Geoffroi de Charny

Geoffroi de Charny was a French knight in the service of Philip VI and John II during the Hundred Years’ War. He fought in several campaigns, was captured more than once and became closely associated with the royal standard known as the Oriflamme. In 1349 he led the failed attempt to recover Calais through a secret arrangement with a member of the English garrison.

Charny also wrote influential works on knighthood and honour, including questions and prose discussions that reveal contemporary ideals of martial conduct. He was killed at the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 while carrying the Oriflamme. Historical fiction often uses the contrast between his reputation as a model knight and the deception, ransom and political calculation that formed ordinary parts of aristocratic warfare.