After Charles VII was crowned in Reims, the king began negotiating with the Burgundians. On the day of the coronation itself, Joan wrote to Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, on behalf of Charles VII. She pleaded with him in the name of God: “May the King of France and you conclude a good and lasting peace that will endure for a long time. Forgive one another completely with sincere hearts as faithful Christians.”
She was serious about achieving true peace, even as she simultaneously warned the duke against taking up arms against the king. She sought Christian reconciliation and hoped to help unite the French, for after the devastating French defeat at the Battle of Agincourt (1415), the Burgundians had allied themselves with the English. An Anglo-Burgundian alliance was formed.
In her letter to the Duke of Burgundy, Jeanne’s God-given authority was evident once again. She wanted to make a good and lasting peace, founded on their shared faith. However, she was also aware of the strength of the French army, which had gained the upper hand in the war through her intervention. This would have been the negotiating position needed to continue the work God had begun through her. The victory over the English and the subsequent coronation of Charles VII were signs that everyone could have read to draw the right conclusions.