The French Ultimatum

The Hundred Years War was initiated by the French, who decided to confiscate the lands Edward III held in fief of the French throne as a result of the marriage of his great-great grandfather Henry I to Eleanor of Aquitaine. Paraphrased, the message sent to Edward in his role as duke of Gascony and Guyenne was:

Royal Proclamation, All Take Heed

We, Phillippe VI de Valois, le Roi de France, do proclaim that All nobles owning Lands in France, must Pledge Fealty to Us for those Lands in France. We make no claims or demands concerning lands outside of France, as those Lands are the responsibility of responsible Overlord. We find this Proclamation Necessary due to the unsettled conditions prevailing in Our neighboring lands. Failure to make such Pledge shall raise Serious Doubts in Our mind concerning the continued ownership of said lands. We specifically note that We will not consider this Pledge binding on any lands Outside of France.