she could see it through the fl ames. Jeanne remained a
controversial fi gure, and in 1456 Charles VII arranged
the annulment of her conviction mainly to clear himself
of a suspect association.
Shrouded in myth and exalted by unceasing artistic
glorifi cation, Jeanne endures as a fi gure inspiring even
the most skeptical. Her historical importance could be
narrowly construed: she was essentially a military fi gure
whose inspirational leadership and ephemeral battlefi eld
success helped restore the prestige of the Valois dynasty,
ensuring its survival but not its eventual triumph. Few,
however, would restrict themselves to such a reduc-
tive assessment. Jeanne’s courageous example and her
martyrdom assure her an enduring role in modern life,
not unlike that played by Roland in the Middle Ages.
She has become a symbolic fi gure emblematic of many
and varied hopes. Above all, she is the symbol of 20th-
century France at war with both itself and its German
invaders. In the late 19th century, the “Maid of Orléans”
become a popular heroine who inspired generations of
French conservatives in the struggle against the secular-
ism of the Third Republic and reminded all Frenchmen
of the need to regain the lost provinces of Alsace and
Lorraine seized by Germany in 1870. This popular
devotion led to her canonization in the aftermath of the
First World War and fi nal confi rmation that her greatness
transcends if not defi es historical analysis.
See also Charles VII, Christine de Pizan
Further Reading
Doncoeur, Paul, and Yvonne Lanhers, eds. Documents et recher-
ches relatifs à Jeanne la Pucelle. 5 vols. Vols. 1–4, Melun:
Librairie d’Argences, 1921–58; Vol. 5, Paris: De Brouwer,
1961.
Tisset, Pierre, and Yvonne Lanhers, eds. Procès de condamnation
de Jeanne d’Arc. 3 vols. Paris: Klincksieck, 1960–71.
Gies, Frances. Joan of Arc: The Legend and the Reality. New
York: Harper and Row, 1981.
Margolis, Nadia. Joan of Arc in History, Literature, and Film: A
Select, Annotated Bibliography. New York: Garland, 1990.
Vale, Malcolm G.A. Charles VII. Berkeley: University of Cali-
fornia Press, 1974.
Warner, Marina. Joan of Arc: The Image of Female Heroism.
New York: Knopf, 1981.
Paul D. SolonJEANNE OF NAVARRE (1273–1305)
Queen of France. The daughter of Henri III of Cham-
pagne and Navarre and Blanche of Artois, granddaughter
of Louis VIII, Jeanne inherited her father’s lands in- Plans for her to marry the heirs, fi rst of Edward
I of England and then the king of Aragon, failed after
problems in Spain led Blanche and Jeanne to seek asy-
lum with Philip III. In May 1275, Blanche put Navarre
under Philip’s protection and affi anced Jeanne to one of
his sons. Raised at the French court, Jeanne was declared
of age on May 17, 1284, and on August 16 married
Philip IV the Fair, who on October 6, 1285, succeeded
his father as king. Jeanne was closely involved with the
administration of Champagne and Navarre, but Philip
effectively controlled them.
Jeanne was a popular queen, and Philip was de-
voted to her. In 1288, he deferred until after her death
collection of money owed for the defense of Navarre.
In October 1294, he appointed her regent of France if
he died before their eldest son came of age. Her name
JEANNE OF NAVARREArrival of Joan of Arc at Chinon.
German tapestry (called Azeghio
tapestry), 15th c. Photo: Bulloz.
© Réunion des Musées Nationaux/Art
Resource, New York.