| English expedition to France (1562–1563) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theFirst French War of Religion | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Kingdom of France |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Charles IX of FranceCatherine de' MediciAnne de Montmorency |  Elizabeth IAmbrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick | ||||||
TheEnglish expedition to France 1562–1563 was an episode in theFirst French War of Religion, it resulted in a French victory and theKingdom of England relinquish its claims toCalais and the surrounding area.
On 8 May 1562,Protestant reformers took the city ofLe Havre, looted churches, and expelled Catholics.[2] Fearing a counter-attack by the royal armies, they turned to the English who sent their troops.[3]
Elizabeth I saw an opportunity in the current state of chaos inFrance to reclaim thePale of Calais, which had only recently been lost in theAnglo-French War (1557–1559) after two centuries of English rule. On 22 September 1562, theTreaty of Hampton Court was signed by Elizabeth andHuguenot leaderLouis, Prince of Condé, by which it was agreed that England would send 3,000 men to occupy the cities ofLe Havre andDieppe. On arrival the English built a series of fortifications.[citation needed]
In 1563, peace was restored between the Huguenots and FrenchCatholics with theEdict of Amboise. 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.[3] In response the French regent,Catherine de' Medici, sent a force of French Catholic and Huguenots underAnne de Montmorency. 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.[2]
John Oldmixon'sHistory of England contains a list of notable Englishmen who died at Le Havre, either of plague or else killed by the enemy. Among those listed isFrancis Somerset, a brother ofWilliam Somerset, 3rd Earl of Worcester, and Cuthbert Vaughan, Comptroller of the town.[4][5]
The English failure led to theTreaty 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.[6][7] As a result, Elizabeth refused to send assistance in 1572, despite Huguenot pleas, as France was consumed by theSt. Bartholomew's Day massacre.