Page 57 - History of War - Issue 29-16

ENGLAND’S FORGOTTEN WARRIOR

to the victor, the spoils

LARGELY THANKS TO HIS FATHER HENRY V AND HIS UNCLE BEDFORD, HENRY VI REMAINS THE
ONLY KING OF ENGLAND TO BE CROWNED AS KING OF FRANCE
It is commonly assumed that Joan of Arc’s Henry arrived in Paris on a white horse Henry VI was crowned in Notre Dame Cathedral
military successes caused the collapse accompanied by his retinue and nobles, as king of France in December 1431. This was
of English rule in France. While this was with Bedford prominent among them. arguably the pinnacle of Bedford’s achievements
true in the long term, it was not apparent He rode under a canopy, the symbol of
in the early 1430s. In fact Henry VI of rank and honour, and was greeted by the
England was crowned in Notre Dame prominent Parisian bishops and burghers
Cathedral in Paris as King of France on who all wore lavish costumes. Paris was
26 December 1431, months after Joan decked out with colourful symbolic shields
had been executed. He was only ten years and statues to mark Henry’s arrival.
old, but he had already been crowned as During the coronation ceremony the king
King of England on 6 November 1429 in was crowned by the Bishop of Winchester
Westminster Abbey. The ceremony was rich and the singing was apparently of a
in symbolism for his dual kingdoms. good standard. The same could not be
He was announced as, “Born by descent said of the celebratory banquet, as the
and title of right justly to reign in England food organised by the English had been
and in France.” The traditional site for prepared three days before and was cold.
crowning French kings was at Reims In time-honoured tradition the French
Cathedral but it was under hostile French disapproved, with one Parisian writing,
occupation so Paris was the second option. “This seemed very odd to the French.”

but the ghting was much more hand-to-hand crowned as Charles VII at Reims Cathedral in Bedford was recognised as a great man
and the casualties were high. The English lost July 1429. The English were on the back foot during his lifetime. In 1433 the English
1,600 men while the Franco-Scottish army had for the rst time in years. However, Bedford Parliament wrote to Henry VI saying his uncle
casualties of at least 7,000. The vast majority was not present at either the siege or the had, “achieved many great things, especially
of these were the Scots who were virtually subsequent defeats, as he was running the battle of Verneuil, which was the greatest
annihilated. Two days after the battle, Bedford the English administration in Paris. He was deed done by Englishmen in our days, save the
con rmed: “There were very few Scots who incensed by Joan’s presence and described her battle of Agincourt.”
were not slain.” as, “a disorderly and deformed travesty of a Even the French admired him. When Louis XI,
Contemporaries are unanimous about woman who dresses like a man and whose life who reigned between 1461-83, was asked to
Bedford’s leadership capabilities, with Waurin is dissolute.” demolish Bedford’s tomb in Rouen Cathedral
saying, “The Duke of Bedford did that day After the coronation, Charles and Joan he replied: “In his lifetime neither my father nor Images: Alamy, Getty
wonderful deeds of arms, and killed many a marched on Paris and Bedford went with his yours, for all their might, could make him budge
man with an axe that he held in two hands. He army to confront the French at Montépilloy in one foot. Let his body rest. I account it an
reached no one whom he did not fell, he was August. The two armies faced each other for honour to have him remain in my domains”.
great in body and large in limbs, wise and brave two days but neither attacked, which was highly
in arms.” The chronicler John Hardyng agreed, unusual for both Bedford and Joan.
“The regent was there that day a lion, and Bedford refrained from attacking because
fought in arms like any champion.” his men were terri ed of Joan’s previous
Unlike Agincourt, Verneuil’s strategic successes. On Joan’s part it is recorded that
importance was profound. The battle destroyed she was, “perpetually changing her resolutions;
the Scottish army and French morale, allowing sometimes she was eager for combat, at
the English to push further south towards the other times not.” This indecision indicates
Loire River and securing Normandy from the that Joan did not want a repeat of Verneuil
French for nearly 30 years. and both armies withdrew on 16 August.
For ve years after Verneuil, the English were Joan immediately went to attack Paris but
virtually unopposed by the French until they laid Bedford had reinforced its defence and the
siege to the town of Orléans between 1428-29 siege immediately failed. Joan was captured
when Bedford would rst hear from his most by the Burgundians in May 1430, sold to
famous foe: Joan of Arc. the English and burned at the stake for
relapsed heresy in May 1431.
The Regent and the Maid Bedford was the only English
Joan was an illiterate teenage peasant girl from general that Joan never defeated,
Lorraine who claimed to hear voices from God either at a siege or on the battle eld,
telling her to liberate France from the English and if he is remembered at all today it is
and helped to raise the Siege of Orléans. Her as ‘the man who burned Joan of Arc’. This
now famous ‘Letter to the English’ before her is erroneous, as Joan was condemned by a
arrival was directly addressed to Bedford: “King largely French, pro-Burgundian ecclesiastical
of England, and you, Duke of Bedford, who court, but Bedford would have agreed with
call yourself Regent of France… Hand over to their decision. The English advance into
the Maiden (Joan) who is sent here by God, France may have stalled, but it was only when
the keys to all the towns you have taken and Bedford died of natural causes in 1435 that
violated in France. Duke of Bedford, the Maiden the French started to reclaim territory before
asks and requests that you will not cause your nally expelling the English in 1453.
own downfall.”
After the siege, French forces heavily Right: Bedford was the victor of two major battles, a
loyal uncle to his young nephew Henry VI and an able
defeated English armies and the Dauphin was administrator and patron of the arts

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