Edward III of England
Edward III (13 November 1312–21 June 1377) was a King of England. He ruled for 50 years.
| Edward III | |
|---|---|
| King of England, Lord of Ireland | |
 Edward III depicted in Cassell's History of England (1902) | |
| King of England | |
| 20 January 1327 – 21 June 1377 | |
| 1 February 1327 | |
| Predecessor | Edward II |
| Successor | Richard II |
| Born | 13 November 1312 Windsor Castle, Berkshire |
| Died | 21 June 1377 (aged 64) Sheen Palace, Richmond |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Philippa of Hainault |
| Issue | Edward, Prince of Wales "The Black Prince" Isabella, Dame de Coucy Lady Joan Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster Edmund of Langley, Duke of York Mary, Duchess of Brittany Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Pembroke Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester |
| House | House of Plantagenet |
| Father | Edward II |
| Mother | Isabella of France |
Edward was born on 13 November 1312 to Edward II & Isabella of France. He was the oldest out of 5 children of them. He has 2 younger brothers, Adam FitzRoy & John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall & 2 younger sisters, Joan of the Tower & Eleanor of Woodstock.
He made England the strongest military power during his reign.
Edward was crowned when he was fourteen years old, after his father was forced to abdicate. After his victory against the Scots, he declared himself heir to the French throne in 1337, and so started the Hundred Years' War. The war went very well for England; the victories of Crécy and Poitiers led up to the Treaty of Brétigny, by which he gained a lot of territory. When he became older, he was much less active, mostly a result of his bad health. He died of a stroke in 1377, aged 64.
Edward also established the Order of the Garter, and developed legislature and government. However, during his reign there was the Black Death.
Edward and his wife, Philippa of Hainault, had many children and, as they traveled, the children were generally known by where they were born (though the oldest son, Edward "of Woodstock," became known to later generations as Edward, the Black Prince). Prince Edward died before his father Edward III, and his older son, Edward "of Angouleme," had died a child, so younger son Richard "of Bordeaux" succeeded Edward III as Richard II of England before being deposed by his cousin Henry IV of England, whose father, John "of Gaunt", had married the heiress of Lancaster. His family, the House of Lancaster, fought the Wars of the Roses with the House of York descended from the daughter of Edward III's son Lionel "of Antwerp" (who was older than John) over who was the rightful king.
In his own time and for centuries after Edward III was praised a lot, but by Whig historians he was seen as an irresponsible adventurer. This view has turned, and modern historians see what a good king he was.
Edward III Of England Media
To mark his claim to the French crown, Edward quartered the arms of France, placing them in the first and fourth quarters. English stained glass, c. 1350–1377[1]
Groat featuring Edward III
Edward III counting the dead on the battlefield of Crécy
Map showing France at the time of the Treaty of Bretigny.
Gold quarter noble of Edward III, York Museums Trust
Half groat with portrait of King Edward III, York mint
The Great Seal of Edward III
King Edward III grants Aquitaine to his son Edward the Black Prince. Initial letter "E" of miniature, 1390; British Library, London, shelfmark: Cotton MS Nero D VI, f.31.
Edward's funerary monument in Westminster Abbey
Edward III as he was depicted in the late 16th century
_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg)
_reverse.jpg)
Other websites
- The Medieval Sourcebook[dead link]) has some good sources relating to the reign of Edward III:
- Man of War: Edward III, King of England Archived 2007-01-17 at the Wayback Machine at myarmoury.com