6 Chapter 5 Charles the King

CHAPTER 5 Charles the King Orléans was free. But Charles was still not king. To be king, he would have to be crowned at the cathedral in the town of Reims (say: RANZ). Joan and her soldiers set off for the city with Charles. Many towns lay between Orléans and Reims—and some of those towns were held by the English.

Joan and her French army captured one town after another that June. They seemed to be unstoppable. So Joan's soldiers were surprised when she told them to "have all good spurs." She meant the soldiers' horses would need to ride fast in this battle. Did Joan think they would need to run away from the enemy? No. She explained that it would be the English who ran. Joan's army would have to chase them. And that was exactly what happened.

On July 16, Joan and her army arrived at Reims, where Charles would be crowned. When she got there, she found her parents waiting for her. They had come all the way from Domrémy to see the ceremony. The townspeople had heard all about Joan's victories against the English. They thought Joan was holy. They often asked her to touch and bless their personal possessions. Joan told everyone that her touch wasn't magic, but she was happy to touch the objects they brought to her.

On July 17, 1429, the dauphin was crowned King Charles VII at the cathedral. He was anointed—marked—with special oil. According to legend, the oil had come straight from heaven. This oil had been used to crown Clovis, the very first French king, and every king after him. By using this same oil for Charles, his followers hoped that no one could say he wasn't really the king.

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Charles was crowned just like all the French kings before him—except for one thing. No other king had ever had a peasant girl stand beside him for all five hours of the ceremony. Joan brought her banner with her because "it had shared in the toil; it was just that it should share in the honor." Joan made one request of the new king. She asked that her home town of Domrémy not have to pay taxes ever again. Charles agreed, and the town of Domrémy, France, paid no taxes for the next 360 years.