The Treaty of Picquigny
Statue Louis XI, Amboise Museum
Unusually for France which is partial to commemorations, it either ignores, has forgotten or is indifferent to a pivotal date in its history.
The Treaty of Picquigny of 29 August 1475 was a momentous turning point. It brought to an end England’s conquest of France which had dragged on for a hundred and eighteen years. The astounding success of the Treaty ushered in a new, mutually beneficial, era in Anglo-French relations.
It was all down to Louis XI who dreamed up the idea of bribing Edward IV of England to pack up his troops and go away. Forever. Never to darken his doors again. An astonishing achievement in anybody’s books.
Because of Louis, for the first time in a century, France enjoyed an unprecedented peace which brought about a flourishing trade between the two counties. England embraced (still does) French culture (doesn’t seem to have happened the other way round).
One spin off was that ugly castles along the Loire, no longer needed for defence, were transformed into the elegant chateaux we marvel at today.
So what was this almost forgotten Treaty about?
It was about betrayal, pleasure seeking and cunning of the first order.
Betrayal. Charles, the Duke of Burgundy, who hated Louis (the feeling was mutual) suggested that he and Edward invade France*. However, when Edward arrived in Calais heading the largest army that had ever left England, there was no Charles or his army.
The king of England’s much heralded campaign was on track to end as a humiliating non‐event.
Pleasure seeking Edward, having achieved his goal, England’s crown, wanted to sit back and enjoy the fruits of his efforts but he needed to unite a divided country after years of civil war. What better way than to give the English their favourite occupation? Fighting the French.
Cunning. Louis sent word to Edward to suggest that instead of fighting a costly war, how about negotiating a very generous financial settlement? Louis, a hugely intelligent man, knew Edward’s Achilles heel. Wine, women and song. Besides, the English Parliament had given Edward a fortune to finance an invasion. No war meant he would keep it.
A furious Charles, having got wind of the bribe, turned up in Amiens. He knew Louis would now have the time and money to win Burgundy. After stormy rows with an equally furious Edward he left with a flea in his ear.
When Edward agreed to parley in Amiens, Louis entertained him and his army so lavishly that discipline broke down and Edward had to order his drunken troops to leave town. Louis quipped that his father tried and failed to drive the English out by force of arms, he had driven them out by force of French pâté, venison and wine.
At Picquigny, three miles from Amiens, a bridge was built across the Somme with a trellis screen across the middle to allow conversation between the two kings. With Edward was his brother Clarence who approved of the bribe. His other brother, Richard, who said a peace treaty was dishonourable** refused to take part in the negotiations.
Both kings were guarded by their armed barons from the banks.
The negotiations led to an agreement signed on 29 August 1475. The Treaty agreed to a seven-year truce and free trade between the two countries. Louis was to pay Edward seventy-five thousand Crowns upfront to return to England and drop his claim to the French throne. He would also receive a yearly pension of fifty thousand Crowns which Louis would deliver to Edward’s assignee in Calais.
Louis rewarded Lord Hastings, who facilitated the truce, with a pension of two thousand Crowns a year. Asked to sign a receipt, ashamed of being paid off instead of winning glory on the battlefield, he refused. ‘I do not want to have it said of me that the Grand Chamberlain of England has been a pensioner of the King of France and I do not want my receipts to be found in his counting house.’
How could Louis honour his Treaty? His coffers had been emptied by wars with England.
Easy. He bribed his cousin Margaret, the deposed Queen of England. He told her he would pay the ransom to release her from captivity in England if she signed her vast lands in France over to him.
After more than a century of bloodshed, Louis, who was an eye witness to Joan of Arc’s heroic attempt to get rid of the English and his father’s futile efforts to do the same had come up with a solution no king of France had thought of. Not only had he bribed Edward to leave France with his army and never come back, England renounced its claim to French lands. The Hundred Years' War was finally over.
Joan of Arc, justifiably, has a national festival in her honour the second Sunday in May.
It would not be too much to suggest that Louis be honoured every 25 August. The good folk of Amboise might one day lay a bouquet on his statue outside the museum.
* Burgundy was not part of France
** Bow to The God of Irony. This is a man who stood accused of murdering Henry VI, Edward V, Prince Richard and the duke of Clarence in the Tower of London, his wife Anne Neville not counting Anne’s father Richard Neville and her husband Edward, prince of Wales he helped defeat on the battlefield.
Post by Pamela (BA History of Art).
Loire Valley
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