marne, the city was officially renam ...

, which opened its gates on 14 July to let him spend the night. On Saturday 16 July, Philip the Good left Paris to return to Laon, while the Archbishop of Reims,

Regnault de Chartres Regnault de Chartres ( in Ons-en-Bray - 4 April 1444 in Tours) was a French cardinal, archbishop of Rheims, peer of France (as Archbishop-Duke of Rheims) and chancellor of France during the reign of King Charles VII of France. In 1429 during ...

, left Reims in the hands of William, Lord of

Châtillon-sur-Marne Châtillon-sur-Marne (, literally ''Châtillon on Marne'') is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. It lies in the valley of the Marne, surrounded by the '' Parc Naturel de la Montagne de Reims''. It lies in the historic ...

and of the Sire of

Saveuse Saveuse () is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography Saveuse is situated west of Amiens, on the D211 road Population Places of interest * The church See also *Communes of the Somme department ...

. The dauphin arrived at the castle of the Archbishop of Reims in

Sept-Saulx Sept-Saulx () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in t ...

(located 21 km from Reims). The dauphin called on the people of Reims to open their gates, despite their vow to resist him for six weeks until relieved by Lancaster and Philip the Good. After negotiations and dinner, Charles VII entered and slept in Reims. That same day,

René of Anjou René of Anjou ( it, Renato; oc, Rainièr; ca, Renat; 1409–1480) was Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence from 1434 to 1480, who also reigned as King of Naples as René I from 1435 to 1442 (then deposed as the preceding dynasty was restored t ...

brought homage from

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gra ...

and

Barrois Barrois () is a (a French territorial division roughly equivalent to a county) in eastern France. In the Middle Ages it was part of the Duchy of Bar, then bordering the Duchy of Lorraine The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lot ...

to the Dauphin.

Consequences

On Sunday 17 July 1429 Charles VII was crowned King of France in Reims:Charles VII
Encyclopædia Britannica he received the

Holy Ampulla The Holy Ampulla or Holy Ampoule (''Sainte Ampoule'' in French) was a glass vial which, from its first recorded use by Pope Innocent II for the anointing of Louis VII in 1131 to the coronation of Louis XVI in 1774, held the chrism or anointing o ...

from the hands of the Archbishop Renault Chartres.

"Noble King, now is executed the pleasure of God who wished I lift the siege of Orléans, and I bring you into this city of Rheims to receive your holy coronation to show you are the true king, and the one to whom the kingdom of France must belong," declared Joan of Arc, paying tribute to her king.

The coronation ceremony, given the circumstances, took place in simplicity. The crown, the scepter, and the globe were still in English-held Saint-Denis. Only three of the spiritual peers attended the ceremony: the

Archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims (traditionally spelt "Rheims" in English) ( la, Archidiœcesis Remensis; French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese a ...

Renault Chartres, the

Bishop of Laon The diocese of Laon in the present-day département of Aisne, was a Catholic diocese for around 1300 years, up to the French Revolution. Its seat was in Laon, France, with the Laon Cathedral. From early in the 13th century, the bishop of Laon ...

William of Champeaux, and the

bishop of Châlons A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

Jean Saarbrücken. But the eighth sacrament, the

anointing Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body. By extension, the term is also applied to related acts of sprinkling, dousing, or smearing a person or object with any perfumed oil, milk, butter, or ot ...

of the king, gave him the sacred sign of legitimate power, and made him the rightful monarch, of the

House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589. Junior members of the f ...

, authentically appointed by God, unlike John of Lancaster, who was imposed by an enemy army and the irresponsible signature of a mad king.

Commemoration

For the fifth centennial of the campaign, and in the context of the

canonization of Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (1412–1431) was formally canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on 16 May 1920 by Pope Benedict XV in his bull ''Divina disponente'',Pope Benedict XV, ''Divina Disponente'' (Latin), 16 May 1920, https://www.vatican.va/c ...

, a series of plaques was mounted along the route that Joan followed to retake Reims and crown the king. Chalons Jehanne d'Arc 8276.jpg, Châlons-sur-Marne, Montmirail Mairie - Plaque Jeanne d'Arc.jpg, Montmirail, Plaque porte Saint Pierre (Château-Thierry).jpg,

Château-Thierry Château-Thierry () is a French commune situated in the department of the Aisne, in the administrative region of Hauts-de-France, and in the historic Province of Champagne. The origin of the name of the town is unknown. The local tradition at ...

, Cormicy - plaque Jeanne d'Arc.JPG, Cormicy, Corbeny (Aisne) mairie, plaque Jeanne d'Arc.JPG,

Corbeny Corbeny (; in the Middle Ages: Corbunei) is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The river Ailette flows south through the northwestern part of the commune. Population See also * Communes of ...

, Reims - plaque Jeanne d'Arc.JPG, and Reims.

Bibliography

* * * * .

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reims 1429 in Europe 1420s in France Battles of the Hundred Years' War Conflicts in 1429 Henry VI of England Joan of Arc