Henry VI – Part One
After the coronation of Charles VII Joan regarded her mission as being accomplished, so she asked to be allowed to return to her home. She was persuaded to stay on and took part in an attack on Paris, during which she was severely wounded. Joan asked again if she could return home but her request was refused. She was given the rank and revenue of an earl.
Joan of Arc captured and burnt at the stake
In May of 1430 Compiegne disobeyed Charles VII when he ordered it to surrender to the English. Joan with only 600 men attempted to relieve the town but whilst fighting took place outside the walls the governor pulled up the drawbridge, which led to her being captured by the Burgundians. She was sold to the English and for some time her fate hung in the balance. Charles VII did nothing whatsoever to save her. She was eventually tried, found guilty of heresy and in the marketplace of Rouen she was burnt at the stake. Many French people and even some of the English believed that none other than a saint had been put to death.
Coronation of Henry VI as King of France
Mid 15th Century depiction
Henry VI was crowned in Paris as King of France in December of 1431. But Joan of Arc had raised the spirits and hopes of the French and most of the country now turned against the unnatural notion of having an English King of France.
The greatest blow to the English struggle in France came in 1435, with the end of the Burgundian alliance. Duke Phillip of Burgundy came to terms with Charles VII, which meant that henceforth the English would be fighting both the French and Burgundians. Duke John, the commander of the English forces, was spared this devastating news, as he died shortly before it became known.