Richard III Society|The Wars of the Roses | Other Campaigns

On August 29, 1475, the Treaty of Picquigny occurred. King Louis XI negotiated with English contacts. An excerpt from the article:

"This huge army crossed to Calais, where it waited for Duke Charles, the one ally on whose military support depended the success of the expedition, to arrive with his troops. The duke had other priorities, however: he was besieging the town of Neuss as part of his efforts to spread his influence eastward into the German empire. He turned up with only a small retinue, full of praise for the English army and various promises and suggestions.The English on the bridge at Picquigny
In the end the king and his army marched slowly into France, the duke accompanying them for part of the way, but clearly not intending to give major support. As soon Charles had ridden back to Neuss Edward started negotiations with Louis XI, who was keeping his troops in readiness but much preferred to come to an amicable agreement. Edward and most English lords were of the same mind. The duke of Gloucester and a few others are said by continental chroniclers to have disagreed, but how much truth there is in this claim cannot be established. Louis offered Edward 75,000 crowns immediately and 25,000 annually for as long as they both lived, plus the marriage of his eldest son to one of Edward's daughters. A speedy conclusion was reached when the two kings met on 29 August on a specially constructed bridge at the town of Picquigny, just west of Amiens, each followed by his army in battle array as far as Amiens to satisfy the honour of both. Clarence was one of those who accompanied Edward on the bridge. Richard did what one would expect from a commander having a few hours of free time: he went to have a look at the opposing army: the admiral of France, Louis, Bastard of Bourbon, showed off the army of the king of France, which was drawn up in the field to 'the duke of Gloucester and other lords', and Bourbon in his turn visited the English army.

A different slant must be given to the story that the king of France was able to bribe the war-mongering duke of Gloucester into compliance, with gifts of horses and costly tableware, as many commentators since Philippe de Commynes have asserted. The fact is that Richard and George of Clarence, who is not said to have objected to the peace, went to visit Louis XI together: a German eyewitness recorded that 'on the Thursday, 31 August, the two brothers of the king of England came to Amiens and dined with the king in the morning'. Their visit was in fact no more than a polite gesture and part of the general comings and goings at Amiens, shortly before the English left for home the same day.

At the time and ever since, commentators have objected to the way Edward allowed his invasion to be brought to a bloodless and inglorious end and it has been asked whether he ever meant to fight any battle. The unwarlike ending of the great campaign appeared not to be sufficiently 'honourable' and it is indeed possible that Richard of Gloucester thought so. But he was not the king and it has also been suggested that there is a difference between a king and his knights. Edward had had his share of battles to gain and regain his crown and once he was king the demands of government and diplomacy shaped his attitude to war, as they were to shape Richard's own, who, after a period of successful military activity in his brother's service, once he had become king naturally turned to peace himself. As said above, it is undeniable that Edward was excessively pleased with the outcome of his 'great enterprise' and we will never know whether he planned it like this. It must also be remembered that two of the surviving poems lamenting Edward's death regarded the French campaign as a great victory, emphasising that France had to pay 'tribute', and that it was such a clean victory, 'without a stroke, and afterward came home'."