The Anglo-French War of 1557-1559 was part of the

Italian War of 1551–1559 Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

. Following the French defeat at the Battle of St. Quentin (1557) England entered the war. The French laid Siege to

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. The p ...

in response. Following failure in mid-1557, a renewed attack captured the outlying forts of Nieullay and Rysbank and Calais was besieged.

Events

On 1 January 1558, the French vanguard invested

Sangatte Sangatte (; ) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department on the northern coast of France on the English Channel. The name is of Flemish origin, meaning hole or gap in the sand. Engineering Sangatte is the location for the Channel Tunnel's F ...

and Fréthun Nielles, and the Army Corps reduced

Fort Risban Fort Risban is a fort in Calais, France, located on the coast on the Avenue Raymond Poincaré at the port entrance. In English medieval accounts it is Risbanke or Risbank. History The existence of the fort was first mentioned when Calais was be ...

the next day. On 3 January, the artillery moved into Fort Nieulay at Rysbank. Thomas, Lord Wentworth, completely overwhelmed by a lightning attack, handed the keys of the city to the French on 7 January. The booty taken by the French was more than they had hoped for: food for three months and nearly 300 guns. The English defences of

Guînes Guînes (; vls, Giezene, lang; pcd, Guinne) is a commune in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. Historically it was spelt ''Guisnes''. On 7 January 1785, Jean-Pierre Blanchard, a French pioneer in hydrogen-balloon flight, comple ...

and

Hames Hames is a part of a horse harness. Surnames Hames may refer to: * Bob Hames (1920–1998), American jazz guitarist * Chaim (Harvey) Hames (born 1966), professor of history and Rector at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev * Duncan Hames (born 1 ...

soon also fell. Henry II of France arrived at Calais on 23 January 1558. France had reconquered the last territory it had lost in the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantag ...

and put an end to two centuries of fighting between England and France. The new French administration made a particularly efficient demarcation of the border, created a new division of farmland, reorganized the 24 parishes, and reconstructed villages and churches. No harm came to the English residents: after a rather uncomfortable night they were escorted to the waiting boats and given safe passage across the English Channel. In England there was shock and disbelief at the loss of this final Continental territory. The story goes that a few months later Queen Mary, on her death bed, told her ladies: "When I am dead and cut open, they will find Philip and Calais inscribed on my heart."

Result

The

Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559) Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

confirmed that the French would retain their conquest of the

Pale of Calais The Pale of Calais was a territory in Northern France ruled by the monarchs of England for more than two hundred years from 1347 to 1558. The area, which was taken following the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the subsequent Siege of Calais (1346� ...

."Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 25 September 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anglo-French War (1557-1559) 1550s in France 1550s in England 1550s conflicts Anglo-French wars Italian Wars