Edward, the Black Prince
Edward, the Black Prince (Woodstock Palace, Oxfordshire, 15 June 1330 – Westminster Palace, 8 June 1376) was the eldest son of King Edward III of England.
| Edward the Black Prince | |
|---|---|
 Portrait c. 1430s | |
| Prince of Wales | |
| 15 June 1330 - 8 June 1376 | |
| 12 May 1343 | |
| Predecessor | Edward of Caernarfon |
| Successor | Richard of Bordeaux |
| Born | 15 June 1330 |
| Died | 8 June 1376 (aged 45) |
| Spouse | Joan of Kent (m. 1361 - 1376) |
| Father | Edward III of England |
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Edward was born at Woodstock Palace, near Oxford. He was made Prince of Wales in 1343, and followed his father into battle against France. He became a famous soldier, helping win the Battle of Crécy and commanding the Battle of Poitiers. He was a founding member of the Order of the Garter. In 1361, he married his cousin, Joan of Kent. They had two sons, Edward and Richard. The older son, Edward, died when he was only six.
Edward of Woodstock has become known in history as "the Black Prince", but no one is quite sure of the reason for the nickname. He died at the age of 45, and was buried at the Canterbury Cathedral. As his father was still living, he never became king himself. He asked his father to give the title Prince of Wales to his son Richard, who later became King Richard II of England.
Edward, The Black Prince Media
The Black Prince at Crécy by Julian Russell Story, 1888, shows the prince contemplating his slain opponent, King John of Bohemia. Telfair Museums, Savannah, Georgia
Edward is granted Aquitaine by his father King Edward III. Initial letter "E" of miniature, 1390; British Library, shelfmark: Cotton MS Nero D VI, f.31
Nineteenth-century illustration of the Black Prince's march through Roncesvalles
The siege of Limoges in 1370
The original heraldic achievements of Prince Edward, on display in Canterbury Cathedral
The coat of arms of Edward the Black Prince at Canterbury Cathedral
Signet ring of the Black Prince found in Montpensier, France in 1866. Louvre, Paris.
A 19th-century illustration of the Black Prince
