Treaty of Hampton Court (1562) facts for kids
The Treaty of Hampton Court was an agreement signed on September 22, 1562. It was made between Queen Elizabeth I of England and Louis I de Bourbon, prince de Condé, a leader of the Huguenots in France. Huguenots were French Protestants.
This treaty was put together by François de Beauvais, Seigneur de Briquemault. Under the agreement, England sent 3,000 soldiers to take control of two French towns, Le Havre and Dieppe. Queen Elizabeth also promised to send money to help the Huguenots.
Later, when peace returned to France, Queen Elizabeth refused to take her soldiers out of Le Havre. She said she had taken the town not for religious reasons, but to make up for losing Calais earlier. Calais was a French port that England used to control.
The regent of France, Catherine de' Medici, then sent both Catholic and Huguenot troops to fight against the English in Le Havre. The English surrendered the town on July 28, 1563. Queen Elizabeth felt that the Huguenots had betrayed her, and she never fully trusted them again.
This distrust was clear in 1572. Catherine de' Medici ordered the killing of a Protestant leader named Coligny. This led to the terrible St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, where about 3,000 Protestants were killed. Even though people urged Queen Elizabeth to help the French Huguenots, she refused to send support.
Why the Treaty Was Signed
The English Secretary of State, William Cecil, was very worried about protecting the Protestant faith in Europe. He feared that France and Spain, both Catholic countries, might form a strong alliance. This was especially concerning if the powerful Guise family, who were Catholic, gained too much power during the French Wars of Religion.
Queen Elizabeth I shared Cecil's concerns about England's own Protestant religion, which was still quite new and fragile. However, she was also very interested in getting Calais back. England had lost Calais in 1558 when Queen Mary I was on the throne. Elizabeth thought that if the Huguenots won their fight in France, it might help her get Calais back for England.
See also
- List of treaties
