Why did the Burgundians hand Joan of Arc over to the English?
The Burgundians handed Joan of Arc over to the English primarily due to political pressure and a significant financial incentive. After Joan was captured by Burgundian forces during a sortie at Compiègne in 1430, she became a valuable political prisoner.12
The University of Paris, which supported the English cause, actively lobbied the duke of Burgundy to surrender her for trial as a heretic. This trial was intended to discredit Charles VII by framing his coronation as the work of a heretic or witch.2
Ultimately, the bishop of Beauvais, acting on behalf of the English king, secured her transfer by offering the Burgundians a payment of 10,000 francs. The duke of Burgundy accepted this demand, and by January 1431, Joan was in the custody of the English-aligned ecclesiastical authorities to face trial at Rouen.2