Hi Kathy, I am not a historian but from what I can gather 2 medieval chroniclers Jean le Bel and Jean Froissart recorded that Queen Philippa pleaded with her husband King Edward III to spare the lives of the six burghers of Calais. However, they also recorded that the Queen was heavily pregnant at the time and this has later been disproven, so was likely to have been used for dramatic effect. Some historians believe that Edward III himself relented and decided to spare the burghers’ lives.
In any case, the six Burghers of Calais’s lives were saved.
I remember your original post about this, and I learned so much. I had no idea about the opera and found that especially interesting, among all of the other details.
I’m not a huge aficionado, but I do enjoy opera. Unfortunately we haven’t been to many because they are mainly in Toulouse and Montpellier, fairly long drives.
Thank you Ruth. The London version of the Burghers of Calais in Victoria Towers Gardens is one of a number of casts Rodin later made from the original Calais sculpture. So I would imagine it would be the same size as the Calais sculpture.
I love this sculpture, and hadn’t realized that each individual was identifiable; nor that Donizetti had created an opera about their amazing act of collective selflessness. Thank you for such a fascinating and in-depth article.
Thank you so much Stephen. So pleased you enjoyed the article. There was a missing section in the introduction which My French Life will correct and republish again later.
Dear Neural, I do hope you get the opportunity to go back and revisit Calais again. It was badly bombed during WW2 so some of the older historical buildings were destroyed. But it has a rich fascinating history, some good museums, some excellent restaurants and a long beach.
I remember how moving it was to see this statue in the garden of the Rodin museum in Paris.
Can you please clarify for me if the Queen request to save the burghers was granted?
Hi Kathy, I am not a historian but from what I can gather 2 medieval chroniclers Jean le Bel and Jean Froissart recorded that Queen Philippa pleaded with her husband King Edward III to spare the lives of the six burghers of Calais. However, they also recorded that the Queen was heavily pregnant at the time and this has later been disproven, so was likely to have been used for dramatic effect. Some historians believe that Edward III himself relented and decided to spare the burghers’ lives.
In any case, the six Burghers of Calais’s lives were saved.
Thanks Caroline! I appreciate it that you took the time to answer me.
I had to do a little online research first - it was a good question Kathy. Thank you.
I remember your original post about this, and I learned so much. I had no idea about the opera and found that especially interesting, among all of the other details.
I’m very glad you enjoyed the article Betty. Do you especially enjoy opera?
I’m not a huge aficionado, but I do enjoy opera. Unfortunately we haven’t been to many because they are mainly in Toulouse and Montpellier, fairly long drives.
Thank you. I've always loved the Rodin on Millbank in London - is it a Marquette for the Calais version?
Thank you Ruth. The London version of the Burghers of Calais in Victoria Towers Gardens is one of a number of casts Rodin later made from the original Calais sculpture. So I would imagine it would be the same size as the Calais sculpture.
https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/victoria-tower-gardens/monuments#burghers-of-calais
I love this sculpture, and hadn’t realized that each individual was identifiable; nor that Donizetti had created an opera about their amazing act of collective selflessness. Thank you for such a fascinating and in-depth article.
Here they are at Compton Verney in 2014: https://pbase.com/homeward/2013_moore_rodin_03_calais
Thank you so much Stephen. So pleased you enjoyed the article. There was a missing section in the introduction which My French Life will correct and republish again later.
This looks really interesting Caroline. I love Rodin’s work. Will read it tomorrow ☺️
Dear Lucy, hold off until the article is published later. The initial part of the introduction was missed out in error. Hope you enjoy reading this.
Dear Neural, I do hope you get the opportunity to go back and revisit Calais again. It was badly bombed during WW2 so some of the older historical buildings were destroyed. But it has a rich fascinating history, some good museums, some excellent restaurants and a long beach.