England lost its final continental possession of Calais to France in January 1558 because the defenses were neglected, the garrison was severely undermanned, and a surprise winter siege was launched by French forces led by the Duke of Guise. The city fell in less than a week, ending over 200 years of English rule.
The French believed that the English failure to maintain the occupation of Le Havre in return for Calais, meant the English had forfeited all rights to Calais and Elizabeth was in no position to press the case further.
The Pale of Calais remained part of England until unexpectedly lost by Mary I to France in 1558. After secret preparations, 30,000 French troops, led by Francis, Duke of Guise, took the city, which quickly capitulated under the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559).
Calais spent more than two hundred years in English hands, but the French finally recaptured the port during the reign of Mary I, the Catholic daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
French resistance to the dual monarchy resulted in the English being expelled from France by 1453, ending the Hundred Years' War, but leaving Calais as the last remaining English possession.
The Fall of Calais - A Kingdom's Loss | What happened today in history | History Book
What do Brits call the French?
Come the Revolution, the Aristocracy fled and made their way to England, where they disparagingly called the revolutionaries 'les grenouilles' - the Frogs. Not surprisingly, the term soon swept England as a popular euphemism for the French in general.
The title for the shortest reign is shared by two figures, both technically reigning for about 20 minutes: Louis XIX of France (Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême) in 1830, who abdicated within minutes of his father's abdication during the July Revolution, and Crown Prince Luís Filipe of Portugal, who technically succeeded his assassinated father, King Carlos I, in 1908, but died from his own wounds shortly after.
Each led to massive interventions, with borrowing never falling back to pre-crisis levels. After piling up debt upon debt, the UK and France owe the same amount - around £2.9tr (€3.3tr).
After much deliberation, it was decided that the landings would take place on the long, sloping beaches of Normandy. There, the Allies would have the element of surprise. The German high command expected the attack to come in the Pas de Calais region, north of the river Seine where the English Channel is narrowest.
I say bizarrely as pretty much everyone you meet in Calais does speak English. Calais has been a draw for the English for centuries – in fact it was part of the UK and under English rule for a couple of centuries – thankfully none of the people of Calais appear to hold this fact against visitors from their old nemesis.
The historical rivalry between the two nations was seeded in the Capetian-Plantagenet rivalry over the French holdings of the Plantagenets in France. After the French victory in the Hundred Years' War, England would never again establish a foothold in French territory. Rivalry continued with many Anglo-French wars.
Philippe Pétain was convicted of treason for overseeing the surrender of France to the Germans in 1940 and subsequently acting as head of the collaborationist puppet government of Vichy France.
What was Hitler's reaction to the Normandy landings?
51, issued on 3 November 1943, Hitler warned of 'consequences of staggering proportions' if the western Allies should gain a foothold. His ambition was simple. He would reinforce the western defences, launch a furious counterattack and 'throw the Allies back into the sea'.
France holds the largest consolidated national debt in Europe at around €3.3 trillion in Q1 2025, equivalent to roughly 22% of the total debt across the 28 countries analysed. Greece, despite making steady progress since its 2021 peak debt levels, still carries the highest debt‑to‑GDP ratio in Europe at 152.5%.
Yes, Brexit has significantly harmed UK trade, particularly goods trade with the EU, due to increased red tape, customs checks, and regulatory barriers that raise costs and complexity, leading to reduced trade volumes, especially for smaller firms, though services trade has seen stronger growth, offsetting some losses, but overall UK trade openness has fallen relative to other advanced economies, say. While some argue the impact is exaggerated or offset by non-EU trade, most analyses point to a negative effect, with goods exports to the EU still well below pre-Brexit levels despite recovery in services.
Lady Jane Grey deposed as Queen of England. After only nine days as the monarch of England, Lady Jane Grey is deposed in favor of her cousin Mary. The 15-year-old Lady Jane, beautiful and intelligent, had only reluctantly agreed to be put on the throne.
