Siege of Calais (1346–1347) was finally lost by the English monarch Mary I following the 1558 siege of Calais. The fall of Calais marked the capture of England's last possession in mainland France. In 1880, Calais commissioned a statue by Auguste Rodin of the town leaders at the moment of their surrender to Edward. The resulting work, "The Burghers of Calais", was completed in 1889. Siege of Calais (1346–1347) The Siege of Calais (4 September 1346 – 3 August 1347) occurred when an English army under the command of King Edward III of England successfully besieged the French garrison of Calais. It was an
Mary I of England aftermath of the Battle of Saint Quentin, with one eyewitness stating "Both sides fought most choicely, and the English best of all." Celebrations however, were brief, as in January 1558 French forces took Calais, England's sole remaining possession on the European mainland. Although the territory was financially burdensome, it was an ideological loss that damaged Mary's prestige. According to Holinshed's Chronicles, Mary later lamented, "When I am dead and opened, you shall find 'Calais' lying in my heart", although this may be apocryphal. The years of Mary's reign were consistently wet. The persistent rain and subsequent flooding led to famine.