Joan of Arc was a teenage woman and peasant hero of France. She was born in eastern France during the late stage of the Hundred-Years War between England and France. She overcame the adversities of war and the mocking of veteran, male commanders. Joan led the way to crowning Charles VII of France by taking command of the entire national army at a jaw-dropping age of seventeen. She is commonly referenced by French politicians to invoke her blessings (she was beatified as a saint in 1909, nearly 450 years after her death). Joan has become one of the patron saints of the French for her military accomplishments, female status, and being credited with the salvation of France.