Henry VI – Part One
In 1440 King Henry, who had now assumed full power, appointed Duke Richard as Lieutenant of France and was promised an income of £20,000. This time he arrived in France with an army of just 3,600 men. From Rouen the army sallied out and attempted to bring the French to battle. After almost reaching Paris, the English ended up back at Rouen. Duke Richard held the frontiers of Normandy, whilst the main French military activity focused on Gascony. On 23 April Duke Richard was responsible for a significant political achievement, when an indefinite truce was negotiated between England and Burgundy.
Duke of Somerset
Illustration from Henry VI in A Chronicle of England
In 1443 Henry VI placed the Duke of Somerset (John Beaufort) in command of an army of 8,000 men with the intention of relieving Gascony. This denied Duke Richard much-needed reinforcements in Normandy. Additionally, as Lieutenant of France, he believed that it was he who should decide where and when fresh troops needed to be used.
Somerset’s mission was a failure and in 1444 he died shortly after his army had retreated to Normandy. Edmund Beaufort then became Duke of Somerset. Duke Richard would not arrive back in England until 1445. A truce between the English and French had been signed in 1444 but how long would it last?