The English expedition to France 1562–1563 was an episode in the First French War of Religion, it resulted in a French victory and the

Kingdom of England The Kingdom of England was a sovereign state on the island of Great Britain from the late 9th century, when it was unified from various Heptarchy, Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, until 1 May 1707, when it united with Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland to f ...

relinquish its claims to

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...

and the surrounding area.

Background

On 8 May 1562,

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

reformers took the city of

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

, looted churches, and expelled Catholics.''Modern Period (1492–1610)''
Municipal Archives of Le Havre, consulted on 22 July 2012 Fearing a counter-attack by the royal armies, they turned to the English who sent their troops.

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

saw an opportunity in the current state of chaos in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

to reclaim the

Pale of Calais The Pale of Calais was a territory in northern France ruled by the monarchs of England from 1347 to 1558. The area, which centred on Calais, was taken following the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the subsequent Siege of Calais (1346–47), Siege o ...

, which had only recently been lost in the Anglo-French War (1557–1559) after two centuries of English rule. On 22 September 1562, the Treaty of Hampton Court was signed by Elizabeth and

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

leader Louis, Prince of Condé, by which it was agreed that England would send 3,000 men to occupy the cities of

and

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

. On arrival the English built a series of fortifications.

English failure

In 1563, peace was restored between the Huguenots and French

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

with the

Edict of Amboise The Edict of Amboise, also known as the Edict of Pacification, was signed at the Château of Amboise on 19 March 1563 by Catherine de' Medici, acting as regent for her son Charles IX of France. The Edict ended the first war of the French Wars ...

. However, when the English were requested to leave the cities they were still occupying, Elizabeth refused, stating that English forces would hold out until France restored Calais to English rule. Neale, J E. Queen Elizabeth I (1952 ed.). London: Penguin Books Ltd. In response the French regent,

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...

, sent a force of French Catholic and Huguenots under

Anne de Montmorency Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency ( – 12 November 1567) was a French noble, governor, royal favourite and Constable of France during the mid to late Italian Wars and early French Wars of Religion. He served under five French kings (Loui ...

. The French attacked the city of Le Havre and expelled the English on 29 July 1563. The fort the English had constructed was then razed.

Consequences

The English failure led to the Treaty of Troyes (1564); Elizabeth accepted French rule over Calais in exchange for 120,000 crowns. Elizabeth felt betrayed by the Huguenots, and would never trust them again. Knecht, R. J. Catherine de' Medici. London and New York: Longman, 1998. As a result, Elizabeth refused to send assistance in 1572, despite Huguenot pleas, as France was consumed by the

St. Bartholomew's Day massacre The Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre () in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations and a wave of Catholic mob violence directed against the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants) during the French Wars of Religion. Traditionally believed ...

References

{{reflist 1562 in France 1563 in France 1562 in England 1563 in England Anglo-French wars French Wars of Religion