In a Consistory held for the promotion of cardinals on 25 May 1331, Pope John XXII appointed one and only one cardinal, Hélie de Talleyrand, as a Cardinal-Priest. This was at the request of King Philip VI of France, on the recommendation of Étienne de Mornay, Maître des Comptes and former Chancellor. The appointment caused a good deal of friction between the King and the Pope. Philip had asked for two cardinals, which the Pope was quite unwilling to grant. Though he did elevate Talleyrand, Pope John sent off a tart letter to the King on 25 May, the day after he had approved the promotion. He pointed out that the College of Cardinals was already well supplied with the talents required by the Church. Moreover, the Papacy had not been deaf to the requests of the French kings. Of the twenty current cardinals, thirteen were subjects of the King of France. Nonetheless, with the consent of those cardinals (or perhaps one should say 'pressure from'), he had agreed to promote Bishop Talleyrand. The Pope's complaints seem to have fallen on deaf ears, for the royal family were again begging for more cardinals in September. This time, on 26 September, the Pope wrote to Queen Joanna. He reminded the Queen of the rules observed in the Roman Curia. Appointments were never made in private, only in open Consistory, with votes of the current cardinals heard; appointments were made only for good reason, when the number of cardinals had fallen too low, or when there was an insufficiency in talent in theology or Canon Law, neither of which was the case at the present moment. In fact the number of cardinals was excessively high, and there was talent aplenty. She should also consider that there were now sixteen cardinals of French extraction, and only six Italians. He therefore refused the royal request. The pressure continued, however, and on 20 December 1331 yet another French cardinal, Pierre Bertrand, was appointed.