Edward III: The English Heir To France

Ariana Daney
World History I
May 11, 2018
Kathy Laughlin
 1

King Edward III of England started a war that would last for over one hundred years. He

was a temperamental man who was also said to show great mercy to others.1 ​ Edward III ruled

England from 1327 until his death in 1377. He had a challenging rise to power, started the

Hundred Years’ War, and founded the Order of the Garter.2

Edward III was born on November 13, 1312 at Windsor Castle in England. His father,

Edward II, was an unremarkable king, and his mother, Isabella, was a French princess.3 After he

was born, Edward III was taken away from his parents and grew up separately from them. It was

the custom for children to grow up away from their parents because it made for a more stable and

protected childhood. Edward III spoke English and French and was very interested in the military,

knights, and chivalry.4 At the early age of eight, Edward III became Earl of Chester, and five

years later he became Duke of Aquitaine. He became King of England in 1327. Edward III

married his wife, Philippa of Hainault, on January 24, 1328, and she was coronated shortly after

their marriage. Together they had twelve children. Their oldest son, Edward of Woodstock, would

later be called the Black Prince because the color of his armor was black.5

Queen Isabella, the mother of Edward III, became the lover of Roger Mortimer, a wealthy

nobleman, and then publicly split from her husband, Edward II. She and Mortimer, together with

nobles who disliked Edward II, formed an army to overthrow him. They were successful. Isabella

1
​New World Encyclopedia, "Edward III of England."
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Edward_III_of_England​ (accessed March 7, 2018).
2
​The Home of the Royal Family, "Edward III (r. 1327-1377).” ​https://www.royal.uk/edward-iii-r-1327-1377
(accessed March 6, 2018)
3
​J.R.L. Highfield, and Thomas F. Tout, "Edward III." ​Encyclopædia Britannica inc​, (2017),
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-III-king-of-England​ (accessed March 1, 2018).
4
​Richard Cavendish, "Edward III Born at Windsor Castle." ​History Today​, (2012),
http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/edward-iii-born-windsor-castle​ (accessed March 1, 2018).
5
​BBC. "Edward III (1312 - 1377)." ​BBC,​ (2014),
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/edward_iii_king.shtml​ (accessed March 1,2018).
 2

used her son Edward III to help her get the throne, and along with Mortimer, ruled England.6 In

1327, Edward III gained the throne for himself and was crowned king at Westminster Abbey.7

After Edward III became king, he blamed Mortimer for the removal of his father from court but

treated his mother very kindly, perhaps because she was his link to the French throne. He banned

her from government but kept her living lavishly in multiple castles until her death in 1358.8

Charles IV, the King of France, died in 1328 without a male heir. His sister, Queen

Isabella, claimed the French throne for her son, Edward III. However, Edward III did not receive

the throne because the French did not want an English ruler. Instead, Philip VI became King of

France. In 1337, when Philip VI won the English-French dispute over Gascony, Edward III

challenged the right of Philip VI to the throne claiming he was the rightful heir through his

mother.9 Emboldened by his claim to the French throne, Edward III led the English military

toward Scotland and defeated Scotland. France, who supported Scotland through the

Franco-Scottish alliance, was then rumored to attack England.10 With the power to say he was heir

to the French throne, Edward III formed alliances with the Flemings, with the Montforts, and with

Charles of Navarre. With these alliances, Edward III was able to take over some land in France

which gave him the benefit of fighting on his own land with his own local supplies and

reinforcements.11 Edward III was present during the naval battle at Sluis in 1340. During this

6
​Cavendish, "Edward III Born at Windsor Castle."
7
​Westminster Abbey, "Edward III and Philippa of Hainault." ​Westminster Abbey,
http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/royals/edward-iii​ (accessed March 7, 2018).
8
​Cavendish, "Edward III Born at Windsor Castle."
9
​Highfield and Tout, "Edward III."
10
​"Edward III of England."
11
Maurice Keen, "The Hundred Years War." ​BBC​, (2011),
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/hundred_years_war_01.shtml​ (accessed March 7, 2018).
 3

battle, the English crushed the French but were so tired after the battle that Edward III was forced

to sign a treaty and go back to England. This treaty was broken only two years later.12 One of the

biggest sieges was at Crécy in 1346. The English crushed the French. Edward III’s son, the Black

Prince, was particularly important during this battle because he fought well and gained the crest

of the King of Bohemia who had died. After winning at Crécy, the English advanced and won at

the fort at Calais.13 The Black Prince led the war in France. He won at Poitiers in 1356, captured

King John, and forced him to sign the Treaty of London. The French rejected the treaty, so

Edward III invaded France and tried to crown himself king. The French resisted and forced

Edward III to sign the Treaty of Calais which renounced his claim to the French throne.14 Soon

afterwards, England invaded again and was doing well and Edward III was in control of more

than a quarter of France. During this time he got support from nobles, lessened taxes, and

improved relationships with Parliament.15 In 1375, the French king Charles V and Edward III

signed the Treaty of Bruges, which stopped the fighting. This also led to France regaining most of

its land and England retaining possession of land only at Bordeaux and Calais across the channel

from England.16

In 1348, Edward III created The Most Noble Order of the Garter. This was a high civil​ ​and

military order of knighthood.17 Growing up, Edward III was inspired by King Arthur and the

12
​Highfield and Tout, "Edward III."
13
Mark Grossman, "Edward III." ​World Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary​, (2007),
http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/7?articleId=215848&q=edward%20III​ (accessed March 1, 2018).
14
Ibid.
15
"Edward III (r. 1327-1377).”
16
Ibid.
17
Encyclopædia Britannica, "The Most Noble Order of the Garter."
https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Most-Noble-Order-of-the-Garter​ (accessed March 8, 2018).
 4

Knights of the Round Table. Edward III was at a dance when his partner’s garters dropped. When

other guests laughed, Edward III picked them up and put them on. He said "Honi soit qui mal y

pense" meaning “shame to him who thinks evil of it”, which became the order's motto.18 The

Order took St. George as their patron saint. The Order and its customs are still active today. When

someone joins the Order, it is announced on St. George’s day. Even today, all knights go to St.

George's Chapel to show their loyalty to the saint and the Order.19 On Garter Day, in June, there is

a procession from Windsor Castle to St. George's Chapel. The Queen and the knights dress in

velvet robes and plumed hats. Once at the Chapel, the Queen invites new members to the Garter.20

As Edward III lost land and power in France, the English were not pleased. The Black

Plague ravaged Europe, and Edward III lost his own daughter. To try to please the people,

multiple laws were passed to fix prices and wages.21 During this time, Edward III was growing

old, and he died of a stroke in June, 1377. He was buried in a tomb near his wife's monument

close to Westminster Abbey. 22 Edward's coffin has a flat top with gilt angels and a lion at his feet

with inscriptions.23

Edward III was a relatively minor king, but his actions did have some lasting effects. He

initiated the Most Noble Order of the Garter which still exists in England today and is an

honorable position to achieve. Edward III also​ ​began the Hundred Years’ War which in fact lasted

more than one-hundred years and affected both England and France. When he died, he left a

18
Ibid.
19
​ he Home of the Royal Family,​ ​"The Order of the Garter." ​https://www.royal.uk/order-garter​ (accessed
T
March 16 2018).
20
Ibid.
21
"Edward III (r. 1327-1377).”
22
"Edward III and Philippa of Hainault."
23
Ibid.
 5

country still at war and an unfinished conflict for future kings to resolve. Edward’s English

lineage from his father and French lineage from his mother affected much of his outlook on his

life.
 6

Bibliography

Aberth, John. "Crime and Justice under Edward III: The Case of Thomas De Lisle." ​The English
Historical Review​ 107, (1992): ​http://www.jstor.org/stable/575065​ (accessed March 1,
2018).

BBC. "Edward III (1312 - 1377)." ​BBC​: (2014).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/edward_iii_king.shtml​ ​(accessed March 1,
2018).

Cavendish, Richard. "Edward III Born at Windsor Castle." ​History Today​: (2012).
http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/edward-iii-born-windsor-castle​ ​(accessed
March 1, 2018).

Encyclopædia Britannica. "The Most Noble Order of the Garter."

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Most-Noble-Order-of-the-Garter​ ​(accessed March
8, 2018).

Encyclopædia Britannica."Alice Perrers."​ ​https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Perrers

(accessed March 13, 2018).

English, Edward D. "Edward III." ​Encyclopedia of the Medieval World​ 1 (2005).

http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/213377?q=Edward%20iii​ (accessed
March 1, 2018).

Grossman, Mark. "Edward III." ​World Military Leaders: A Biographical Dictionary​: (2007).
http://online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/7?articleId=215848&q=edward%20III
(accessed March 1, 2018).

Highfield, J.R.L., and Tout, Thomas F. "Edward III." ​Encyclopædia Britannica, inc: ​(2017)
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-III-king-of-England​ ​(accessed March 1,
2018).

History.com. "Hundred Years’ War."​ ​https://www.history.com/topics/hundred-years-war

(accessed March 7, 2018).

Keen, Maurice. "The Hundred Years War." ​BBC​: (2011).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/hundred_years_war_01.shtml​ ​(accessed
March 7, 2018).

New World Encyclopedia. "Edward III of England."

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Edward_III_of_England​ (accessed March 7,
2018).
 7

Olson, Clair C. "The Minstrels at the Court of Edward III." ​PMLA ​(1941):
http://www.jstor.org/stable/458984​ (accessed March 1, 2018).

Ormrod, W. M. "The Personal Religion of Edward III." ​Speculum​ ​64​ (1989):

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2852870​ (accessed March 1, 2018).

The Home of the Royal Family. "Edward III (r. 1327-1377).”

https://www.royal.uk/edward-iii-r-1327-1377​ ​(accessed March 6, 2018).

The Home of the Royal Family. "The Order of the Garter." ​https://www.royal.uk/order-garter
(accessed March 16 2018).

Westminster Abbey. "Edward III and Philippa of Hainault." ​Westminster Abbey:

http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/royals/edward-iii​ ​(accessed March 7,
2018).